Short but very sweet…

We have just returned from another great holiday back in South Africa.  It was a quick 9 day visit but we had a great time seeing family and friends and came home tired but happy.

We landed Friday and went straight to a mouth-wateringly delicious dinner at Cubata in Sydenham, Port Elizabeth.  My Parents took Hubbie and I there a year ago and we have never forgotten the food and so we requested a visit there as part of our bid to eat all the food we have been missing.   We were not disappointed! 

If you have never been to Cubata I would highly recommend it.  The layout is very basic with mismatched pictures hanging on the walls as well as some new photos of the building of the Port Elizabeth World Cup Soccer stadium. The layout is open plan with wooden benches to sit around. You have to bring our own alcohol but soft drinks are available. It is always busy and when looking around the room there is a true mixture of people and cultures enjoying the food.

The menu is basic Portuguese and we ordered prawns and ribs with a side of chips and Portuguese rolls. The food was truly delicious and lived up to all our expectations.  The owner is very friendly and was so happy to hear that ad just landed from Genève and had requested to come there for our first SA dinner.

Cubata shows that it does not matter what a restaurant looks like, if the food is excellent the people will be calling weeks in advance to book a table. Here is a review I found online: http://www.eatout.co.za/Restaurants/8325/Port-Elizabeth/Seafood-Portuguese/Cubata-Portuguese-Grill-House.

On Saturday the 9^th July was Jess and Gareth’s wedding.  It was a beautiful sunny winter’s day and a truly great wedding.  Jess looked beautiful and Gareth looked like a cat that got the cream.  It was so nice to catch up with friends and dance the night away.  It all just ended too soon! 

The happy couple

They had “the photo booth” there which was great fun and provided lots of entertainment and funny memories particularly the more everyone drank.  Below is one of the photos of Hubbie and I but you can look at all the other funny pics at http://www.booth.co.za/jess/.

One of our "the photo booth" pics

Whenever we are in Port Elizabeth my Parents really go out of their way to spoil us, particularly with the food we miss. We managed to fit in breakfast at Mugg & Bean, brunch at the beach, a braai, pickled fish (Hubbie’s request) and, another highlight, my mom’s lamb shank.

Mom's lamb shank...yum!

Then it was off to the Kruger with Hubbie's Mom.  We always love our time in the Kruger and this time was no different.  It was so nice to see Hubbie’s preggie Sister and our Niece, who is as cute as ever!

Although we were only there for a couple of days we managed to fit in a long drive which included a skottel brunch at a lookout point where we watched elephants playing and drinking in the river while we were eating.

Then it was the long drive back to Boksburg with everyone in tow where we were greeted by Hubbie's Dad.  Once back I headed off with my Sister and managed to meet up with my Friend for a quick chat over cake and coffee.   I spent the Friday night with my Sister and her Hubbie making homemade pizzas and watching a movie, which was just what was needed after the long drive.

Then on Saturday we had a surprise baby shower for Hubbie’s Sister and she was really surprised.  So many friends and family were able to join us at Cafè Gawila (http://www.legatocoffee.co.za/default.php?ipkCat=2&sid=2).  They really decorated the place so nicely the buffet breakfast was delicious.  We were told to try the Hazelnut Cappuccino and we are so glad we did. It was creamy and nutty and perfect after our big breakfast.

The room was beautifully decorated

The hazelnut cappuccino

Hubbie’s Sister was so spoilt and will need a big car to get her back to the Kruger with all the gifts in tow.

All the gifts

It was so good to see our families and friends again. Visiting always makes us miss South Africa.

Then it was back to Genève on the A380. Oh well I guess good things have to come to an end. We had an awesome time and are already counting down till our visit in December...only 170 days to go!