Austin, Texas. The Pretoria of America.

Pretoria, or sorry, rather Austin, is probably what the Freestate would have looked like if there were:

•  no poor people;
• a rich and amazing foodie culture (including probably what is the world's best Sushi restaurant);
• vegetation exactly like you would find in and around Pretoria;
• very rich farmers were running the place and everyone was forced to drive around in a big truck (bakkie);
• the most amazing and biggest BBQ'ed pieces of meat. 

Brisket (and local Austin brew)  is king indeed!

One of Bruce's local hangouts - he knew most of the people in there ;-)

So yes, it seems that everything IS bigger and better in Texas. Especially the warmth received from the Schuurman's. We stayed with Brenda's Aunt Fio, and were treated / spoiled by her and cousin Bruce, whom I have met for the first time. Strangely enough, it was raining most of the time during our three night, two day visit to Austin, Texas, which apparently is quite uncommon  and out of character for the area.


Exploring Austin with Bruce ...

Funky dilapidated construction site which has been turned into a graffiti park

Bren & Bruce

Time to remember

Fio's Home & Garden - note the award!

Lilliput & Fio inspecting the garden of the month.

Fio's beautiful home

Little Lilli

Lilli will do ANYthing for treats!

A night out at Austin's number 1 rated restaurant, Uchi - thanks Bruce!

Fio's beautiful (back) Garden Forest - full of enchanting creatures and WILD animals!

We were amazed by the similarities between Pretoria and Austin in terms of vegetation and also the climate - very similar "feel" between the two cities, although of course also TOTALLY different.

The foodie culture is amazing - food trucks, craft beer Texan BBQ restaurants, authentic Tex-Mex and a whole host of other awesome places to eat.

A pity we were only 2 days / 3 nights in Austin, as I would have loved to experience some of the live music as well - what Austin is really famous for! 

Tuesday, 4 November - Travelling from Oakville, ON (outside Toronto) to Austin, Texas

Toronto's Pearson Airport (YYZ)  to Washington's Dulles Airport (IAD)

IAD to Austin's Bergstrom International Airport

Niagara Wines & Falls

On Sunday we drove via the Niagara Wine district (yes ... Canada has a wine district) to the Niagara Falls ... Stopped off at Kacaba and then Flat Rock Cellars.  Interestinly bought a bottle of bubbly with a beer bottle-type screw top instead of a cork!

Had a really good lunch along the way at the "Inn On the Twenty" ... the "Twenty" being the creek.

Inn On the Twenty

Flat Rock Winelands

Of course the Niagara Falls are absolutely breathtakingly beautiful ...

Our pictures don't do justice to the afternoon sunset and rainbows over the falls.  Plus of course there was an overnight overlooking the falls and a stunning sunrise to follow.

Braam & Monique

Sunset view over the falls from our hotel room

And Sunrise ...

A visit to the Outlet mall on the way home (hard to believe, but equally blissful for the girls), and the rest of the day chilling in their lovely home.

Dankie vir julle ongelooklike gasvryheid Braam en Dot! 

Toronto in the Fall with the Meijs

We arrived in Toronto, Canada on the 31st of October ... Halloween Eve ... not that we "did" Halloween but boy oh boy does everyone else!!! Orange pumpkins and skeletons line the streets and shops.

It's been just like old times staying 4 nights with our good friends Braam and Dot, and their beautiful little 1 year old daughter Monique ... lover of balls and shoes!

Braam's borrowed red bakkie just outside their home

We took the train to Toronto for a Saturday afternoon in the Distillery District in Old Toronto ... skipped the Sears Tower at $32/person!!! although we managed to get a nice picture from bottom to top to make up for it!

  

 

Braam & Piet

Dot & Brenda

Lovely late lunch at a Mexican joint ... sitting outside in 1'C but well heated.  Dot and I (Brenda) ended the evening at a concert where their local orchestra (Oakville) performed ALL my most favourite of favourite classical pieces - Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Concerto and Smetena's Moldau to name just two of the most stirring music in the world.

Yeah!