44 Stanley and the Salvation Cafe

A couple of weeks ago we were out to dinner with some friends and a discussion about dining in Joburg ensued. We are always on the lookout for new restaurants to try, especially those that are not contained in some type of shopping or strip mall that is unfortunately all too common here in the northern suburbs. Our friends enthusiastically told us we must go to 44 Stanley if we want to experience a place with a little more ambience than those which feature the typical extended view over a parking lot.

The next morning we were looking for a nice place to have lunch before our usual Saturday grocery shopping excursion so I had a look at the 44 Stanley website. I learned that 44 Stanley is not a restaurant but in fact an assortment of restaurants, specialty shops and designer studios, all tucked away in a restored warehouse complex. Even though 44 Stanley is a good 25 km from our home, my interest was piqued and off we went in search of a hot new lunchspot.

44 StanleyEntrance to 44 Stanley

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Fourways Farmer’s Market – But No Farmers ?

After nearly four months of living right down the street from the Fourways Farmer’s Market, we finally got around to stopping by and checking things out this past weekend.  The market is across from Montecasino in Fourways and open every Sunday from 10am until 3pm 9am until 2pm.

Fourways Farmer's MarketFourways Farmer’s Market

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Skiing in Joburg ? Almost !

A couple months ago when the mover guy came across my ski clothes to pack up, he gave me a funny look and I just said, “yeah that’s going to be really useful in South Africa !”.  We laughed and into the carton went the clothes.  Well, in fact you CAN ski in South Africa in the Drakensberg Mountains at Tiffindell Ski Resort which I already knew, however what I didn’t know is that you can almost ski right here in Joburg.

Skis and SnowboardsSkis and Snowboards

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In a Sea of Jacarandas

On our arrival to Johannesburg at the end October we were welcomed by the most beautiful flowering trees we have ever seen, the Jacarandas.  Their shimmering purple petals give Johannesburg this wonderful glow and I found myself enchanted by their beauty over and over again.

Jacarandas from my officeView from my office of the Jacarandas dusting the Jo’burg skyline

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Exploring Joburg on the Big Red Bus

For our first outing in Joburg we decided to take the Hop-on, Hop-off City Sightseeing Red Bus tour to get a peek into some of the neighborhoods of downtown Johannesburg.  The bus has only been in operation since February this year in Joburg but we have always  enjoyed this tour in Cape Town (in fact we have set aside a day for this on each of our trips there) and this ended up being a great intro to the city for us.

There are a total of 12 possible stops, not including the optional Soweto tour.  It is impossible to hop on/off at every stop in one day so I suggest you study the route in advance and plan your day carefully to get to see your top spots.  It would likely take the better part of 3 days to really see everything on the route.

As we are totally Joburg newbies, we didn’t feel comfortable yet (still don’t) driving in the CBD (Central Business District) , so we drove to Sandton to park and took the Gautrain to Park Station, the first stop of the tour (you can however start wherever you like).

Waiting for the Gautrain at Sandton StationWaiting for the Gautrain at Sandton Station

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