So in Cape Town last month, living a Travelife, there we were having a pretty amazing breakfast at the One & Only Cape Town on a lazy Saturday morning, with the kind of sunshine and weather that makes you think nothing can ever go wrong in the world.

The breakfast had something to do with it, as well.

We were having freshly-shucked oysters and champagne for breakfast.

And as people who know me well will tell you, that’s one easy way to make my day: start it with fresh plump and juicy oysters, and very cold champagne.

Scroll down to read more…

We were both on our iPads, and I was trying to read the FT Weekend while answering emails and posting photos on Facebook, as well.

The companion looked up from his iPad and said to me: “So, are you coming along?“

Just like that. Out of the blue.

It took me awhile to get what he meant. 

The beautiful One & Only Cape Town with Table Mountain in the background

But finally I remembered that he’d made an appointment with a real estate agent to look at some fancy apartments in Cape Town.

Yes. He’d never been to Africa, and he’d just come along with me for two weeks because I just wouldn’t stop talking about Africa and he had nothing else he wanted to do more for those last two weeks of January.

And 48 hours into a stay in Cape Town, he’d decided he wanted to live there.

Actually, he didn’t really plan to live there. He just wanted to have an apartment.

This is my favorite suite in the whole world, by the way. And it’s in South Africa.

I tried to talk him out of it by telling him how much easier it is to stay in a beautiful suite in a luxury hotel with twice-daily housekeeping and 24-hour room service than to go home to your own place and have to set it up each time.

But his ego was set on owning a piece of beautiful Cape Town.

This is the bathroom of my favorite suite. I spent hours here in November 2012, just dressing for dinner.

He added: “Besides, the South African rand is so cheap that it makes everything look like a fire sale.“

So basically, this was a punt he was making with some extra dollars he had.

Unfortunately, I’d already booked myself a Bastien Gonzalez pedicure at the One & Only Spa.

I was so looking forward to this as this was supposed to be the best pedicure in the world.

Besides, I didn’t really think he was serious about the apartment.

But when we met up again at lunch, there he was, practically holding the keys to a three-bedroom penthouse flat with an infinity hot tub and an amazing view of the sea.

Five days later we were in the general Stellenbosch area, which is the heart of South Africa’s food and wine country.

And there he was again, practically in seventh heaven, in love with the place and looking for a vineyard to buy.


Stay tuned to this blog for how this story ends.

How’s that for a never-endingly eventful Travelife?

The post How someone bought an apartment in Cape Town while I had a pedicure at the One & Only Cape Town. appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.