The Great Wildebeest Migration: Diner en Blanc 2014 ... It was Biblical!

Last year's Diner en Blanc in Johannesburg was epic. A beautiful evening and dinner followed by the best party I have ever been to in my life. How can you beat epic? How about biblical?

We prepared a brand new all white menu. This year's menu was a little simpler than last year's as we didn't finish half of what we brought to eat last year. We did bring more wine though this year!

Even though we had less food in the cooler, I did ramp up the table decorations. Since we were sitting with another couple, we had essentially doubled our tablescape so we had room to bloom. A new addition, this plastic carryall basket turned out to be very practical. After we emptied out all of our table decorations, we filled it with ice and it became an ice bucket to chill all the white wine we brought.

The weather forecast had been showing a 90% chance of thunderstorms and rain all week long for early Saturday evening. So we threw in a couple of white umbrellas, some folded tarps and extra white garbage bags in case we had to go commando in a hurry and wait out the storm.

We took a (white!) Uber van over to Mandela Square where we were meeting our bus team leaders and comrades dressed in white.

I was inspired by the Great Midsummer Butterfly Migration last year and decided to go with a butterfly theme for this year's Diner en Blanc. Butterflies on my bespoke fascinator from The Little Hattery.

I brought a wire baobab tree and decorated it with white butterfly lights and glittery butterflies too. Some Namaqua daisies and more white lights for frosting.

I found these unusual all white proteas at the flower market!

Butterfly wings on our chair backs ...

... and butterfly masks for the ladies and butterfly shades for the men.

We met the other revelers at Mandela Square.

While we were waiting for the buses to arrive at the Square - under utterly clear blue skies - the weather forecast had changed according to Vince's app. Cloudy with a 10% chance of late evening rain. Ooh lala!

gathering in Mandela Square

The final destination for this year's Diner en Blanc?

In front of the Great Hall at Wits University!

Like last year, we quickly set about setting up. On the right of Anne and Brian, two Americans living in Joburg.

On our left, a table full of Parisians living in Joburg. It had all the makings of a fabulous night.

We twirled our napkins around in the air to occupy the site - a French Diner en Blanc custom.

We were handed our balloons and sparklers for later ...

Cauliflower Sun Choke Soup

... and commenced with our starters.

The violinists started the party!

What's this? Sprinkles? Okay, break out the white satin Chinese umbrellas (technically for sun protection, but I figured they could handle a few sprinkles.)

Vince was very smug in his pith helmet and linen suit. He was dressed for the Tropics.

We released our balloons into the night sky!

Suddenly the sprinkles became more insistent. Break out the real umbrella! It was a black and white striped golf umbrella with a big purple orchid and the words "Garden Club of America" on it. Not regulation as it was not all white, but tough times call for tough action. We covered the table and ourselves with a tarp and tried to wait it out. But then the sky lit up with the famous Joburg lightning followed by deafening thunder and then, what's this?

Hail!

It stung like bullets. It was so crazy we had to laugh. It was a Biblical hail storm. What's next, pestilence?

I will never forget Anne's laugh throughout the hail storm. And she will probably never forget my insistent repeated question, "Are you kidding me?"

But with the hail came a cold hard wind. It was not going to pass anytime soon. Time to take shelter.

Hail in my soup!

at least the hail was white!

So we took refuge inside Wits. Vince reports that the pith helmet is even effective against hail. Bully!

But not after dashing through the pelting rain and splattering mud.

Diner en mud!

We found that the party had started inside.

So we joined the fun and waited for the rain to stop or for the DOB leaders to call it a night.

In the end, they did call it a night. The rain slowed down considerably - we were able to go back to our table and pack up our stuff in relative dryness - but the damage was done.

Vince said it was easy to find our table setting in the vast mudfield. I had left all the l.e.d. lights lit! He said he just followed the beacon of light to our place.