Day 63: Mingling with Hipsters at the Old Biscuit Mill — Bob Marley and Dirt Bikes at Constantia Uitsig

We did school first thing and then drove over to something called the Old Biscuit Mill.

“It’s more Williamsburg than Africa, but it’s cool,” is what Luke and Meg told us about it. Ah, the Brooklynification of the world…

It’s a converted…old biscuit mill…that’s home to a bumping weekend hipster brunch/shopping/food/music scene.

Evan and Aimee, our friends who lived in Mozambique for many years, suggested we try it out. It’s located in Woodstock, a neighborhood you can tell is in the process of gentrifying. When you step inside the gate, it’s an oasis of hipsters. Not to say that it’s all white — the place was pretty racially diverse — but it was a totally different “cool kids’” scene compared to what lay just over the fence.

It was fun people watching and just an indulgent few hours of shopping and eating as if it were a weekend back home.

Teddy had been looking for some casual slip-on shoes — all he’s got right now are running shoes and flip flops. We spotted this kiosk with a guy who had his own handmade shoe biz — vegan shoes made of hemp that were actually cool looking. Company is Grandt Mason. Teddy got some. The guy said he’d been in talks with some US VCs to get his brand funded and distributed in the states, but it all fell through. Ugh.

Meanwhile I met a designer who sewed one product only for her shop: reversible bomber jackets for women. One side was made with wool and upcycled 70s needlepoint wall hangings, and the other floral silky fabrics. I got one.

Willa begged us for a new dress and a necklace. When the designers are standing right there — you get to meet them and chat about their work — it’s so much more fun to support/buy.  Willa scored a gorgeous green dress and a little beaded necklace to go with.

We ate pizza, the grownups had a G&T, we listened to music, picked up a few games at a toy stand and generally just took in the scene.

From there we drove out to Constantia to check out a place Luke and Meg had recommended, Constantia Uitsig. Kid-friendly vineyard with food, wine, and…a bike park.

We didn’t know what that meant but we wanted to find out.

When we arrived, we had sushi at one of the little cottages housing various shops (ice cream, chocolates, beer, etc.). It was an eventful snack.

First, Willa knocked a carafe of white wine down James’s front which was VERY upsetting for him. I pulled him aside to get him to stop crying, and convinced him to take off his soaking tee and put on his sweatshirt instead.

As I was doing that, a bird pooped on my head. The good news was that it helped get him to stop crying.

About 7 minutes later the kids were playing soccer on some nearby grass while we got the check. James fell badly on the sidewalk and skinned his knee — big bloody mess. For once I was the mom who had bandaids in her bag (fanny pack), though, and got him patched up.

The ladies in the sushi shop were playing Bob Marley and we told them all about the Bob Marley Museum in Kingston. We were instantly popular. Lots of questions and excitement and sharing of fun Bob Marley facts. The kids were hugging and cuddling with these ladies by the end. Ah, Bob!

We got ice cream (for the skinned knee) and wandered over to watch the kids in the bike park. That’s when we realized the full extent of the place. It’s a giant dirt-packed expanse with man-made hills big and small for kids of all levels to ride around. We’d been thinking this would be the week to learn to ride bikes, then this place appeared. We rented two pedal-free bikes and the kids spent the next 2.5 hours giving it a shot. No pedals today, just getting comfortable. It was a fantastic first step.

And there were baboons!! A family wandered around the course until a staffer shooed them off.

Last night we had dinner at home and slept pretty badly (we parents, at least) because the wind is so intense and scary and loud that you’re convinced at all times that the roof is going to rip off and you’re going to get sucked out to sea. It’s crazy.

What’s even crazier is that our kids are totally unfazed by it. The window in their bedroom rattles and bangs loudly and spookily all night — AND they’re currently being read “The BFG,” which is about giants who reach into bedroom windows at night and snatch kids to eat. All this and they still don’t wake up once or even seem to notice.

Random:

• I finished “Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah and it was fantastic. I’m reading James Michener’s “The Covenant” about South Africa now.

• Willa’s really, really into the Critter Club series. Marion is her favorite character. She reads the chapters to us for school, but she also loves waking up early and reading them alone on her Kindle.

• Everywhere you go in your car here there’s a guy in a fluorescent security vest waving you over to a parking spot. These aren’t official attendants, just opportunistic guys looking for tips. At first you’re like, oh god, I gotta pay this guy for something I could do on my own? And for “watching” my car? But we’ve had now a dozen encounters with them and they’re legitimately helpful. We have no idea where to park, what’s legal, where to go, how to find the shop we’re looking for etc and they save us every time.