Travelog for: BubbleGum

Hi mom,

Today we attended a birthday party of one of Katara's friends and Froggy and I had a great time! 



We drank some shooters called 'Melktertjies' (A half a bottle of Vodka, 1 tin of Ideal milk and 1 tin of condensed milk all mixed together and served chilled in shooter glasses with a sprinkling of cinnamon on top). It tastes like Melktert (Milk Tart) which is a traditional tart of Dutch origin and very popular in South Africa.



In the evening we ate some "Potjiekos" made in a Dutch Oven over a coal fire. It was like a stew/casserole with meat and vegetables. We ate it together with some rice.



I really enjoyed it!

Greetings from South Africa,
Bubblegum xxx

Hi Mom!

Today Froggy and I helped Katara prepare a "koekstruif" (trifle).

Katara bought a Swiss roll. We cut it into slices and we lined the glass bowl with the cake



Katara then poured some Old Brown Sherry over the cake, and allowed it to draw into the cake.



Next we added a layer of custard, jelly and cream



We added another layer of cake and custard.
Katara added some strawberry jelly which she prepared with strawberry pieces the night before





Katara topped off the 'koekstruif' with a layer of cream



We ate the 'koekstruif' for dessert - It was delicious!

Hi Mom,

Yesterday and today it has been raining...



So we decided to surf the Internet. We found a site that we really liked! It's full of crafts and tutorials 
We saw a tutorial on how to make an Easter Bunny and we asked Katara if we could make it.



We chose some material from Katara's stash



We pinned the pattern pieces to the material





and sewed them together with the sewing machine



Our creation! A big Easter Bunny and a small one! 



Afterwards for a snack we shared a grenadilla. It was yum!

Hi Mom,

Today the weather cleared, so we had sunshine! 

In the morning we went to the community library







Then we went to the shops.
I met some chocolate Easter Bunnies!  Can you spot me??



And of course we spent some time at the sweet isle!



It was a fun outing!

Greetings from South Africa,
Bubblegum xxx

PART 1

Hi Mom

Today we went to the Irene Dairy. The Irene Dairy Farm is a picturesque gem that nestles between the sprawling cities of Pretoria and Johannesburg. A visit to this old-style, storybook dairy farm is a must. Started in 1895, the Irene Farm has been run the whole time by the van der Byl family who are now on to five generations and has become an iconic landmark in the Gauteng countryside.

To read more you can click on THIS LINK



This is the Dairy Farm Shop



Outside there is a lovely fountain. You can toss coins into it - all the coins are donated to the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)



Some old farm equipment



Froggy and I tried to tell the time on the sun-dial, but unfortunately it was a little cloudy...

PART 2:

We continued to explore Irene Dairy Farm

There are troughs all around the farm which provides drinking water for the animals



There are also several ponds at the farm



We met some calves - This one tried to kiss us!



And this one was quite curious!



Here is the building were all the calves are kept

PART 3:







We had some lunch at "The Barn" at the Dairy.









I had a great day!! 

Lots of hugs,
Bubblegum

Hi Mom,

Today we went to the Centurion Mall again, but this time to have some waffles! We went to the "Milky Lane"- It's an ice-cream bar, and we ordered some waffles. It was delicious!! 





The waitress brought some syrups to our table, but as the waffles we ordered were already very sweet we didn't use the syrups.







At the mall there were some Easter decorations hanging from the trees. It looked so pretty! I'm not sure that the photos do it justice.






I had a great day!

Greetings from Pretoria,
Bubblegum xx

Hi Mom,

Today we went to visit Katara's sister in Greenstone. We went for a stroll in the residential estate that they reside in.

We saw some big newly-built houses.



Seeing that I spent a lot of time in peoples' mailboxes - being a ToyVoyager, I quite liked the look of this particular one! It isn't old at all although it looks quite old



Froggy and I spotted a play park, and of course begged Katara to take us there to have a little bit of fun!





From the play park we had a beautiful view of Modderfontein.  Home of the Dynamite Factory. (You can see Kelvin power station in the background).



"Modderfontein Dynamite Factory was established in 1894 on a site in the rolling hills northeast of Johannesburg, covering several thousand acres.Today it is the biggest dynamite factory in the world. It was established principally to supply the emerging gold mines of the Witwatersrand with much needed explosives which were required to reach the newly discovered main reef at ever deeper levels."

You can read more about it here Just scroll down to "A brief history of Modderfontein"

Froggy and I tried to make friends with the birds, but unfortunately no one was home. Perhaps next time!



After the looooong walk we were very tired, so we stopped to rest



I had a great day!!! 

Hi Mom,

Yesterday another ToyVoyager from Germany arrived. His name is Phog. This is his first adventure as a TV. 

We helped him out of the dark envelope



and he was very happy to meet 2 fellow German TV's!



Today we had a nice relaxing day at home. For lunch we made a 'braai' (bbq)

First I got to taste a South African beer and an alcoholic cooler



We got everything ready. Katara made us some garlic buns and placed them in foil.



Katara also bought some "Boerewors". It is very popular in South Africa, and no one makes a "braai" without some "Boerewors"





We braaied the meat and then the feast was ready!!



Love you lots Mommy!
xoxoxox

HAPPY EASTER!!

Today the Easter Bunny brought us some Easter Eggs! 

Hi Mom!

Today I got to taste some "Koeksisters". From wikipedia:
"A koeksister or koesister comes from the Dutch word koekje, which translates to "cookie". It is a South African syrup-coated doughnut in a twisted or braided shape (like a plait). It is prepared by deep-frying dough in oil, then dipping the fried dough into cold sugar syrup. Koeksisters are very sticky and sweet and taste like honey.[1]"





The 'koeksisters' are very very sweet! 

Tomorrow Katara said that I will continue on with my travels. I'm looking forward to it!

Bon Voyage!
Bubblegum xxx

Hi mom!

There has been a slight delay, but I'm off to America today! 

I greeted Phog



and Froggy



and they helped me into the envelope! 



I'm looking forward to a new adventure!

I love you lots Mommy! xoxoxox
Bubblegum

Today I arrived in the USA!  I'm so excited to be here!

I was greeted by Peep, another TV.  She made a sign for me!



I get to stay in the zoo room!  The bed is a bit big for me, but it is good for jumping!



I hope to have lots of pictures to put up very soon!

Missing you!
~BubbleGum

Hi!

Today we took a walk in the forest.  This is the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge.

It is so green here!



We didn't just come to see the trees, we came to see the river as well.  It was a long walk down the pier.



This is the Minnesota River.





After all the rain I've seen here, it was very nice to relax in the sun!



I tagged the location of this post with the location of the pier.  If you zoom in on satellite view, you can see it for yourself.

Bye!
Bubblegum