Last night we were driven around the block to the Italian restaurant Brassiere de Paris!! The whole ambience appeared to be French, though the hotel had advised it was Italian!
There was an a la carte and a 5 course degustation menu +/- wine . Unfortunately we had eaten lunch at Brooklyn Mall so we opted for the a la carte menu.
As an aperitif, we had a Kir Royale and a beer. We chose an excellent SA red wine from Stellenbosch. An amuse bouche commenced the meal followed by l'escargot, steak cooked three ways - pepper sauce, bernaise and a sweet wine sauce together with green beans and pommes frites. French?? It was followed by a cheese plate - Italian cheeses !! together with a port and coffee. The food was excellent even if the restaurant is confused as to its provenance!!
There was a local black couple at the table next to us and we fell into conversation. He was an authority on SA food and wine and approved of our choice of wine. They were partaking of the degustation menu including the accompanying wines. He told us that he was disappointed with the red wine accompanying their steak course and suggested that ours was the better choice. I thought many Irish visited SA but we appear to be a novelty.
The proprietor had assured us that it was safe to take the 5 minute walk back to the hotel. However, she rang the restaurant asking if we wished to be collected? We replied in the negative but as we turned into Victoria St., there was the proprietor walking towards us ! She accompanied us back to the hotel.
It may have been because there was an air of tension in the city, as a result of a bomb alert for US citizens/ property yesterday. As we drove to the restaurant, there were a lot of police cars about, the U.S. Ambassador's residence - a stone's throw from our hotel. As our driver had not heard of the bomb threat, she assumed that there was a function at the Residence. I hoped if the Resuidence was the target that the bomb would not be too large or our hotel would be engulfed in the blast too.
This morning breakfast consisted of a Salmon baked in a spinach and cream sauce preceded by muesli topped with strawberries and strawberry yoghurt.
The salmon was delicious. I cannot believe that the dinner we had the first night was cooked by the same chef!! The proprietor cooks breakfast and she informed us the she rises at 04.45 hrs to bake the delicious bread and croissants of varying varieties each morning. She told us that she loves to 'play' in the kitchen and her food is very novel.
Yesterday morning, we had breakfast at 0930 hrs and we ate alone but this morning we breakfasted at 0830 hrs and there were a number of guests in the dining room. Beside us sat a white South African couple (interestingly we have not seen black guests here at the hotel) The wife was trying to guess where we were from, when the husband arrived and immediately said Irish. His wife was amazed until he reminded her that he had spent six months in Belfast some years ago. They were well travelled but the lady informed us that we were the first Irish couple she had met in SA. Her husband employs 250 Zimbabweans in SA . I'm not sure if he was a rancher or a company owner? He is not impressed by the present President because of the extent of corruption in SA, together with all the 'greasing of palms' that has to be done to operate a business here. He was very forthright with us but when the black Africian staff entered the dining room, he lowered his voice. He told us that the educated Zimbabweans are quiitting Zim for SA, so disillusioned have they become with Mugabe!
He said he hoped that we had not booked our holiday through an agent as they totally inflate the price. He was pleased to hear that we had booked directly on the Internet for the most part. He is correct as this morning we decided for safety and expediency to book a tour of Pretoria , which we were initially informed would cost 400 Rand (€27) each and its duration would be from 0900 hrs - 1400 hrs but when the guide arrived am, it had risen to 600 rand (€40) each and the tour was to end at 1300hrs!! We protested but were informed that we were mistaken - we were not!
We initially drove around Waterkloof, which our guide called the Beverley Hills of Pretoria . He pointed out the home of the infamous Oscar Pretorius's uncle. The area could vie with BH, such were the enormous houses, surrounded by security wire and in addition each gate had a security hut. Our hotel has a security hut with two guards on duty day and night.
We then drove through Freedom Park; a nature reserve , where Whirley beasts crossed In front of our car. There were great views of the city from here.
From there we went to Voortrekker monument; a place of pilgrimage for many Afrikaners. It was constructed between 1938 and 1949 - a great period of Afrikaner nationalism - to honour the journey of the Voortrekkers (Dutch). The monument is surrounded by a 340 hectare game reserve. The outer perimeter is surrounded by a stone wall into which 64 wagons have been carved.
In the basement is the cenotaph of Pretorius and we were informed that the sun shines on it every 6th December to celebrate the Battle of Red River, where the Afrikaners defeated the Zulu tribe ( the present President of SA is from that tribe - little wonder then that the Government refuses to maintain the building. )
The place was teeming with school children - needless to say all white.
In the basement was a museum with clothes, tranport and utensils from the period. Here too was the Voortrekker tapestry - not unlike the Bayeux in Bayeux, France.
We continued to Church Square - it was once the heart of Pretoria but the city centre is occupied by the poorer black population and the wealthier suburbs by the whites and middle class blacks, who appear to avoid the city and shop in places such as Brooklyn Mall and their respective suburbs.
Dominating the Square is a statue of Old Lion, Paul Kruger surveying all before him.
On one side of the square is what was once an hotel but is now the Courts Justice.
My learned friends, it was here that Nelson Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment on Robin Island. Banks now dominate the square (what's new?) together with The Old Capitol Theatre and Cafe Riche:
an early twentieth coffee shop, full of character.
We adjourned there for a brief respite to imbibe a coffee and admire the photographs of early twentieth century Church Square.
Here too we read the local papers,
The Citizen informed us of yesterday's bomb threat and of the fact that Cecil's killer had come out of hiding. We were supposed to see Cecil on our journey on Rovis Rail to Victoria Falls but alas ......
From Church Square, we continued to Union Buildings - where originally the Boors and British jointly ruled the country - today it houses the offices of the President and other government officials.
In the gardens beneath is a giant statue of Nelson Mandela
Here we saw groups of black school children. We got their permission take a photograph. The children were from a Sowetan school.
and then our guide asked them to guess where we were from? They were making an effort when CC gave them money for ice - cream (there was a vender nearby) the question forgotten, they disappeared like lightening to purchase their ice- cream - children the same the world over!
We returned to the hotel via Hatton, the university area of Pretoria - a very impressive university, built at the beginning of the Twentieth Century.
A relaxing afternoon by the pool. A Brie ( SA barbecque ) was on offer at the hotel tonight but as were not sure how many guests will partake, we don't fancy eating alone so we are going to be dropped to another restaurant down the road - it too may have an identity crisis!!
Dear readers - tomorrow we leave for Rovis Railway station. Rovis Rail has its own station. We must leave the hotel, we're informed at 0645 hrs to comfortably make the 10 km journey to the station by 0830hrs. !! It appears the roads are like car parks as the city commutes to Pretoria or makes the 50 km journey to work in Johannesburg.
You will probably not hear from me now until I reach Victoria Falls on Sunday - what a relief I know you're thinking.!! The brief respite will be, I assume, as a consequence of the absence of Internet on the train. However, lest you fear, I will continue to write the blog in draft form, until I reach the Victoria Falls Hotel on Sunday, where I will publish a feast for your eyes and taste buds I promise!!
