Remember this one? This encore blog is from my trip to Namibia. It was originally posted at the beginning of this year on January 11, 2025.
I always enjoy traveling with my family, especially now that my grandchildren are older and can help decide our destinations and plan our itineraries.
Over the holidays, my daughter, Alexis, her children, Jude and Truman, our friend Ari Katz, and I spent a very interesting seven days in the Republic of Namibia, a country located in Southern Africa that shares borders with Angola, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, and the Atlantic Ocean. We toured the area with Micato safaris. We traveled through Etosha National Park and the Ongava Game Reserve. We journeyed through the Kaokoveld Desert which stretches into the Skeleton Coast from the northwestern part of Namibia. During the trip, we saw a host of different animals including elephants, zebras, antelopes, impalas, giraffes, white rhinos, and so many more. We learned about the diverse vegetation and the alabaster salt pans. And we spent time with a local Himba tribe in their small village to understand how they've adapted to life in the desert for generations.
You may have seen some of my photos on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48. Here are a few more, enjoy.
In December when my grandchildren are on holiday break from school, my family and I often travel somewhere exotic and interesting. Last month, we went to the Republic of Namibia in Southern Africa. The name of the country is derived from the Namib desert, believed to be the oldest desert in the world. The word Namib means “vast place”. Flying to our destination, we were able to capture many stunning desert photos.
Namibia is the driest country in Sub-Saharan Africa. The general climate of Namibia is arid with an average of more than 300 days of sunshine per year.
The first wild animals we saw were in the Ongava Private Game Reserve. Ongava is home to more than 300 species of mammal and 340 species of bird, and an abundance of amphibians, reptiles, and insects. The white rhino is the largest and most social species of rhino.
The springbok or springbuck is an antelope found in south and southwest Africa. These animals are active mainly at dawn and dusk and found in harems, or mixed-sex herds.
The springbok is characterized by a white face, a light brown coat marked by a reddish-brown stripe that runs from the upper foreleg to its rear, and a white rump flap. It is a slender, long-legged antelope and weighs between 60 and 93 pounds when mature. Both males and females have long black horns that curve backwards.
This is a plains zebra, the most common and geographically widespread species of zebra.
These zebras are also very social, forming harems often with a single stallion, several mares and their recent offspring. All members of the group keep watch for predators, alerting each other through various barks and snorts.
Weaver birds are named for their artistically woven nests. The nests come in various sizes and shapes, with different material used to build them. The most intricate nests are built by the males. The males build many nests until the female accepts one and agrees to breed.
We were lucky to see many giraffes. In Namibia, giraffes are widely spread across the dry savannah habitats, including open grassland, and woodland. The two subspecies of giraffe found in Namibia are the southern giraffe and the Angolan giraffe.
Namibia giraffes can grow to more than 18-feet tall, but despite their characteristic long necks, giraffes actually have the same number of neck vertebrae as humans – seven.
And, like fingerprints, no two giraffes share the same pattern. Giraffes also have excellent vision. They can see in color and over great distances frontally, and their peripheral vision is so wide-angled they can almost see behind them.
The Baobab tree, Adansonia digitata, is a tree species found in Africa. Baobabs are long-lived deciduous trees with broad trunks and compact crowns that can live to be thousands of years old.
Desert elephants or desert-adapted elephants are African bush elephants that have made their homes in the Namib and Sahara deserts in Africa. They have have broader feet, longer legs and smaller bodies than other elephants, and their diet varies with the change of the seasons.
Elephants use their trunks for drinking, eating, cleaning, navigation, playing, and more. Their trunks are incredibly strong and can lift objects that weigh more than 550 pounds as well as store up to three gallons of water. Both males and females have tusks.
This is called a dassie rat, a medium-sized rodent that has adapted to life in the rocky outcrops of the desert hills and plateaus of southwestern Africa. Its fur ranges from pale gray to dark brown. The dassie’s head is broad and flat and its body is extremely flexible making it easy to squeeze into tight places.
On this day, we went to visit the Himba people, semi-nomadic tribe of hunter-gatherers.
The Himba people are predominantly livestock farmers who breed fat-tailed sheep and goats. They also grow and farm rain-fed crops such as maize and millet.
Members of a single extended family typically dwell in a small village, consisting of a circular hamlet of huts and work shelters.
Women and girls tend to perform more labor-intensive work than the men, They are busy carrying water to the village, collecting firewood, cooking and serving meals, caring for the children as well as making handicrafts, clothing and jewelry.
The men are mainly responsible for tending the livestock and farming.
Both the Himba men and women wear traditional clothing that works best in the hot semi-arid climate. Women wear skirt-like pieces made from calfskins and sheep skin and occasionally sandals for footwear.
The women are known to cover themselves with otjize paste, a cosmetic mixture of butterfat and ochre pigment that cleanses the skin over long periods and protect it from heat and insects.
This tribe of Himba people also makes lots of crafts that they are able to sell for money. My family bought several handmade ornaments from them. Here is one man standing by his woven bowls and trays and other pieces.
This woman made vessels and handmade dolls. Some pottery is made using mud, and sometimes clay. Himba people also use metal for bracelets, necklaces & other jewelry. They are very innovative and entrepreneurial.
Here I am standing with members of the Himba tribe. They are dignified, friendly, and willing to take photos.
If you ever want to treat yourself and your family to an interesting trip and safari, consider Micato Safaries and go to Namibia. It is definitely a journey of a lifetime.
I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday. This encore blog was originally posted on January 02, 2024.
Just before Christmas, I hosted a very special gathering for my entire staff at my farm. My employees work so hard during the year - caring for the property and my many pets and gardens, and helping me prepare for all the meetings, shoots, and other events. I took everyone to La Bastide by Andrea Calstier and Cenadou Bistrot, a quaint establishment in North Salem, New York featuring two French restaurants owned by Chef Andrea Calstier and his wife Elena Oliver. We all enjoyed a buffet of delicious hors d'ouevres including tuna tartare with avocado and yuzu, Compté filled gougères, chickpea panisses with smoked espelette pepper coulis, truffle croque-monsieur, and garden salads. For sweets, we had Madeleine cookies, choux, chocolates, and other treats. It was a most enjoyable party.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
These two French restaurants are housed in the same building. Cenadou serves traditional French dishes while La Bastide offers a more formal tasting menu for fine dining. Cenadou, the 50-seat French bistro is upstairs and La Bastide, which seats 12 is downstairs – both with beautiful views of the property’s landscape.
Both restaurants feature open kitchens and local, seasonal cuisine.
To start, we had a buffet of hors d’oeuvres including tuna tartare with avocado and yuzu. Tuna tartare is a dish made with raw tuna cut into small pieces or cubes that are usually served in a bowl. The Asian flavors such as ginger, soy, chile, and lime juice are added to highlight the taste of the tuna. Each was topped with a slice of yuzu – a citrus fruit that is tart and fragrant, closely resembling grapefruit, with overtones of mandarin orange.
This is chickpea panisse with smoked espelette peppers coulis. Panisses, or chickpea flour fries, are a popular street snack from the south of France.
I took many snapshots. Here I am with my crew foreman, Chhiring Sherpa. He has been working with me at the farm for more than 22-years.
This is the garden salad – so fresh and light. It was a big favorite.
Gougères are baked savory choux pastries made with cheese. The cheese in these is Compté. Comté is a French cheese made from unpasteurized cow’s milk in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France bordering Switzerland. It is classified as an Alpine cheese.
And these are mini truffle croque-monsieurs. A croque-monsieur is a hot sandwich made with ham and cheese.
This photo is of me, Pete Sherpa and Fernando Ferrari.
I also gave away grab-bag gifts. Every one selected a number out of a container and then chose their own present.
Here is Elvira – she got one of the early numbers. I think she is very happy with her choice.
In this photo – Fernando, my longtime driver Andres Velastegui, and Phurba Sherpa.
We had several cocktails – Sancha with tequila, lemon verbena, cucumber, lime, spicy homemade tincture; Nougat with vodka, beet juice, elderflower, lemon, cremant de bourgogne; Voyeur with bourbon, dark maple syrup, orange and lemon juice, and angostura bitters.
We also enjoyed white wine and other cocktails.
From my security detail – Tommy Spasiano and Patrick Tierney.
Here are Jimmy Oliveros, Juan Londoño, and Helen Peparo – my stable team.
Here I am with my longtime driver, Carlos “Uno” Villamil.
The dessert table was filled with cookies and other sweets.
We had pâte à choux filled with sweet pastry cream and decorated with a tiny piece of edible gold leaf.
Is a Madeleine a cake or a cookie? Technically, they are small butter cakes; however, because of their shape and size they’re often referred to as cookies – very small sponge cake cookies with a distinctive shell-like shape.
My operations manager, Matt Krack, loves to cook and bake. He brought in these delectable cookies to share – spiced chocolate ganache sandwich cookies and his Aunt Stella’s cuccidati.
We also had chocolate…
… and peanut brittle. Everyone took treats home.
Here are Patrick and my head gardener, Ryan McCallister.
Here, my gardener Brian O’Kelly, Claudia Lieto-McKenna my special projects manager, and Ryan take a “selfie.”
This is Cesar Felix. He takes care of all my birds – the chickens, Guinea hens, turkeys, peafowl, geese, and now pheasants.
Another quick photo – Brenda Pinto, Carlos “dos” Restrepo, and Elvira, from my housekeeping and housecleaning crew.
And here I am with the owners, chef Andrea Calstier and his wife Elena Oliver. Thank you so much for a lovely evening. If you’re in the Westchester, New York area, I encourage you to try to La Bastide by Andrea Calstier and Cenadou Bistrot – you will love them both.
As we continue with our holiday memories, here's another encore blog. It was originally posted on January 06, 2024.
I often travel somewhere warm for New Year's - a brief trip south to escape the cold winter can be so invigorating.
You may have seen photos from my recent holiday trip to Palm Beach, Florida. I was joined by my dear friend, Terre Blair. I always try to include as much as I can during my trips, so they are productive, informational, and fun. We spent most of our brief stay touring farms, enjoying great meals, shopping along Worth Avenue, attending parties, and visiting with friends.
Enjoy these photos.
This large cruise ship is Margaritaville at Sea – a cruise line that operates two-day voyages out of West Palm Beach, Florida to Grand Bahama Island. If you want to drink
margartitas, or Martha-ritas, and listen to Jimmy Buffet songs while relaxing under the warm sun, a trip aboard the Margaritaville at Sea is a great way to do it!
Soon after arriving in Palm Beach, we attended our first holiday party. Here I am with Lenny Lauren, Ralph Lauren’s brother – always looking so dapper and fun. I am wearing a comfortable Azzedine Alaïa kaftan.
The next morning, we went to Chikmonk Coffee, a unique farmer owned, locally roasted Indian specialty coffee company. Here I am at the pop-up coffee bar with owners, Nandini Jayaprasad and David Beil. They import the coffee from their family’s plantation estate in Chikmagalur, India. It was so delicious, I brought some home with me.
This is the front façade of the private club, Carriage House. Its owners, Michael Bickford and his wife Paula, enlisted the help of architect Keith Spina to handle the restoration of the Palm Beach landmark buildings and worked with Madrid-based designer Luis Bustamante on the interiors. The front is decorated with thousands of holiday glass ornaments.
I also stopped at the Paul Lebrecque Salon for a blow-out. Here I am with Paul on my right and the salon’s manager, Collin Adams, on my left.
Here I am for an evening of fun and celebration with my friends Terre Blair and Susan Magrino. I am wearing my new crisp white Oscar de la Renta kaftan.
On this night, we attended the 65th birthday part of my friend, Laura Slatkin. Pictured in this selfie – George Ledes, owner of the iconic fragrance Fracas by Robert Piguet, myself, Terre Blair, makeup artist Daisy Schwartzberg Toye, my longtime publicist Susan Magrino, and photographer Douglas Friedman.
Here I am with Douglas in another photo. this was taken inside the Slatkins’ beautiful home.
At Swank, they grow all their own crops from seed. Here are the starter trays with tomato seeds.
In another section are trays with developing seedlings. Everything is carefully watched and monitored. These plants look very healthy.
Because of rising waters and sandy soils, all the plants go from trays to individual grow buckets. There are more than 25-thousand plastic containers here at Swank.
This area has growing frisée or curly endive. The tan tops are blanching caps put on the head of frisée to keep the sunlight away, turning it into a beautiful yellow and making the leaves more tender and less bitter.
These are the peppers – millions of peppers growing and thriving in these plastic containers.
Here is a closer look at some of the hot peppers growing. Peppers need room for their roots to spread, so when growing in containers, remember to choose pots at least 12-inches in diameter.
The farm grows more than 350 varieties of produce consisting of leaf lettuces, specialty greens, cooking greens, baby and full size vegetables, edible flowers, herbs, tomatoes, micro greens, strawberries, wild flower bouquets and more.
Here I am with Swank Specialty Produce proprietors, Darrin and Jodi Swank. Aside from the farm, they also have a market held in an open-air 8500 square foot barn where they host about 25-bakers, growers, gardeners, and sellers of quality, all-natural fresh foods and products.
This is Dan Lembessis, owner of Blis Farms, where they make authentic Greek virgin olive oil, vinegar, jams, salt, and many other items.
They also had boxes of delicious sourdough bread.
Blis also sells a variety of honey – Wild Greek Forest Honey, Wild Greek Island Honey, and Greek Golden Vanilla Honey.
This honey is made from rare vanilla fir trees. It looks very creamy.
Here I am with Dan and his son. I purchased several items to take home with me. The market is filled with so many wonderful and flavorful items.
I stopped for this quick photo with a bunch of fresh baby fennel.
And one could smell the porchetta by Pork-etta – after it was cooked for eight hours.
There was also a table showcasing a large selection of Paulie’s Pasta.
Of course, I couldn’t visit Palm Beach without stopping at an orchid farm. There were so many beautiful blooming plants.
I selected a few vandas for my greenhouse collection. Vandas are rare orchids and are loved for their stunning colors. Vandas range from tiny orange flowers to gigantic blue and pink ones with interesting markings.
Here is one in beautiful dark pink. Vanda is a genus in the orchid family, Orchidaceae. There are currently up to 90 species of Vanda orchids.
And then we had some of the best Latin street food I have ever had at Cholo Soy Cocina. We enjoyed one of every kind of taco and a sweet corn salad. Cholo Soy Cocina is in the Antiques district, and features a large variety of tacos, quesadillas, empanadas, and other dishes.
I didn’t notice it at first, but look at the sign… I definitely approve! Do stop in if you’re ever in the area. You’ll love everything you try! In my next blog, more photos from my short trip to Palm Beach. Stay tuned.
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