Lifestyle

Abalone House Part 1

June 26, 2012

I’m back 🙂 I really missed blogging, but it was great to have a mini break too.

Last week this time I was on my way to the airport to fly down to Cape Town. I was invited by Manley Communications on a press trip to travel to Paternoster and experience the gorgeous boutique hotel, Abalone House.

I have always heard such spectacular things about this part of the Western Cape and I couldn’t wait to experience it for myself.

I also couldn’t have been teamed up with better people. From the moment we all got together, we quickly bonded. Darren Jay Hart, editor of Essentials Magazine, Dominique Brown from Food and Home magazine, Tammy Sutherns from Sandton Magazine and Property Magazine, Sibusiso Mkwanazi from the Citizen newspaper and Lisa Manley from Manley Communications are such fun, wonderful people.

There really was no coincidence we were all together… I don’t know how to explain it, but this trip was magical. We bonded, learned from one another and imparted personal experience and knowledge that will stay with me for a long time.

The 2 hour drive from the airport actually flew by quickly and it is very picturesque.

Paternoster is a quaint fisherman village with breath taking views of the Atlantic ocean and gorgeous thatched white homes dotted everywhere.

It is not very often I am rendered speechless and I spent most of my time with my mouth agape. It is an incredibly soulful place and every cell in my body came alive. I wish I could turn that feeling into written words.

There is something wonderful about Paternoster and Abalone House in the Winter – it’s cosy. It’s the perfect setting for a glass of red wine sitting by the fireplace and just enjoying the scenery.

We arrived at Abalone House and again I just walked around taking in the grandeur of this boutique hotel. It is warm, inviting, richly colourful, decadent and homely.

I was shown to my room…

The Tretchikoff Prints are stunning

This bed held me hostage…so comfortable and warm. There was also underfloor heating in both bedroom and bathroom

I loved the artwork, the heated towel racks and the fragrant bath salts

I thoroughly enjoyed the sherry…the perfect warm up.

After we explored, we all met upstairs on the deck for tea. Media people don’t normally keep quiet and we were pretty silent staring at the view drinking coffee, hot chocolate and tea.

I was so impressed… Kevin from Abalone House had done some research and knew I adored Vanilla Tea

After our tea, we dressed warmly and took a walk around Paternoster. It’s amazing to see how integrated the community is. It’s very special. The fisherman homes and holiday homes aren’t separate, they’re integrated and it’s lovely.

We stopped here(see above)… and had sun downers of Orange juice and malibu, apple sherry, cranberry juice and cucumber/mint water. I sadly couldn’t indulge in the oysters (damn shell fish allergy) but I did enjoy the sushi.

We came back, warmed up by the fire place with sherry ready for dinner…

Dinner was delicious and really homely… Crayfish (really sad about my allergy…I ADORE shellfish and can’t touch it anymore), fresh fish, pot broodjie (pot bread), stir fried vegetables, salad (I loved the presentation in the little pots) and divine Malva pudding.