Whether you just finished church, decided to go for a jog or just want to sleep in, no Sunday morning is complete without the perfect brunch. Some people prefer to prepare their food at home, or go on a picnic. But for those of you who prefer the luxury of a well-made café brunch (and who happen to find yourselves in Johannesburg, South Africa), there is definitely a nice spot catering just for you. In fact, this café is so nice that it has been named Nice.

This café is situated on the bustling 4th Avenue, Parkhurst. It is in the middle of a delightfully leafy suburb which has its own library, gymnastics hall, surrounding schools and rows of boutique stores and unique restaurants. Nothing short of a scene perfect for an episode of Desperate Housewives.

Then, of course, you have those who are not part of the neighborhood but who are familiar with this restaurant; those who come here religiously to be part of the area’s lifestyle and aura, even if just for a while. The only downside to this area is parking. As any popular site for shopping and dining, parking is essential. And, sadly, the cafes, restaurants and shops of Parkhurst have not yet found a solution to the rather demanding influx of cars competing for a very limited amount of parking spots.

Nice offers a range of traditional breakfasts and lunches, presented in a rather delightful way. Its crumpets are an old favorite. The menu features a platter of ‘minis’: a range of small portions of the cakes and pastries on display, for those who just cannot decide which item seems more tempting. Its egg baskets are a must-have for breakfasts and brunches.

The salmon egg basket, for example, features two ‘toast baskets’ – slices of toast shaped into baskets or what looks like flowers. These baskets are then filled with creamy scrambled eggs and salmon, and topped with roasted cherry tomatoes and cream cheese. Add to this a cup of tea, served in huge alice-in-wonderland-looking teapots, and your brunch is complete.

For those who feel a little sleepy after finishing a rather satisfying Sunday brunch, it might be worth your while to wander over to the bookstore next door. Inside, the smell of old books and wood mingles with the next door smell of breakfast being made and coffee being roasted. It’s easy to lose yourself for a couple of hours amongst these books, forgetting about time (or even era) while enjoying mental and sensual pleasure.

And, of course, for those who need to walk off a Nice brunch treat, a walk through the streets and suburbs is always rewarding. The boutique stores are unique and interesting, and can satisfy even the most restless Sunday morning minds. The blue skies, leafy suburbs and peaceful surroundings are enough to put the stresses of the workweek and bustling lifestyle aside for a while.

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With a clear and candid statement posted on their website, No Doubt announced that their comeback album has been pushed back till 2012. Gwen, Adrian, Tony and Tom, addressing their fans with a warm ‘Dear Friends’, expressed: ‘Ideally our new record would be coming out this year but it’s just not ready yet. We don’t want to rush this album just to get it out’.

It seems like the band needs more time to wrap up their long-awaited record that has kept fans hungry for brand-new songs for almost a decade. No Doubt’s latest album ‘Rock Steady’ was released in 2001 to rave reviews and commercial success. After conquering the top again, the band edited a Greatest Hits collection entitled ‘The Singles 1992-2003′ and in 2004 they embarked on a well-documented hiatus.

Meanwhile all four members have ventured into different artistic adventures. Tom Dumont created a new band called ‘Invincible Overlord’ alongside Tod Matson. Drummer Adrian Young joined different artists on tour from Bow Wow Wow to TheStart and Tony Kanal produced and co-wrote tunes for P!nk’s multi-platinum seller ‘Funhouse’ in 2008.

But perhaps you recall more vividly a cheerleader rocking out at award shows, a frazzled Alice in wonderland, fighting a biological clock or a little lamb hopping from jackets to stilettos. Yes, that was Gwen Stefani — top-notch producers like Linda Perry, The Neptunes and Dr. Dre helped the Orange County songstress shape and mold two multi-platinum albums that brought Stefani closer to the rock star status she always deserved.

While her videos went viral and her songs broke records, her original and unique music style influenced others to go in new directions. Most known examples are Nelly Furtado and Fergie — the latter denying rumors claiming she was piggybacking on Stefani’s style.

Not only her solo effort was notoriously acclaimed but her personal style thrust her from Fashionista to fashion mogul with her clothing line’s runway debut in 2004. No Doubt had no personal break but marriages and kids have kept them busy. Now they will have to learn how to juggle fame, promos, tours and kids — lots of kids.

They already tested it when they reunited for an extremely successful summer tour two years ago. Back then they were hoping the live gigs would bring some inspiration to keep the writer’s block at bay. Sadly, nothing but money, tiredness and a whole lot of new fans came out of the tour.

Fans have been awaiting this project for a long time but there’s also a different generation out there now, which means they will enjoy iTunes success if they manage to engage contemporary youths with new anthems. As for old school No Doubters, the wait has been long and filled with setbacks but whether their new songs stick or not, they can take full credit for having written some of the most iconic tunes of the 90’s.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/kimberlymlawson/

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