Val-Day has its perks, like a night at the 12 Decades Art Hotel in Maboneng, a place I’ve wanted to visit for ages! It feels totally indulgent staying in a hotel when your house is 20 minutes away, but also a lovely break from the same old same old.
We stayed in the MineHaus room, where Bauhaus meets Joburg mining town, designed by a long time favourite of mine Dokter & Misses. Below are some pics from the room, the installations on the 7th floor, and Joburg’s famous skyline from the rooftop bar (most from my Instagram).
Jo’burg
Some Friday lightness
It’s been an intense week, even by Johannesburg standards. Luckily I got to spend a day out of the city at Monaghan Farm on Wednesday – it’s a lovely place to take a couple of very deep breaths.
Sunsets
Say what you will about Johannesburg, it does serve up remarkable sunsets.
Autumn
Johannesburg winters are not my favourite. They have redeeming qualities – like warm midday temperatures, blue skies, and lack of snow and ice – but they are also so dry that the countryside, and my skin, turns to a scratchy, dusty husk of its former plumped-up-with-humidity summer self.
At the moment though I’m about ferreting out silver linings, and Joburg’s autumn colours and lovely wintery light fit the bill.
Pre winter’s frost
Golden
An autumn cat
Tree atop tree
Autumn sunrise
Picnicking light
Joburg City Festival
This weekend was the first of the week long Joburg City Festival.
The frustrated ballerina in me loved every moment of the performance by the SA Mzanzi Ballet company at the Joburg Theatre (formally the Civic Theatre). It’s an hour long taste of the company’s current and upcoming shows, and its talent. Catch the other shows this week on Wednesday and Thursday nights, 7pm.
Randlords is a pretty great venue with pretty fabulous views over the city. Yesterday their Balcony TV Sunday was hot and sunny, with Jeremy Loops, Shaun Jacobs and BCUC (the banging highlight for me) performing against Joburg’s winter skyline. A lovely day out in a city alive with beat, despite a slow Monday!
