As much as I enjoy sitting at my desk using my huge Mac and my bluetooth mouse to crop the hell out of pictures, and edit and write all day long, a little change of scenery goes a long way for the senses.

There are only two places I ever ‘escape’ to in Cape Town. One shall remain my secret for days when I don’t feel like brushing my hair, but the other I will share with you because I am a nice person.

Let me just explain it first: you drive in up a grand driveway lined with palms and get saluted at by a guard. There is always parking, and when you walk in the front door it is an old wooden revolving door (hello memories of childhood). You are always greeted with smiles and “welcome back” from the reception desk. And then and then – you get to cosy up in your favourite corner and watch the world go by.

I won’t keep it from you any longer. My hideout is The Mount Nelson Hotel. It is the perfect place for a few reasons, namely the calmness that envelopes you, and the glorious teas.

Actually, let us start with the tea and where I like to sit.

Loose leaf tea steeping in a delicate glass pot, and sugar cubes to boot. And look at all the space and the impressive lack of post-its stuck on the walls. We should also zoom in on those cookies:

You need to imagine the softest, freshest, most crumbly little vanilla biscuit that, once you bite into it, releases the most subtle of lemon flavours. Just go there and eat them all day. It will be worth it.

When I get a bit tired of staring at my laptop screen, the artwork is quite lovely to lose yourself in.

The whole space is quite lovely, actually. Tables and chairs are all laid out in little groups, never seating more than six (but I am sure they would shuffle some around for you). The internet is free and fast. If you need to meet with a lot of people and you think you may make noise, the ballroom seats 400.

When you walk into The Mount Nelson, it is like walking into your own home (that comes complete with waiters, chandeliers and a bar).

The moral of this story? The next time you need a few minutes of downtime to do some sneaky pinning on the Pinterest (or, by all means, to impress some possible new business) accompanied by a good cuppa, go to The Mount Nelson.