AureLie’s Health and Lifestyle Cafe came highly recommended and it didn’t disappoint.  There aren’t many vegetarian eating places in Joburg, so when I hear about a new one I’m there in a flash. So today, my friend K. and I went there for lunch.

It’s situated in the new Waterfall Estate in Kyalami and easy to reach either via the N1 (Allandale offramp) or the R55 from Woodmead. Much of this large estate is still under construction as people buy land to build homes there. The roads were the first things to be built, so getting in and out of there is a breeze.

The menu is quite extensive, with freshly squeezed juices (I had the Vitamin Booster), smoothies, wraps, salads, focaccia, and so much more. Not many eating places offer vegetarian burgers, and AureLie’s has a large selection. I settled on the the My Favourite focaccia instead with (amongst others) roasted aubergine, honey, wallnuts, rocket and goats cheese.

K had a yummy Rosa salad, presented in a gorgeous bowl.

AureLie’s is on a higher level than the surroundings and the area provides wonderful views eastwards towards Kempton Park, and northwards towards Pretoria. During our after-lunch walk we observed the approaching storm, and decided to rush home because it looked rather nasty…and it was nasty (more about this later).

The thunderstorms towards the east.

After dropping off K, the rain started. As I approached Alberton, the rain fell harder and visibility dropped to just a few meters. Surface water made driving not so easy and the water levels started to rise on the surface of the roadway. The little stream at the bottom of my street had broken its banks, so I had to do a U-turn to reach home through the top road.

It’s still raining outside albeit softly now. The back garden is looking green and lush, the tomato plants and other vegetables are loving the constant watering. The pool is filled to the top. The front garden is waterlogged. But in this land of scarce natural water resources, I am not complaining.