Christmas is what you make thereof; hope you created something special. Merry Christmas.

I love the culture of family togetherness that Christmas celebrations initiate here in South Africa, but for this one, twas down to mother dearest and I to deck a table for two. Has been a quiet and special three days of disconnect out on the farm – sharing more meals and snacks than the two of us should have, catching up on times past and to come, and thinking of the rest on the Transkei Wild Coast, father with three daughters (and now two attachments a brother needs to check on…).

(more…)

Fun day: Swim, first 50m pool set in a while in Strand; breakfast at Nice on route back to Bosch with Tim Don and Gavin Noble, delicious scramble with salmon on rye; massage with Francois Retief – making sure the tightness in my left foot eases; some time at the Slow Food Market, with organic mixed nuts, sushi, and fresh salads in the mix; nap of note; long mtb ride with Gavin Noble (my first mtb in ages round here – plenty fun); quick steam of fresh chopped and pack veggie mix from the market, and lights out…

Stunning Jonkershoek

Noble on an S-Works Stumpjumper (not his own..?)

We have two girls on board now – Lisa Norden and Lesley Paterson – so cheers to 2010 and beyond for Triathlon Team. This clip is hilarious, real artsy, and somehow unifies us beyond the common thread of triathlon. If I dont hit the sack in the moment, Irish team mate Gavin Noble will be left hitching to swimming in the morning…

Hope you are as passionate as Carla?