On Sunday, 1 October, 2023, I retired. My oldest daughter and my wife conspired to get me a dog. I really didn't want one. I wanted to see what it was like to be able to sleep in on a weekday. They both knew that I liked German Shepherds. They just happened to find a purebred at a local rescue shelter. He was going on 4 months of age. They showed me a picture. Damn it! we now have a German Shepherd puppy who just turned 9 months old and is now 75 lbs (1000 kilograms).

Just this Friday, he graduated doggie boot camp. His name is Lionel and he is something else. All in a good way. He loves us to death. How anyone could ever hurt an animal is beyond me. All they want is a little love and they will give that love back a thousand fold.

……at L’Auberge Chanteclair, Franschhoek in South Africa. When we travel overseas from the UK we prefer to rent houses and stay at the occasional hotel. We usually don’t return to the same accommodation twice, however we always return for three nights to this beautiful converted farm house where they have a few rooms and some cottage style accommodations. There is a small vineyard at the rear and they grow their own grapes and produce over 1,000 bottles per year. Bob took a phone shot of the wine glass and bottle of their wine. Oops it looks like the wall is tumbling down!

They serve the most beautiful breakfasts with a choice to start with continental and a cooked one if desired. There are also lovely platters with a mix of fresh fruits. A quick shot of the continental with my phone.

We stopped on the way through the village for a shot of the pretty Dutch Reformed Church that was built in 1847 and fully restored in 1968.

We love the peace and quiet but mostly the ever changing view of the clouds throughout the day.

Hope you enjoy our little piece of heaven.

Canon 650D, 18-55mm lens. 2 phone shots.

Please try the downloads.