Happy 4th of July America!

Cheers Cher!

It's not like I haven't been out of the country on the Fourth of July before. Quite the contrary. I've spent it in France and in the same country we are celebrating our independence from, jolly ol' England. Heck, just last year I was in Dublin toasting America with a pint of Guinness. But this year was different. This was our first year as expats. Vince even worked on the Fourth!

Happy 4th of July America!

So while we had none of the Independence Day traditions we had grown accustomed to in the last 20+ years, parades, patriotic music, games at the yacht club, competing in the Barton regatta and watching fireworks on the beach, we could at least celebrate with a barbeque or rather, a braai.

red white and blue Malva Pudding

On Friday the Fifth of July we got together with some American and British expat friends for a Fourth of July Braai. But since we are in South Africa, instead of hamburgers and hot dogs we had wildebeest pate, ostrich burgers, Windhoek beer and wine from the Western Cape. We did have corn on the cob which South Africans call mealies. And instead of our usual s'mores, strawberry shortcake and blueberry buckle for dessert, I made an expat-riotic Malva Pudding!

rock art firepit

Next year if we can't be somewhere stateside for the Fourth of July I am going to see where the American Ambassador to South Africa is celebrating in Pretoria. I bet he had sparklers at least!

enjoying a backyard braai

Happy Fourth of July, America!
Love, Darlene, Vince and Africa

Happy 4th of July from Valley Lodge!