South Africa is such a place of vast divergences in life styles of people living very close to each other, especially in our small village of Hout Bay. This was so evident to me this weekend.

With the girls in George for the holidays, Norm and I had a cosy weekend in planned, just us two. We seldom get one on one time, and even when alone we still have 5 animals to contend with, hardly a romantic chilled out vibe at best. Friday we stayed in and watched a movie and got take aways from Spiro’s in Hout Bay. They have the most divine fried calamari – I’d even say it is some of the best in Cape Town if not THE best.

Saturday Norm had to work but I had a relaxing day and had an appointment at Hout Bay Manor spa at 2pm. I had been given a voucher for their Spring time special. It took me so long to redeem it, I see that they now have their summer specials on, the 2nd one is what I had booked:

Here is the link to the site if you want to book:
http://www.houtbaymanor.com/manor-specials/cape-town-hout-bay-spa-specials and these vouchers make wonderful Christmas gifts.

I had just had a pedicure a week ago so asked if I could pay the difference and have a facial, so I did. Gail is their resident therapist and she also shaped my brows. The whole experience was amazing! It was warm and cosy so I didn’t mind being starkers, and they keep you discretely covered other than the area they are working on. The smells of the warm sugary body scrub smells almost like you are submerged in a baking cake- all warm, sugary and smelling of vanilla. After they scrub you top to toe you pop into the prepared shower and wash off the scrub. You then pop back on the bed for an hour long top to bottom massage. My skin felt like a baby’s bottom after. Positively deliciously soft and smelling divine.

She then ended with the facial and I felt like an overlooked limp noodle I was so relaxed when I left.

Last evening I had lots of bits and pieces which needed cooking so I made a pasta with bacon, onions, red peppers and several types of cheese in the sauce. It was really delicious. We enjoyed not having to go out, just relaxing surrounded by our pets on a warm windy evening.

We then heard over the Neighborhood Watch Radio that there was a fire in Hangberg, the predominantly coloured community on the harbour side of the village. There are shacks, apartment blocks and even beautiful big homes in that area- all levels of prosperity or lack of.

The end result is that 7 shacks have burned to the ground.

This may sound like it isn’t many but that is 7 families, and affects 35 people from babies to old people. 7 people live in several of the shacks. These people have nothing. They had little to begin with but they had a home, they had clothes and food, however little. Now they have nothing at all. I can’t imagine the devastation of losing everything you have. And most will have no insurance.

It really highlights the divergence between the have and the have nots. The Facebook group many people in Hout Bay have joined started a collection, one of the local business volunteered as the drop off point and everyone is digging deep, emptying cupboards, collecting old clothes and linens and household items and dropping them off. We chose to contribute food and went and filled a grocery cart with non-perishable items, long life milk, cereal, tinned vegetables and fruit, toilet paper, pasta, rice, mealie meal, everything we could think of which you could make with just a pot and a fire or a kettle of water. If many more people do the same then the victims of the fire should be able to set up a basic home. The City gives each home a basic set of building materials so hopefully the community will help them get a roof up ASAP. The thing I loved was how our little community just pulled together in a time of need, helping complete strangers, just because they need it.

It is a beautiful, if windy day. After we dropped off our food donations, we stopped off at the local Italian IceDream ice cream spot and sat in the sun eating our cones while enjoying the lovely village feel as Liana the owner comes out to chat to all who love her amazing ice cream, her little dog scooting round her feet.

This is the best ice cream you will ever eat, made with no preservatives, all natural ingredients. The peanut butter is a toss up with the coconut as my best. Today I had a scoop each of peanut butter and chocolate. It was so good.

Tonight we are going to have another night in, Norm is making dinner, fillet steaks one of my faves. I hope you have all had a good weekend. I have had a relaxing one, after the last few weeks I have had at work it was just what I needed. I am grateful for all I have, particularly my home after what has happened in our village this weekend.

IceDream shots compliments of Matt Mercer.