South Africa!

The iconic Table Mountain

Back in March my wife and I made our second journey together to South Africa. She is originally from there, moving to Canada when she was five years old. While she has been back many times before we got married, this was only the second time I’ve been there.

Due to work commitments back home, we have never had the chance to spend more than 11 consecutive days there, which sounds like plenty of time, but trust me, it flies by in the blink of an eye.

Franschhoek

 The majority of my wife’s family (from now on referred to as 'the family') live in or around the Cape Town area, so that is where we spend most of our time when we are there. It has everything you could ask for: a couple of oceans, tons of beaches, mountains, vineyards, and plenty of places to go shopping.

Looking out over Kirstenbosch Gardens from the Boomslang

All that stuff is fun to see and do, but the main reason that we visit is for the family. They are some of the most amazing people I have ever met. I will always remember my first visit and the instant love and acceptance that I felt from a family that I had married into and had never met before. It was unbelievable.

A view from on top of Table Mountain

This second trip only strengthened the bonds that I felt from the first visit. We still did some touristy activities, like going up Table Mountain and walking through Kirstenbosch Gardens, but it was always with family members joining us. I think one of my favorite times was on our first weekend there, we had a giant brai (South African barbeque) followed by a family photo shoot. There was a ton of family everywhere; aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, cousins - you name it, we had it there.

 

Table Mountain at sunset with the clouds moving in

  

It’s always tough leaving the family to come back home, but thankfully we live in an age where people can be connected via a few clicks on the computer.






*The few pictures that I have posted are scenery only as I respect and value the privacy that family deserve.