Breakfast Washing Party

Today we had to tend to the little things that get in the way of having a holiday, like washing. Fortunately our flat came equipped with a washing machine so we arranged that Wicus would come over to our place for breakfast and some washing.

Stean and I ended up having to figure out how to make the machine work. Everything printed on it was in German and there was no manual, nor could we find anything online. We managed to figure out the cycle we wanted, but for some reason the machine just would not come on. Power checked out, water tap was open, door was closed but nothing happened after selecting the cycle and pressing the dial button . Eventually I discovered that once you selected the cycle you needed to pull the dial out to make it start (Lloyds Öko Super 820).

We had a good breakfast while the washing got done and then headed off to Sylvia’s parents for a barbeque. Outdoor wood fires are not allowed, so everything is done in a kettle braai with charcoal. They also use foil baking trays rather than cooking straight on the grill (we’re told this is to cut down on carcinogens). Also surprising to us was that Sylvia’s mom did the bulk of the braai work. This was rather unusual for us South African’s where the braai is traditionally the mans job. There was potato salad, bratwurst, cheese sausage wrapped in bacon, pork and lamb chops. We ate and drank very well (seems to be a reoccurring theme!) .

Sylvia’s dad was taking pictures with his 45 year old film camera and handed the camera to his wife to take a picture of the group around the table. She accidentally took the photo as Leon leaned over the table to pass the meat. Her dad suddenly got very animated as he realized the photo was taken and it was the last one. We couldn’t help but have a bit of a chuckle after the initial “aaaaah”. In today’s digital age it’s actually a non issue, but perhaps that moment captured on film with another lost at the same time will become a wonderful story to recant in the years to come.

Leon’s newly acquired cousins were there as well, so it was soccer in the back yard after lunch (got to pay for those calories somehow). We took turns tagging in and out (oh the exuberance of youth!) but Wicus, Jacques and I pretty much had the lions share of keeping the kids entertained. I was pretty knackered afterwards, but it was good fun.

On the way home we popped in at Kaufland for some shopping and this time purposefully avoided the chocolate and beer isles until we had acquired actual food. There was still much chocolate purchased and I can only imagine what the cashier must have been thinking with these mountains of slabs rolling down the belt. Another interesting little German thing is that you place a divider on the belt behind your items. This allows the cashier to clearly see what’s yours. Pretty cool actually.

We’ve had some really good weather up till now (I’ve been walking around in shorts and a T-Shirt), but it looks like things may get a bit damp over the next 2 days. I hope it’s not too bad as there is still a few things we’d like to see before leaving for Prauge.

Breakfast 😀