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Today is all about the wine!
We get under way at 7:30 and head to a nearby winery called Durbanville Hills for breakfast. We are seated on an outside patio with a great view of the surrounding area. I have eggs Benedict again, but this time with springbok carpaccio. After breakfast we take a stroll outside along manicured paths that feature indigenous plants. One of these is an unassuming little ground plant called fynbos, which is apparently unique to the Cape Town microclimate. (Yesterday we saw handicrafts made from it.) We are up fairly high and the air is crisp and clear. Around us on three sides are rolling hills spotted with low vegetation and the occasional tree bent by the cool winds from the Atlantic. We can see Table Mountain clearly in the distance with the Atlantic beyond. On the north side, the vineyards spread out down the slope. They are beautifully maintained. We learn that everything is rented: the land belongs to someone who rents it to another person who owns the grape vines who rents the plants and their products to the vineyard. A curious system.
Returning to the patio, we face our first test of
the day as the wines start coming. We try several whites then move on to reds. We really do like Pinotage, which (as you may remember if you're paying attention) is a varietal unique to South Africa. On our way out, we purchase a few bottles for later consumption.
Back in the van, we head deeper into wine country, eastward and away from Cape Town. Eventually we enter the famed Stellenbosch region and arrive at Neethlingshoff Estates for another tasting. This is a large operation with impressive, beautifully maintained gardens. Reputedly, the same grapes grown here produce noticeably different wine because the climate is warmer and not cooled by the Atlantic. Here we judge the winner to be their Sauvignon Blancs, which have hints of that delightful citrus overtone that I associate with New Zealand SBs.
We continue to drive eastward, all the way to Franschhoek. This name translates to "French corner," reflecting the immigration of the Huguenots here in the 15th century. The French influence is apparent in the place names, but I am told the language itself has died out. It is a beautiful area, much more lush in terms of vegetation, at least in the
river valleys. We stop for lunch at yet another beautiful winery, the Grande Provence Estate. The dining area is very fancy and very French, with white linen and ornate furniture. The menu, too, is extremely French, and the food is terrific, featuring tiny masterpieces of flavour beautifully presented on enormous plates with flair and panache.
After lunch, we stroll through an outside garden and art display featuring statuary, paintings and handicrafts nestled among the bushes and flowers. Violet finds a necklace that catches her fancy.
Leaving Franschhoek, we climb a switch-back road higher and higher. Along the way, we encounter a troop of baboons boldly taking over the road with little apparent fear of humans. They are very common here and potentially dangerous, so we photograph them from a safe distance. We stop again at the highest point for a spectacular view of the surrounding area before redescending the mountain and heading in the direction of home.
On the way back, we stop briefly at the Groot Drakenstein prison, which is from where Nelson Mandela was released in 1990. There is a statue of the great man at the entrance, his fist thrust high in the air.
We have to fend for ourselves tonight for supper. We decide to stay in since we have a few bottles of wine to use. JP stops at a grocery store on the way back, enabling us to pick up cheese, bread, smoked fish and fruit. Our companions join us in our room for the modest but satisfying feast.
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Marie
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Wine and cheese
Oh how I would have loved to spend the day with you! Wine tastings and a picnic back at the room! Sounds divine ? Keep on enjoying!