The Great Getaway Gift from a Hive Friend - Eggsta

Travel back in time some six months ago, when my sister-in-law Mandy called to ask if I wanted to go to the Irish Dancing show Lord of the Dance in Pretoria. The tickets were a tad pricey, and we needed one more to get the discounted price. I immediately called my bestie from school days who said yes.
We calculated we'd have enough time to save for flights and accommodation. Show tickets were booked, and a couple of days later, my brother called asking for my friend's details. Why, I enquired. He was booking all our flights. Why now already, I asked, and he cheekily said it was his way of helping retirees:) He didn't want to be reimbursed!

Tickets booked, flights sorted, so we only had to save for accommodation.

What happened next was quite unreal. I still shake my head thinking about how things unfolded!

About a month after we started planning this trip, a longtime Hive friend @edenmichelle (aka Eggsta in the music world) and her Mom, @christinepoulos, spent a couple of days with me. When I excitedly told them about our trip, Eden asked how many of us were going, where the show was, and where we were staying.
Next, an email arrived confirming accommodation for four in a five-star boutique hotel a stone's throw from the venue. I was speechless!

Flights, accommodation, and tickets all sorted with a load of help from my brother and a very special Hive friend. To me, that is pure unconditional love!

Little did both my brother and Eden know just how timely this getaway was going to be.

I moved out of my home a week before our trip, looking forward to the beginning of a very different, laidback, lifestyle. Till the message from the new home-owner. Long sad story with a happy ending. Poe spent a week in a good cattery, but it was still sad to see him so stressed in a strange environment.
Just a week later we thankfully found a lovely home for Poe with a fabulous young couple who live on a farm on the North Coast. He immediately fell in love with them, and vice versa.
I'm getting daily videos, and Poe is thriving!

My heart was heavy when we left Durban to fly inland to Johannesburg, from where we drove to Pretoria to the Menlyn Boutique Hotel, that Eden booked for us.

We were warmly welcomed at the check-in desk with a display of abstract African moulded masks on the wall behind the desk. The main reception area was brightly lit with handmade Gourd Lamps.
This hotel has won many awards, the latest being Hotel of the Year 2025 from Tshwane Tourism Awards.

Taking a peek at the dining area, we saw Rattan lamps casting a subtle glow onto the tables.

Where do travellers often head first? The Loo, of course! A very pretty one at that, loo paper with a toilet paper rose, and tissues with a 'fan' peeking out of the box, and real red roses as well!

Our rooms were quaint and very comfortable with complimentary snacks, a range of teas and coffees, and a small coffee machine.

Sculptures and other artworks are found inside and outside the hotel.

There are plenty of outdoor seating options.

The gorgeous poolside looked very tempting; it was an unusually warm day for the last days of winter. If we had time, we might have relaxed there with a book and caught a little bit of sunshine, but we had to get moving. The show arena is large, almost a sold-out show, and Uber rides would be scarce, so we had to leave a little earlier.

The getaway group relaxed at the fire pit before getting ready for the show.

I'm cheekily sharing three songs for @ablaze's Three Tune Tuesday featuring @edenmichelle's music.

Here is Eggsta for #ttt - enjoy!

Ending with a bonus feature:

EGGSTA delivers an emotional progressive trance anthem with Dopamine, out now on Find Your Harmony. Built around a haunting piano melody, soaring synths, and her signature emotive vocals, the South African artist crafts a deeply immersive and uplifting experience that lingers long after the final note.

Eggsta is a super talented and hardworking songwriter/singer/musician, and has a heart of gold.
Thank you, Eden, from the bottom of my heart, for making our weekend so very special, and...

Thank you for the Music!

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[//]:# (!worldmappin -25.78049 lat 28.27063 long Menlyn Boutique Hotel, Pretoria, South Africa d3scr)