Vineyards and Cape of Good Hope

Paul picked us up at 10am to start our wineries guided tour. We drove out of Cape Town into Franschhoek, and were lucky with a very sunny and warm day. We visited Leopard’s Leap first, beautiful settings but less so the wine. We got to try a cold drink made with wine though, like a smoothie which was interesting to taste. The logo and label of the vineyard is very interesting, showcasing three leopards. We tasted 5 or 6 wines each and it was already time for lunch. We stopped in the centre of the little town of Franschhoek to have a pizza in the shade. In the afternoon we were planning to fit in another three wine tastings but we managed only two.

First was Haute Cabriere which was my favourite in terms of wines, with a beautiful (and air conditioned!) cellar next to a pretty pond, where we tasted 8 wines, two bubbly, two whites, three reds and one dessert wine called Ratafia which is a white port made of Chardonnay. The third and last of the day was Rickety Bridge beautifully positioned in a 19th century Manor House, where we found an ongoing wedding. We stopped for another quick 5 glasses tasting and squeezed in a cheese platter in the middle of the afternoon because why not. On the way back we stopped and Paul’s house and met his gorgeous kids Annabel and Thomas. Thanks again for the drive and the company Paul!
We got home at 8pm and after a debate on whether to go out for dinner or not, we ended up heating a pasta and passing out tired and still tipsy from all the wine intake.

Penguins and Capes

Another good day with Paul. Pick up at 10, and we drove towards the South stopping at some scenic spots on the way such as Muizenberg, Kalkbai with some interesting art galleries, and Simon’s town and Boulders beach to meet the smelly penguins. Bruce was also very proud to have witnessed and photographed the shagging of two satisfied penguins. We then made our way to Cape Point where we had a quick lunch before walking up to the lighthouse. The walk wasn’t too long nor steep, but of course Rob managed to complain a fair amount. We had some close encounters with cheeky baboons which kept us entertained!

We then stopped at Cape of Good Hope on the way out from the national park. Another sunny day with beautiful skies. On the way back to Cape Town we took another route, and Paul showed us Chapman’s Peak, on the Atlantic Coast between Hout Bay and Noordhoek in the Cape Peninsula and known as one of the most spectacular marine drives in the world. Paully also pretended to cycle it up a few times a year, we smiled and nodded asking for evidence.

We stopped on the way back at Camps Bay for a swim in the ocean as it wasn’t too windy for once, watched the paddle boarders and had a snooze on the soft warm sand.

After a shower we were ready to go out again and met with Nico and Tammy in central town for a lovely dinner at Savoy Cabbage. Nic made us try some great wines (Hannibal and a Shiraz Kevin Arnold of Waterford from Stellenbosch)including and we accompanied with a delicious beef tartare and Warthog. We also tried a very special dessert wine which was Napoleon’s favourite called Vin De Constance or Constantia (still in the top 1% wines in the world), and he had to get some shipped to Sant’Elena to survive his exile. Nico also told us about a great wine app called Vivino which scans wine labels or even whole wine lists and shows ratings and prices etc. After dinner Nico kindly invited us for a drink and gelato to his place. He and Tammy have a beautiful house and two super cute dogs. The evening ended with pistachio ice cream, cigars, port, brandy and the fulfilling chats that comes from the combination of a great meal, nice company and old friends around a table talking about travels, life and history. Grazie Nico and Tammy for being a chapter of our long trip!

The following morning we had to pack and leave our airbnb as we are staying with Paul for our last two nights in Cape Town before we leave for the Garden route. We then spent our morning at the farmers market on Granger Bay which has a great atmosphere and very nice food. Totally recommend for breakfast if you are in Cape Town on a Saturday. Thanks for the tip Tammy!

We then got picked up by Paul and went for a real weekend Braai at his brother in law’s house. Great company and lovely food, it was great to be part of a South African family for an afternoon. Thanks for having us!

More wines to come today in Stellenbosch!