A new adventure

Saturday morning. I can see the sky through the window where the curtains were not closed completed last night.

‘Is it morning yet’

‘Well, it is light but it is still dark, if you know what I mean’ I answer

‘Yes, lovely’

And it is that beautiful time which is not quite morning and no longer night, when you can justify getting up but just as easily choose to snuggle under the bed clothes for another hour or so.  The bush babies are not yet home and their tree is a dark outline against the slowly changing sky which is just tingeing a yellowy pink.

‘It is your turn to get the tea’ I say ‘I did it during the week’.

With only the slightest of grumbles, he climbs out of bed, opens the curtains fully so we can enjoy the morning show, and plods off to the kitchen. The dogs are eager to be let out. I hear the door open and the next noise is Tarbu announcing to the world that he is up and about and protecting his domain.

…..Water from the filter dripping into the kettle…..the click of the switch…..the rattle of the tea caddy…and next thing I am aware of is being presented with my cup……..and my day can begin.

Saturday is not so much different to other days – up, run around and open the house, feed the dogs and birds – but today I am off to my first wine appreciation class, so I have to be out of the house early in order to get across town. It is going to take longer than normal, and I am a little bit nervous, as I have to drive Rangie and she is unpredictable at times. Don’t get me wrong, I love driving her and we have had many happy hours bashing through Nairobi traffic together. One good thing about the Range Rover is, they are much bigger than many of the cars on the road, and tougher, so people tend to get out of your way. Even the matatu drivers are wary of trying to push in, but, there is also the fact that the hand brake does not work, the gear stick is difficult to use and being pre-power steering, very heavy to maneuver especially when trying to park in spaces made for mini minors!!   

45 uneventful minutes later I am pulling into the Junction Mall car park. ‘Thank goodness’ it is half empty. I slide into a space and drive straight through into the adjoining space, secretly imagining others will think me terribly clever being able to reverse park such a beast.

Coffee first at one of Nairobi’s flasher European style cafés, Art Caffé. For half an hour of so you can pretend you are in Paris, or even New York.

I then stroll through the Mall to the wine bar where the class is taking place. I sit with another woman waiting for the class. We introduce ourselves and start to chat about life in Nairobi and how it has changed over the past 10 years with the opening of lots of new shops, exposing us all to the more European lifestyle.

After 10 minutes or so we are all ushered into an inner room, introduced to the group we will spend the next 7 Saturday mornings with, and to our Sommelier, Juan. Then, with a flick of the projector switch our adventure into the world of wine begins.