It’s been a while since I blogged about our travels and I’ve missed it. This is going to be one looooong post (read – you’ll be scrolling through loads of pics and little stories.) I have loads to share.

We were invited to a good friends 50th Birthday party weekend and decided to make a week of it.

This was going to be the longest road trip, with a 2 year old and we really weren’t sure what to expect. We brought my Mother in Law (MIL), Dimitra with us and we packed the car to the brim, with luggage, snacks and nursery rhymes.

We stopped once for a Wimpy Breakfast (is a road trip ever complete without it?) and for G to run around a bit. Soon, it was back on the road, enjoying the beautiful scenery.

We didn’t need to stop again, luckily, but right towards the end (with 45 minutes to go), George started getting really antsy. We did our best to distract him with looking for “monkey’s in the trees”, asking him to point out all the cars and trucks, which really helped. Thank goodness for my MIL in the car too!

We finally arrived in Plettenberg Bay and drove straight to our rented Air BnB home in Goose Valley Golf Resort. It had 3 bedrooms – one for us, one for George and one for my MIL, Dimitra. It had a cosy lounge area, with an open plan kitchen and scullery, a beautiful outside area that opened up into an expanse of green grass and about a 5 minute walk down to the lagoon. 

We all had an early night, ready for the next day!

We spent our days either walking having coffee in town, wandering the stores…

 

…Or going to Robberg Beach. George and I sat playing on the sand, while Sox flew his drone.

After some time on the beach, we decided to head to The Beacon Isle – the famous hotel in Plett. The first day we went, the weather turned out to be incredible. It was much hotter than any of us expected. We had brunch and spent some time by the pool. Of course, none of us were prepared for the warm weather – so I pulled off my jersey (luckily I had something underneath), rolled up my maternity leggings and George went running around in his nappy  / naked. He even had a little swim in the baby pool.  Is there anything better than a snuggled up toddler in a fluffy towel, clinging to you in the tightest hug?  We went back another time for breakfast again – the weather wasn’t as warm, so we tried to keep George inside and away from the pool. Out of sight; out of mind.

We went to the Lagoon – once with my MIL, but it was quite the walk for her…

Dimitra picked some of the wild flowers from our walk and they made such a lovely bouquet in the kitchen.

We went back to the lagoon – you can read my previous post about one of my favourite memories from the trip. Read here.

We also did some excursions and went to Monkey Town. We arrived quite late in the afternoon and decided that we’d come back another day since the entrance fee was for a full on tour. One of the staff members was kind enough to let us in – not for the tour, but to where the restaurant area is and to see a few monkeys milling around. It was enough for George and I think a full tour would be wasted on him at this age.

We did go to Jukani Wildlife Sanctuary. It’s home to big cats such as lions (white and tawny), cheetahs, tigers (Siberian, Bengal and white), leopard (spotted and black), jaguar, pumas, caracal, serval cats and other wildlife species such as zebra, wild dog, springbuck, zorilla, honey badger, raccoons and various snake species (which are housed separately). These cats have all been rescued from circuses or from canned hunting and sadly cannot be reintroduced into the wild.

We took the guided tour and luckily asked for a wheelchair for Sox’s Mom, so she could be comfortable and they provided a back carrier for Sox to carry George.

Visiting Jukani is not just about viewing predator cats – it was an informative experience.

After our tour, Dimitra bought George a toy lion, which he absolutely treasures. He hugs and kisses it often. 

We did a lot, but we also got to relax a lot. I read my book, while G played with his cars. I actually managed to finish it on the trip – James Patterson’s 18th Abduction.

We also chilled out in PJs watching TV, under blankets with hot tea.

It was the most wonderful mini break and the 50th party (which was over 3 days) was for our good friend Mike Allen (Rex.) They were the most incredible parties I’ve ever been to. The attention to detail was absolutely stunning. The food was absolutely mouth watering more-ish and I had so much fun – bump and all!

The first night was a meet and greet with the most delicious spread.

The second night was the official 50th sit down dinner. The theme was Bowties and Ballgowns. The dinner was intimate, the food absolutely sensational and the speeches were touching. I loved the Trolley Dollies too, who just added an extra element of fun and entertainment to the evening – they’re excellent!

He’s a Moon Baby (the first man landed on the moon around the time he was born), so it was all about that too! This was the place setting:

Sox and the birthday boy, Mike.

I did well – even had a few dances on the dance floor, buy by midnight, I was finished.

Party 3: The Babbalas Braai (Hangover braai)

It happened to also be the final of the Cricket World Cup and the Wimbledon Male Final, so it was really festive.

To start, we had Bloody Mary’s (virgin ones for me) and flavoured waters. The Gin bar looked so impressive (and I was a little jealous I couldn’t enjoy it.)

The food was outstanding, yet again… but I have to make special mention of the Malva pudding and home made custard. O.M.G. I cannot deny nor confirm that I might have had 3 helpings… I blamed it on the bump. It was incredible.

They also had a Reggae band…

After Georgie’s nap, we brought him to the braai and he was a little star, playing with his cars and enthralled by the band – he loves the drums!

I too these shots on our road trip home…

It really was the most wonderful mini break and we squeezed so much into the week, yet also felt like we had a little break. It was exactly what we needed as a family.