Where to start? Probably with the charming, higgledy-piggledy
lanes leading to the aptly named Bougainvillea House. Up a steep incline and situated in an historic part of Simon’s Town, the front of the house is hidden behind a bountiful Bougainvillea.
Behind the hidden front door is a home that exudes cool comfort and carefree seaside living. The verandah, with its view of Simon’s Town Naval Base and False Bay beyond that, was sheltered from a howling South-Easter, something that usually drives us indoors. We loved eating every meal out there.
Then there’s the extraordinary and different seascapes from the upstairs bedrooms – both of which access an verandah, ideal for early coffee and a good book. And oh, the bedrooms! Wonderfully comfortable beds and sparkling white linen, and the views…
For us urban Cape Town dwellers, it felt as if we were in a different country. We really were tourists in our own town. A friend was having a special birthday party in the area, and we thought,