Garden Route Bed & Breakfast - The Hideaway in Swellendam

Berries and Braais

2012-01-15T01:26:00.000-08:00

Hello there! It's me, Per, the cat at The Hideaway. You know, the inexpensive little 5* B&B accommodation in Swellendam on the Garden Route in the Western Cape. We had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. My staff, Jackie and Stephen, (that's them in the picture) have had lots of guests to stay including one lady called Vanessa who thought I was the cat's whiskers. She threatened to catnap me back to somewhere called England to meet Mr Smurf. I liked her, but England sounded cold and wet. Brrrr! Then we had a visit from Biggles and Beth-Anne who stopped by to refuel on the way to Cape Town. She spoke my language! She had obviously been studying Talking with Tails! I have been very brave with the ceiling fans in the house, they are sooooo scary, but I don't mind them so much now. But as if having them in the house was not enough, now they have attached them to tin boxes which roar and rumble about in the blue stuff above the garden! I have to run inside when I see one in case it gets me. My staff say its all about the fire in the Langeberg mountains, but I am not sure why there would be a fire there when it's not cold, we only have fires in the sitting room in the winter, and that's OK because the fans aren't running then. Very confusing, but then I am only a cat! Hmmm!

Sad News from The Hideaway

2011-11-21T08:07:00.000-08:00

Hello everybody! I am sorry to have been gone for so long, but I bring very sad news about my young friend Cleopatra, who after 15 years of living at The Hideaway, you know that great value 5 star guest house in Swellendam on the Garden Route in the Western Cape of South Africa, has entered her 10th life. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Per, another Egyptian queen from the 4th Dynasty and still having a few of my 9 lives left, I have decided to come to live at The Hideaway. I must say, I have been impressed so far with the service provided by my staff, Jackie and Stephen, who look after my every need. Wonderful, comfy beds in beautiful rooms, fabulous facilities, even my own iPod docking station - it is amazing how far things have come since my reign in 2600BC! -. The food is wonderful and everybody talks about the hospitality (I'm not sure what hospitality is, being a cat, but never mind!) . Summer is nearly here at the foot of the Langeberg mountains, the whales are starting to move off to Antarctica, but some guests are still getting great pictures of whales on their cameras. Sometimes the weather is so warm my staff turn on the air conditioning, which I quite like, but I hate those fans on the ceiling, they are so-o-o scary! Gotta go and have a catnap. Bye for now!

New republic of Greater Swellendam

2011-06-11T03:08:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody, it is me again! Cleopatra, the cat that lives in the purrfect place, The Hideaway in Swellendam, the best value 5 star B&B on the Garden Route. I told you earlier this week that there was rebellion in the air and its OFFICIAL! Stephen and Jackie had a Swellengram and they read it out. Being a cat, I don't really understand all of it but it sounded something like:

On Saturday June 18th in Swellen Mark Mall, from 10:00 a.m onwards, there is going to be a party celebrating the date on which Swellendam, in 1795, declared itself a Republic, and for three glorious months, considered itself the official capital of the World! 216 years later, Swellendam has decided to claim back its historical rights and re-declare the Republic of Greater Swellendam – A republic of community, unity, love, art, music, good food, and beauty. All day there will be live entertainment in the streets, a huge open air traditional craft and food market outside the Old Gaol, and in the new Mall there will be dancers and buskers. Come and listen to newly formed Swellendam Band "The Republicans" !

The Republic will officially be re-declared on June 18th at a celebration at the Drostdy Museum at 4:30 for 5 - Proclamation, Celebration and Jubilation! (and champagne!) This is a not to be missed event. Tickets for this event can be collected at the tourism office at no charge or you can RSVP to swellendam@gsto.co.za.

It sounds like a fantastic time to come to Swellendam! Hope to see you here soon. Now, I must go and find Nefertiti so we can go and chase Gizmo together....

Happenings at the Hideaway

2011-06-07T01:43:00.001-07:00

Hello everybody, it's Cleopatra here, the cat that keeps you up to date with everything going on at the Hideaway, the best value Guest House in Swellendam, that historic town on the garden route in South Africa. Well, last time I told you that we were expecting a Gizmo to arrive, but I wasn't sure what a Gizmo is. he arrived! He is small and furry with a bushy tail and he shot out of his carrybasket and raced up a huge tree to his little house. I couldn't catch him! I try to creep up on him when he is collecting nuts, but he is too quick for me. Great excitement at the Hideaway with Stephen's daughter Vanessa getting married in Ibiza and my cousin Nefertiti arriving here. I haven't seen her for ages, so it is lovely, but she is a bit younger than me and I'm finding it all a bit wearing! We have had all kinds of things going on in the village just now, a new shopping mall has opened up and there is the whiff of rebellion in the air. Apparently, something called a Republic is going to happen soon. I'm not sure what a republic is, but it happened 216 years ago too, so perhaps it is something that comes back after a while. I hope it's not catching. There are lots more things on our website at www.hideawaybb.co.za about Swellendam, things to do, places to go and to eat. Talking of which, I gotta go ... time for a cat nap ....

Snow on The Garden Route

2011-04-27T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody, it's me, Cleopatra, the real head of The Hideaway, the best value 5 star guest house in Swellendam on the Garden Route. You'll never guess, but I woke up this morning and looked up at the Langeberg mountains and they were covered in SNOW! In April! No wonder I was a bit chilly 'cos Jackie and Stephen hadn't put the heaters in yet. Well, I ask you, only a few weeks ago we had Otters in the garden. Really, here in Swellendam, South Africa, not far from Cape Town and George, we had Otters. They are called Tim and Julie and they stayed at the Hideaway for a few nights, so who would expect to see snow so soon after that? Anyway, the heaters are now there and we have a roary fire in the grate, so I shall be jolly snug tonight. Apparently, the Easter bunny visited us over the weekend. I didn't see him, but then I'm not sure what a bunny is, so maybe I saw him without realising. Jackie was very happy and opened some chocolates to celebrate. I heard that Gizmo is moving into the Hideaway. Now, I am only a cat, and I am not really sure what a Gizmo is, but I think he is going to live in a house in a tree. We have lots of trees, so I'm not sure which one. I shall have to think about all this. Snow, Otters and Gizmo, I wonder if he will let me chase him .....

Time Races by at The Hideaway

2011-03-27T01:51:00.000-07:00

Hi there everybody, it's me Cleopatra again. You know, the real owner of the Hideaway Guest House on the Garden Route, the one that offers all those value for money add-ons that you don't have to pay for! Well, things have been moving on fast here, I have not been very well, which is why I haven't been in touch for a while. We have had so much excitement in Swellendam, the third oldest town in South Africa! First we had the airshow, - Swellendam airfield is hardly Heathrow, but we had hawks and Silver falcons flying everywhere. The noise was terrible, I had to hide because it was really scary! Then we had the annual One O'clock Hill Sheep's Head feast followed by a fantastic country show with cattle, horses, sheep and goodness knows what! Then we had the Tug of War, which was followed by the South African Junior Tug of War championships. There were some big cats there, I can tell you! But today was the most exciting, because it was the day that time raced ahead! The new humans at The Hideaway B&B, Jackie and Stephen, brought a clock radio with them from England and it wakes them up every morning at 6am. Today, it said 6, but woke them up at 5 and they didn't know, so they got up, showered, dressed and started preparing breakfast before they looked at a proper clock and realized - too late!! Ha ha ha! (but they watched the start of the Melbourne Grand Prix so there is a silver lining! Gotta go! Time for a cat nap ......

What's going on at The Hideaway?

2011-03-02T05:45:00.000-08:00

Hi there, It's Cleopatra again, you know, the true resident of The Hideaway 5* guesthouse on the Garden Route. I said I would get back to you with more news when I had some, and tickle my whiskers, but Jackie and Stephen - this is a picci of them - have moved into the best value top of the range guest house in Swellendam. My old companions, Mark and Di, gave me a cuddle and just up and left. That was 2 days ago and I haven't seen them since. My food is still being put out for me and I get a bowl of milk every morning, (which is lurverly), and more brushes than ever, and people are still coming and going and writing things in that funny book I told you about. I thought maybe Stephen and Jackie were here on holiday, but then, today, a huge truck pulls up outside the house and loads of boxes and packages came out. So it looks as if Stephen and Jackie are here to stay. Mind you I can't blame them, it is soooooo lurverly here, I just curl up in the shade under my favourite tree and look at the mountains. It has been very warm here, lurverly! Must dash! I feel another cat nap coming on! Will keep in touch!

CLEOPATRA’S SWELLENDAM DIARY

2011-02-23T04:52:00.000-08:00

Hello there! I am Cleopatra, the true owner of The Hideaway in Swellendam, the best value top of the range B&B on the Garden Route and I want to tell you about some very strange goings on around the house. As one of the most popular Guest Houses in Swellendam, The Hideaway B&B is always busy with people coming and going, and I am used to that, but lately 2 people have turned up who come back every single day.

I’m not very good with names, being a cat, but I think they are called Stephen and Jackie. It seems they may be about to move in with me.

Now I’m pretty tolerant, and they have given me some great brushes, which help with the fur balls, but I mean what is a cat to do after 14 years if yet another set of humans turns up to share her house? They keep on talking about Champagne Breakfasts and Sun-downers, me I’m happy with milk and Whiskas, but I have to say that their breakfasts do look yummy. My reading is not too good, being a cat, but somebody wrote in that funny big book they always keep on the coffee table “best scrambled eggs in South Africa” – whatever that means …

Gotta dash! Need to curl up in the shade and have a cat nap! Will tell you more as soon as I know anything!