BRUNCH WITH ELLEN
Hartbeespoort, Northwest Province, South Africa

We had brunch with Ellen in Hartbeespoort yesterday. Ellen is a dear friend and coworker of my sister's, and is now a friend of mine as well. Hartbeespoort is in the adjacent Northwest Province, about an hour's drive from Pretoria. It is situated at a very scenic lake, and the surrounding scenery is quite breathtaking.

Ellen's house is breathtaking, too. It would be the ideal material for a feature (several features, in fact) in a lifestyle magazine, but there is something that sets it apart from the usual designer homes and interiors: the obvious love and utmost care that went into every single detail, and is still going into every single detail. Ellen and her house are a rare combination and manifestation of exquisite beauty, an expansive mind, a savvy intellect, good judgement, impeccable taste, a total lack of ostentation, a heartfelt warmth, a generosity that knows no bounds - and something that lies beyond words, that can only be intuited, that I would simply have to call "the X factor".

I took loads of photos of her house, mostly of the exquisite garden that is food and balm for the soul and mind and senses. One would need several days to explore the interior, which is indescribably beautiful. One would also need a proper camera to do justice to it, which I don't have. Besides that, I wouldn't want to intrude. Suffice it to say that the interior is a perfect match for the exterior.

After meeting at Ellen's house first, drinking in the sights and sounds, and absorbing the love that is evidenced by, and emanated by, everything, Ellen took us out for brunch. We went to Vovo Telo bakery and restaurant nearby. Vovo Telo's is unique in many ways, with an ambiance we love, and a very creative and interesting menu. The food for the body we chose perfectly complemented the soul food we had just had.

We dropped our friend itoff at her house before being on our way back to Pretoria for a music concert at 3 p.m., feeling energized and uplifted from being in the presence of tangible and concentrated love and care in the person of Ellen.