WWW.CAPEMARKETS.CO.ZA & EARTH FAIR MARKET - Cape Town, Western Cape (ORGANIC FOODIE MARKETS)

Ooooh, we found a real goodie, and surprise surprise, its all happening in the fairest Western Cape, SO  UNFAIR, they really do have everything that's uber cool there, AND AGAIN, making a decision was seriously difficult as there really is a phenomenal selection. But still, we're happy, cause we can visit, repeatedly and do them all.

This month we are focusing on ORGANIC FOOD MARKETS in South Africa, as part of our MEDIA & GASTRONOMY section, and we are also making fabulous mention of the Foodie/ Market Sites that we found them on. 

So excited, meet both...

& 

www.capemarkets.co.za is the creation of Pia Taylor, creator and editor or Mother City Living, a popular blog dedicated to green-living in Cape Town. You'll see her, every weekend, basket in hand, foraging happily at fresh produce and craft markets, festivals and fairs. 

And thank goodness for that, she obviously is really scoping out the talent and bringing it to us in a fabulous blog/ website format that allows us the inside scope of whats awesome in the world of market-ing, and where to find the organic/ fresh produce markets. So often this is the best, or only, way to shop for your weekly stock up, cause you can see the freshness. and you can tell that these farmers products are good to go chemical free produce. 

Wow, has she found a stack of awesome places to go to, and has made it so easy to find what you want, as there is a CALENDAR OF EVENTS & MARKET BUZZ, but more importantly, there are the MARKETS & PRODUCERS search engines, and there you will find Market Days, Market Types, Market Locations and Annual Markets. 

She also provides a Featured Markets section and gives us an Editors Pick selection. and in the PRODUCERS section its further separated to Food & Drink, Crafts & Goods, as well as Body & Mind. And she gives you the inside scoop on many of the Producers and the products. LOVE THIS WOMAN!!!

So we choose one of our favourite markets, and this is it... EARTH MARKET FAIR!!!

This fabulous market isn't just a one-spotter market, as there are two actually, one is found in the Main Rd Tokai, on a Wednesday & Saturday, and the other is found in the beautiful tree lined Upper St Georges Mall, but only on a Thursday. 

Each market has its own identity, the Saturday Tokai Market is all about the weekly shopping, and Wednesday is a buzzing hub of top up shopping, delicious dinner and drinks stuff, which is super clever, we like. As for the Thursday St Georges St Market, that's a vibey outdoor market in the heart of the City, and the best option we might have for a European street market, in the Cape. Both markets giving you the best of the Cape. 

Earth Fair has the best selection of fresh produce shopping traders in the Cape. The Saturday Market has 5 free-range meat traders, 2 vegetable traders, 1 being organic, and there are cheese, breads, speciality breads, fish, farm dairy, patisserie, pet foods and pretty much everything you would need for your weekly shop. 

There are even Craft Beers and Little Peoples Corners, so awesome, its a total family affair. 

We think you should visit capemarkets.co.za for more market options, and definitely go see whats happening at www.earthfairmarket.co.za, click on their links for info. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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THE ARMOURY BOXING CLUB - Cape Town, Western Cape

This is totally cool, we love it when people take a concept and make it even more awesome than it already is. So, this month we are focusing on BOXING STUDIO's for FITNESS TRAINING & ACTIVITIES, and we found this fantastic spot in the fabulous Cape Town. They take BOXING to new heights, where it should be. 

Meet...

Boxing isn't just about being in a ring and making wet-tissues of someones head, it not all about boys who want to prove that they have innate ability to facilitate people judging them for their lack of intellect, as their only blatant desire is to moer another twit with the same mindset...no, its not that at all, and hopefully excludes that persona completely. 

Boxing is something everyone should be adding to their weekly exercise routine, and here's why.

The Armoury is a good old fashioned boxing club, which means great workouts, progressive learning and hard-earned rewards in a friendly environment. No posing, No nonsense and a total escape from the ordinary. 

"Walk in...to a lobby replete with leather studded chairs, black and white floor tiles, a boxing library, trophies and chandeliers." (Maybe not so good old fashioned then, but we like...a lot) "Class. Inside - white faced walls, retro pugilistic artwork, bags swinging from black steel trusses and a large ring centre stage. 'Boom-Book' gloves pound on pads, skipping ropes slap the floor and the high energy hums along with the Armoury Sound System. You smile and get stuck in. Walk out...stoked, with a spring in your step, live." 

The Armoury not only provides boxing lessons for real Fight-Nights, but they proudly give you options of Personal Training in boxing, as well as Physical Training, that includes LADIES THAT PUNCH, which is an awesome training program designed specially for the gals who want to torch the fat, shape up and feel good. We said it before and we stand by it, boxing is phenomenal for weight loss. This spirited and fun program combines boxing basics, no sparring or full contact, and it comes with high intensity interval training giving you the results you really want. 

There is also the option of ARMOURY INTERVAL TRAINING, which is a get-fit class, taken indoors and outdoors, and includes dynamic warm ups, interval training with primal moves and plyometrics, pushes, pulls, squats, leaps, lunges, etc..., and we also see sprints and stretching....its all there. They measure, motivate, coach and educate through the process of making you the best you can be.

And then there is WHITE COLLAR BOXING, boxing for persons of distinction. This is wher people can express themselves through action and is quite the concept, but basically,, is it a recreational form of the real thing, but very safe and with extra padding. A bout consists of just three two-minute rounds and the boxers are protected by 16 ounce gloves, which are seriously padded ones, as well as groin protectors and head guards. BUT it also comes with a 3-month commitment of rigorous training, which includes technical, physical and mental development. Its tough, but thats boxing, however it is there to bring out your champion. 

We eccomend a good site check and then go book many a session and really get into it, find out more @ armouryboxing.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

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WINGS FOR LIFE WORLD RUN

LOVE the internet!! We didn't even know. We were searching for something entirely different, and came up with one of the nicest MARATHON & SPORTING EVENTS entries to date, so we will keep in this theme for the whole month.

Please meet...

This has got us all emotional, as it redefines what we are doing with our blogging, which will become more apparent in the next few months, but it also redefines our purpose in life, love and health, and why we should be living a life of wellness. It also reminds us how and why living life to the fullest isn't just about us as individuals.

This event is awesome, lets explain quickly.  Its a running race like no other, and it has come to Cape Town's Winelands with participants racing their WORLD RIVALS to the backdrop of mountains, vineyards and orchards. 

2014 saw 35 397 runners in 32 different countries start a race at exactly the same time , racing ahead of a Catcher Car instead of a finish line. (HOW COOL???!!!)

The Cape saw runners race the loop from Boschendal Wine Estate through the Franschhoek Valley, and last year 35 year old Coolboy Ngamole ran for 59.84 kms before he was eventually caught by the car. 

Whats this CATCHER CAR story? Well this is what sets the race apart from any other, and what makes this race not only a feel-good race, but its totally awesome and really unique. 

Basically, the car has some clever technology that activates when you run past at the start of the race and logs your distance when it passes you....when that happens, your race is over. 

So basically you have to beat the car, its a moving finish line....but don't worry, it gives you a head start of 30 minutes. The car will cruse past each runner to the lead runner, when it does that, it game over for everyone. Again, don't panic, yet, it only travels at 15kph for the first hour and 16kph for the 2nd hour and 17kph for the 3rd, 20kph for the 4th & 5th hour and 35kph after 5 hours, until  the last runner has been caught. 

And no, you cant catch a lift...haha, but they will send a shuttle service for you when you are done.

Told you it was cool.

The GLOBAL CHAMPIONS are the last man and woman worldwide to be passed by their respective Catcher Cars, with each country having a National Champion. 

The WINGS FOR LIFE WORLD RUN, is about running for those who cant, and is for any ability, including wheelchair participants. 

WINGS FOR LIFE is a non-profit organization that funds research into finding a cure for spinal cord injury, ALL proceeds go to the foundation. 

The SOUTH AFRICAN run is in Cape Town, MAY 3rd, 2015 @ 13:00.

Find out more @ WINGS FOR LIFE CAPE TOWN
Worldwide @ www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com

WATCH THIS.....it'l move you  to tears...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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BONTEBOK NATIONAL PARK & BABETTE SOUTH AFRICA - SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL PARKS & ACCOMMODATION (Swellendam, Western Cape.)

So glad we stumbled upon this website of SANPARKS, as we were looking for the best national Park in the Western Cape, and there were 6, their were the obvious choices of the Garden Route National Park in the Tsitsikamma, Knysna, Wilderness, and the incredible, but also obvious, Table Mountain National Park, and then there is also the Karoo, Westcoast,  and Agulhas National Parks, but we settled on a total gem of the best breathing space we never really knew about as we always let the others dominate, and in many ways, this is better.

Please meet.....

This is a vast open pace like no other, it has a long mountain range in the backround that creates dramatic landscape art that the eye might confuse with a perfect life-like painting, it doesn't seem real its so beautiful, but it is and its simply breathtaking. 

Bontebok National Par is a place of simplistic beauty and peaceful charm. The majestic Langeberg Mountains provide a picturesque backdrop for this Park of colorful riches. 

This is the smallest of the South African National Park's stable, set on the banks of the Breede River, and just 5 kms from the gorgeous town of Swellendam, in the Western Cape. 

(That's three more reasons to visit this Park, the Langeberg Mountains, the Breede River and Swellendam.)

Part of the Caper Floral Kingdom, and a World Heritage Site, Bontebok is always boasting something in bloom. Discovering the beauty of this park through a day visit is great, a overnight even better, watching the Bontebok themselves grazing form your chalet window, or you could spy on the many birds that make this place home from the viewing deck and braai area. But we again are just amazed by the landscape, the sheer size and mesmerising beauty of it...this is another breathing space, and one where great life-filling breaths can be taken. 

The Main attractions at Bontebok include picnicking and braaiing at the Die Stroom, Camping n the banks of the Breede River, Game Watching self-drives an Bird Watching. 

Bontebok was originally established to conserve a species, its namesake, the blessed 'Bontebok'.

When the species was approaching extinction in the early 1800's some land owners set aside portions of their properties to form  temporary reserves for the buck, and in 1931 the 1st Bontebok National Park was proclaimed on an area near Bredasdorp but was later moved to to area it is in now. This reserve establishment increased the numbers from less than 18 to over 800 globally. 

There is an incredibly rich and ancient history to the area dating back to over 1 million years, we encourage you t read up on this, its fascinating  @ BOTEBOK HISTORY, but mostly we encourage you just to visit and spend a night or few, its just so peaceful and easy here. 

And when you do stay, there are a few awesome options that you might love, on site and off-site.

The Lang Elsie's Kraal Restcamp, situated on the banks of the Breede River, is the firs rest camp in South African National Parks to be built according to a "Touching the Earth Lightly" design. Named after a Khoe-Khoe Chieftain who lived there with her clan in the18th century, the camp of 10 units provides pristine scenery of the park, Breede River and Langeberg Mountains....a perfect rest stop for visitors.  

Find out more @ BONTEBOK ACCOMODATION, there are also 41 camping and caravan sites located close to the river as well.

 

 

 

 

If that's not your thing, we have found another awesome accommodation option off-site only 4.8kms away in Swellendam.

Meet....

We are loving this awesome spot. Babette is a unique, Provencal-styled home built with three garden cottages and a romantic room with a view in a separate part of the main house. As t has the lovely French styling, the house and rooms are full of lovely details, wooden beams, robust stone floors, all creating a lovely homey and romantic atmosphere. There is a beautiful lush garden with a salt water swimming pool and plenty of quaint corners to relax in. 

Wake up o beautiful breakfasts on the patio, or on you own private patio, the food includes daily homemade surprises as well as a full breakfast made with fresh local produce. You can also grab a pre-ordered picnic basket and enjoy it anywhere you want in the beautiful area...and there are many beautiful places here to enjoy and relax.

Find out more @ babettesouthafrica.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

We really quite like this as a vacation, total breathing space, beauty and un-flawed nature, to find out more about this park go to BONTEBOK NATIONAL PARK, but remember the other 5 parks,

GARDEN ROUTE NATIONAL PARK

TABLE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

KAROO NATIONAL PARK

WEST COAST NATIONAL PARK

AGULHAS NATIONAL PARK.

How beautiful is this place though...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

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