Month: February 2009

Valentine’s Day and we are reminded that it’s going to be practically impossible to get a table tonight!! We meet our other guests – a Swedish couple and two Swedish women who are playing golf from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town (one’s a professional teacher, playing off 3). Breakfast is buffet style – no cooked English breakfast!! – but plenty of fresh fruit and juice, hams, cheeses, different breads, cereals. This is a unique place in that the owner doesn’t live on the premises, but at least he did arrive this morning to welcome us.

Took myself off for a stroll round the vineyards, drinking in the beautiful contours of the surrounding Overberg mountains.

Yet another of Stefan’s notes on the napkin ring which reminds us of the date – we’re not superstitious and how could anything unlucky happen on such (yet another!) hot sunny morning?

Had a giggle over breakfast with Iain and Margaret – particularly about the coffee pot which had perplexed us yesterday morning. You know the syndrome – one of those insulated pots that are hard to get into! I just managed to find the formula before John felt exasperated enough to abandon the project. This morning he tried again, following my instructions ‘to point the arrow towards the pourer’. We all nearly fell off our chairs when he tried to line up the arrow to himself – well he was the pourer wasn’t he?! It was me not being able to think of the ‘spout’ word!!

Anyway, protracted goodbyes as we all took leave of the B&B and headed off in opposite directions – Iain and Margaret lucky devils are at the beginning of their trip.

Stefan kindly gave us a bag of their plums (Sungold and Letitia) for our picnic. I asked Stefan about Mr Sexwale – who had sponsored the Nelson Mandela statue we’d seen yesterday and whose name I also spotted in a local newspaper. He’s apparently a local ‘bigwig’ who was in prison with Mandela and has since ‘made good’ and is a local benefactor. The newspaper also spoke of concerns about the degenerating appearance of Franschoek – we hadn’t noticed any apart from some demolition work in the middle of town. Apparently the Hugenot hotel and attached buildings was being demolished to make way for another development, but the liquor store tenant in an attached building refused to move, so it had been stalemate for a month, with the hotel part of the complex semi-demolished and obviously an eyesore.

Just as we were leaving I was chatting to a woman whose husband had been over here on business in Durban and they were now combining the trip into a holiday. He works with the R’n’A and had been in Durban sorting arrangements for the S.African Golf Open. Any openings for Dan I wonder? He did say it’s a hard career to get into. Both their children went to Nottingham University (daughter, pharmacy and son, business studies) spanning 7 years consecutively.

On the way to Cape Town I phone Jean and to my delight she’s managed to gather 9 family members together for a picnic on Sunday at Kleinmond where Joan and Val live. They are the widows of Alex and Ivan (who both died last year) respectively who were sons of Mary (one of my grandmother’s sisters) – the daughters being Eileen and Peggy (Jean’s mother) I will get this written down in family tree diagram for us to understand better!

Pass through Stellenbosch – another major wine-producing area – but doesn’t seem so charming as Franschhoek.

Our B & B is at Seapoint – due east of Cape Town and we pass mile upon mile of townships – more dilapidated than most we’ve seen elsewhere.

Tom Tom takes us through a housing estate and we arrive at a very unprepossessing frontage of high wall, double electric doors and single pedestrian door – no hint of what’s behind… and boy is it amazing. It opens out into parking space for 4 cars, the biggest swim pool and terraced sundeck we’ve had so far and a beautifully restored hunting lodge built in 1700’s by Admiral Lord Nelson and classed as a National Monument! It has been ‘renovated and decorated with a gentle hand and great care by Jonas himself’ (the owner together with Marten (from Prague) who we meet the next morning at breakfast).

We have a fruit picnic in our courtyard and then decide to walk to Cape Town’s renown Victoria and Albert Waterfront having been told by very giggly Zoleka the housekeeper that it’s only a 20 minute walk. One and three quarters hours later we arrive hot and exhausted!! We gulp down a beer and see the swinging bridge in action, and are quite disorientated by the crowds having come from the relatively unpopulated eastern Cape.

A very refreshing dip in the pool and drive to Mouille Point to try Wakame that has been recommended. Can’t park, so I go into the restaurant to see if they have a table. They’re full but she reluctantly offers us a terrace table, but it just seems all too hectic and noisy so we drive back towards B & B for Theo’s, which was also recommended, a steak house with its own butchery. Steaks priced at Ladies (250g), Medium (350g) and Large (450g)!! I start with lightly battered whole baby squid with skordalia (very very garlicky mash) and based on the waitress Janice (who’s travelled 6 of the 7 continents) I opt for the medium fillet. SO tender. I have my first Amarula since being here – a liqueur made with a native fruit – that a friend introduced me to years ago and which I enjoy on rare occasions.

Woke to clear blue skies so took another walk around the vineyards. The clouds have lifted from the mountains and the contours are so clear.

Breakfast in the courtyard – smoked salmon or bacon omelette – a refreshing change from full English! Stephan been busy again with his printed notes – our napkin is wrapped in a paper detailing the weather, wind, sunset for the day.

Booked into Boschendal – the country’s oldest vineyard – for wine tasting and tour.

Groot Drakenstein prison – where Nelson Mandela was freed from after his long incarceration, mainly on Robben Island – is not far off our route. It looks easy on the map and we were doing well, until John asked how far it was. So I concentrated on trying to find the prison on Tom Tom’s database, but it seemed not to be included. In a while we reached the N1, which was far beyond where the prison was supposed to be. So we backtrack to find it not far from the point where I took my eye off the road to look at Tom Tom. Sometimes human ‘Tom Tom’ is preferable?

The statue of Mandela cast by my cousin is awesome – all the more so because of its backdrop against the mountains. I felt very moved.

Off to Boschendal – a commercially owned vineyard – where we tried to match our allocated 7 taster glasses against the descriptions. A bit of fun really  – and realistically we can’t buy any to carry back to England, so we’re not serious customers!. Went on the tour which Iain (also called John but only at work) and Margaret were also on, so in between the rapid fire commentary about wine-making, we had more amusing and interesting conversation with them.

Then on to Haute Cabriere – another vineyard, but this time family-owned by Achim – whose party piece is to chop the top of the bottle (complete with cork) off with a sabre rather than the more boring way of using a corkscrew. We didn’t witness that as we just had a light lunch there rather than do the tour. Delicious mussels and tempura prawns with an estate sparkly (his speciality) in the cool cellar. A bit of excitement as helicopters arrived and took off with the more affluent customers ‘dropping in’ for lunch! (takes the meaning of John’s International Lunch Club to a different level!)

 

The temperature has risen and risen to an alarming 34^oC!! The car registered 40^oC at one point!.. and then we have a text later from Sarah to say there’s been more snow in England!

 

A wander through Franschoek – a delightfully well-kept town where every other shop is a restaurant! I browsed round the shops a bit and met John back at Traumerei café where they cool you down with a very fine mist spraying from the umbrellas and surrounding walls – very welcome in this searing heat.

John then led me to the Bordeaux St art gallery where he’d spotted one of Jean’s African native sculptures. We went inside and saw another – a ballet dancing pair called Pas de Deux – priced at a cool 110,000 rand – about £8,000!! Then back for a cool-off at B & B.

 

Freshen up and then off to Reuben’s which has been highly recommended. We ate in the courtyard and it was a very different and informal affair compared to last night. It was quite noisy with lively music playing and not at all the elegant experience of Grande Provence. My food was delicious, but John wasn’t so taken by the experience. Whitebait/Springbok tartare with oyster fritters and caper sauce and quail stuffed with grapes, and a herb couscous/blesebok.. I had to try the quail having seen so many running around the countryside – it was tender and tasted similar to chicken. John offered to take a photo of a group nearby and later one of the blokes offered to take ours. Turned out he was English and had lived in Mapperley and worked in Nottingham five years ago.

 

Back to B & B where yet another love poem awaits us – this one a letter from Beethoven to I don’t know who. I asked Stefan in the morning and he said it had been used in two movies – ‘Sex in the City’ and Immortal beloved’ with (I think) Gary Oldman and Isobel Rossellini – haven’t seen either, so must look them out.

 

Woke to rain and the river rising – but not dangerously. Another daughter, Lisa, helped serve breakfast – dressed in trousers with braces and a brimmed hat – rather eccentric, but very friendly and charming. Also met Julie, our hostess – unfortunately her husband died of an unexpected heart attack last year.

 

Obviously a popular place as breakfast room is full, including a couple we’d spoken to the previous day in town – without realising we were all staying at the same place.

 

Even before we left England and a friend, Mark, had told us of their favourite experiences in SA, I’d said we needed to ‘drop down’ into Hermanus (which Mark and Mary had really enjoyed) on our way from Swellendam to Franschoek. John thought it would be a ‘huge detour’ and was less keen. But spoke to Lisa and she said we must go – it was only an hour away and we might miss the long roadworks on the N2 – then she realised she might have caused a marital split by taking sides with the ‘wrong’ party – hurrah for sisterhood I say! She then handed us a ‘Have safe journey’ goodie bag of apple, plum and 2 moist chocolate brownies. Very thoughtful.

 

Had more thoughts about the Springbok cushion and decided it would be lovely souvenir and go very well with my sofas, so back to the shop… Also have to have a certificate to prove it’s not an endangered species – the owner had explained yesterday that they have to cull the Springbok, so they are not killed just for the skin and meat.

 

Tom Tom showed 1¾ hours to Hermanus, but the decision was made, so tough… and it was definitely worth the detour. A huge bay, more crashing waves, lovely views and eating places – it’ll be on the itinerary for next time. The weather had gradually cheered up as we travelled but there was a still a strong, but balmy wind.

 

We didn’t in fact miss the roadworks, but we were lucky to join the line of traffic on the one-way stretch. If we’d arrived a minute later, we’d have had a 10 minute wait as it was a long one-way stretch.

 

Then a beautiful drive through countryside that got more and more lush. At one point there were police cars coning off a short stretch of road on which was parked a load of vans and a vehicle with a tarpaulin, and some cameras. Can only think they were going to film an advert against the stunning backdrop.

 

Spotted at least 6 eagles, but didn’t manage to stop to snap one for the record. Past a huge reservoir (Theewaterschloofdam – a World Heritage site) and then into the Franschoek pass. Unfortunately got stuck behind a log lorry for most of the time, but that didn’t deter 6 German black 4×4 vehicle, that were obviously on some kind of mission/rally overtaking us and the log lorry on bends that we thought they couldn’t possibly have been sure of no oncoming traffic.  

 

To distract myself from the frustration of the log lorry…

I haven’t mentioned townships.

On the edge of most of the bigger towns and sometimes in the middle of nowhere it seems, there are townships. Some of them are literally built out of anything people can lay their hands on – corrugated iron, wooden fencing slats – all cobbled together to give some shelter. It’s a sight that is depressing and the government runs projects to build new townships – simple concrete dwellings to rehouse the people in these settlements. But as soon as one project is finished, it’s not big enough to house the inhabitants of the ‘old’ townships, so it’s an uphill task. Interestingly some of these new buildings are then enhanced with corrugated ‘extensions’ resembling those dwellings in the old townships. The inhabitants are often transported in the back of open back trucks to their work in the town, or, more often in the country, you see them (and the school children) walking long distances between the town and their dwelling.

 

Arrived at Auberge Clermont B & B – working vineyard, plum and olive farm. Greeted by Stephan, the son, a charming guy, whose first priority is to get us booked in for our meals! A man after John’s heart. Apparently being the gastronomic centre of S. Africa (being a French settlement), tables are at a premium. Reubens was top of the list (his and ours) and we’d already phoned, to be told they were booked up to 19^th Feb! However Auberge Clermont are allocated one table each night for their residents. Tonight’s allocation was taken and it appears that a ‘phantom’ guest has used tomorrow’s allocation – so Stephan is looking into it.

 

Walked round the vineyard and met Chris, the host – a former TV cameraman who was involved in filming Margaret Davies(?) a social worker in Nottingham who exposed the scandal about children being shipped to Australia and being told their parents were dead. His four dogs – a Yorkie, a German shepherd and two mongrels were duly introduced to us. Then I met Sue, his wife, a former de Villiers (meaning her family was from Villiersdorp nearby) who mentioned her daughter lives in Putney (like Ben and Susie) and is coming home next week to help make arrangements for her wedding in May to a South African she’s met in London.

 

Bit of a relax to catch the last of today’s sun  and chatted to Iain and Margaret, a couple from Glasgow on their first trip to S.Africa. A very cheerful, friendly pair with a cheeky sense of humour which is very endearing. As with most folks we meet, we swap experiences of the trip.

Then we head for Grand Provence, a restaurant at one of the many local vineyards, for dinner. In a converted barn, with comfortable leather high back armchairs, in a gracious setting. Charming staff. The menu suggests you can have 3, 4 or 5 courses – choosing from the menu of about 20 dishes – in any order. What a good idea! So you could have 3 starters, or your pudding first or whatever… Fairly conventionally we had tempura prawns in a veloute sauce/smoked salmon, Smoked Duck/Blasebok, and Cape Salmon. John’s duck was a bit chewy so they didn’t charge him for that course and gave us a complimentary pud (chocolate tart) as well!

 

Got back to B & B to find an e.e.cummings love poem sealed with a leaf, on our bed. Is it Valentine’s Day already? No – just a poem to set the scene for a peaceful night’s sleep

 

 

We take leave of J & C Beach House and continue back along the Garden Route to Swellendam, in the lee of the Langeberg mountains and the 3^rd oldest town in S. Africa which was founded by a bigwig in the Dutch East India Company in 1745.

 

Some musings while John’s driving the 120 miles towards Swellendam…

 

We pass through the Karoo countryside, and start seeing livestock again – cows, sheep, ostriches – but, surprisingly, since we been offered bacon for every breakfast, no pigs. Must check next time in a supermarket where the bacon is from.

 

Another comment is about the roofing on properties here. Buildings are mostly brick, sometimes rendered, and the majority have terracotta colour roofs. However, there are quite a few green roofs and rather peculiarly, some blue roofs – both of which seem to be something like corrugated metal. The mixture can make for quite a colourful sight as you catch a bird’s eye view of a town. Then there are a few thatched properties, emulating the indigenous boma style dwellings. They’re really attractive and soften what otherwise might be a harsh roofing horizon.

 

Re car number plates (no we haven’t been playing ‘that’ game!). I haven’t yet worked out the formula, but most in this area start with ‘C’ – CA seems to be Cape Town, but there’s also CBS, CE, CG – no idea where they’re from. An interesting diversion from this is on ones that end with ‘WP’. This seems to indicate that you choose whatever number plate you like and we’ve seen ‘SUSIE’ (sorry to say, Susie, we were moving at the time and the photo came out blurred), ‘LOOT’, ‘SLAGGY1’, ‘KOFFIE’ (of the Traumerei coffee shop in Franschoek), ‘M UNITED’, ‘WIN 100’ but evidently some are company name. Takes personalised number plates to a different level. We’ve seen no foreign number plates, unsurprisingly, apart from a GB one on a Rolls Royce and that also had a diplomatic badge – so that explains where our foreign budget is spent!

 

Final musing – there are Aloe ferox (a relative of our Vera – but better according to the locals of course) plants all over the place, but this area seems to be where the juice of the plant is extracted and made into all the beauty and digestive products we are familiar with.

 

Aan de Oever B & B is a typical Dutch style bungalow – as are the majority of the residences here, on the banks of the river Koornlands which flooded its banks last November.  Their swimming pool was swept away and the filtration system for their Koi carp pool demolished. They are in the middle of reparation works. One of the charming daughters shows us round.

 

We decide to book La Sosta for our meal tonight based on a recommendation by David Fenton and pull up outside to phone up (the place was shut). Just as I’m talking, John comments that someone is pulling out of their driveway and I notice he’s talking on his phone, so the 3 of us burst out laughing as we realise we’re only a few yards apart and supplement the phone conversation with gesticulations to confirm our booking.

It’s a charming town – very Dutch colonial and well-kept. A coffee and apple cake keeps us going while we wander round the fascinating museum of old trades and I hang my nose over goodies in the adjacent craft shops. Managed not to buy a springbok skin cushion (from quite a pushy 6’4” lady!), but at least I can say I stroked a springbok, even if it wasn’t alive and kicking.

 

Arrived at La Sosta and met our host in person – an expressive Italian from Milan. He was an optometrist and his wife worked in a bank and they decided to change direction and certainly seem to have made an excellent move. The food – antipasto meats/mozzarella-tomato and scottato (barely cooked) beef strips with a mini souffle, cubed potatoes and beans, finishing with a shared chocolate selection and ice cream – was delicious and charmingly served.

 

Raining as we left.