Food & Wine Market at Hermanuspietersfontein

This is a popular market on a Saturday morning for residents of Hermanus and the surrounds. Its setting is the Hermanuspietersfontein Wine Cellars at the Hemel en Aarde Village closest to Onrus, and if you’re not there to pick up the weekend’s nibbles and nosh, then you’re there for breakfast with friends. It’s a market in much the same vein as the Neighbourgoods and the Earth Fair markets in Cape Town, although on a slightly smaller scale. It can get busy though, so you might want to get here relatively early. The market opens at 09h00 … Continued

A stay in Vermont

Vermont

Tell people that you’re on your way to Vermont and many give you a puzzled response. They obviously are not expecting you to go all the way to America for the weekend, but whilst their brains are whizzing around trying to place the town on a map, I rescue them and explain that it lies close to Hermanus. The relief is palpable.

Acquaintances of ours have a wee cottage set in the heart of Vermont’s ‘old’ quarter. After staying in the town twice now, and familiarising myself with its streets, I have divided Vermont into the ‘old’ and ‘new’, or ‘east’ and ‘west’ quarters for my own reasons. The east or old side is relatively conservative with smaller homes and pretty gardens, whilst the west suffers from a serious case of ‘my house is bigger than yours’ syndrome (although there are obvious exceptions). Continued

Farmstalls along the N2 between Sir Lowry’s Pass and the Houhoek Pass

Farmstalls on the N2

As the N2 summits Sir Lowry’s Pass and begins its meander through one of the most lovely valleys known to man – the Elgin Valley is sumptuous it is such a feast of beauty -  it passes no fewer than five farmstalls distributed fairly evenly on either side of the road (if you’re smart, you can stop at one or two on the way to your destination, and then another couple on your return).

We were headed to Vermont, the little village not far from Hermanus that has enjoyed a fair amount of attention if the number of holiday homes is anything to go by. We took it upon ourselves to stop at four of the farmstalls in an effort to do a comparison and to see just what each of them offers – besides, it’s great fun to fall out of the car, meander around the grounds, have a look at all the goodies, make a selection or two and then, between mouthfuls, rate the nosh … Continued

Why I’m telling no-one about McGregor

It isn’t easy to find somewhere to stay on a farm that is remote but still close enough to a small town to provide light entertainment when needed and supplies when necessary. I spent quite a bit of time on the internet before I found our little gem on a farm just outside Robertson and McGregor (bonus as we got two quaint towns for the price of one!).

The unbelievably beautiful valley that holds Robertson, McGregor, Ashton, Bonnievale and Montagu in its embrace has something magical about it. And if you don’t believe me, visit it yourself and you’ll understand what I mean. The secret is to take the time to stop in the towns, as we did in Robertson and McGregor, so that the charm of each can find its way into the corners of your mind. Because it won’t be anything tangible or something you ‘discover’; the magic is simply there for the taking, you have but to imbibe … Continued

Joostenberg Deli – a stop worth making time for

Farm outside Bloekomsbos

Saturday was a day filled with new discoveries and interesting stops. We visited a local farmer, Erick, on his farm just outside Bloekomsbos, accidentally discovered one of the Stellenbosch jewels – Joostenberg Deli – and uncovered a gem of a garden centre just next door.

Erick Zenzele is the farmer that sends us a bag full of peas, cabbage, mixed lettuce leaves, beetroot, broccoli and spinach every week. His farm (his land has been loaned to him by a local farmer) just outside Bellville in Cape Town is part of the local CSA (community supported agriculture) project supported by Slow Food Cape Town together with the Sustainability Institute. A group of families in Cape Town help support the farmers involved by paying upfront for our bags of veg. But it’s also a way of reconnecting with our food. As ‘consumers’ we now know exactly where our vegetables are grown, and after our visit on Saturday, by whom … Continued

Picnicking at Harold Porter, and sighting penguins …

Botanical Gardens

Harold Porter is a really pleasant surprise! In fact, it’s one of the Cape’s best kept secrets …

I had forgotten just how gorgeous the drive from Cape Town to Betty’s Bay along Clarence Drive, known also as Route 44, is. We were to visit friends in Somerset West in the evening and, since it looked as though the day would be clear, we ambitiously set off for the Harold Porter Botanical Garden, a long-delayed visit, one we had been meaning to make for too long. Continued

Affordable Cederberg weekends

My slight obsession with Bushmen Rock Art and the constant search for it on trips to the Western Cape Mountains, resulted in the necessity to find affordable weekend accommodation near Clanwilliam, which is about 2 and a half hours north of Cape Town on the N7. Not interested in residing in the town, and wanting somewhere quieter, I managed to locate two wonderful spots on the border of the Cederberg Wilderness Area in the Boskloof Valley Continued

Tulbagh Photographs

A selection of photographs of the charming village of Tulbagh located in the Cape Winelands, South Africa. Tulbagh nestles in amongst the Winterhoek, Witzenberg and Obiqua Mountains, which surround it on three sides and provide one of the most beautiful settings in the Western Cape … Continued

Cape Agulhas Photographs

Photographs of Cape Agulhas, the geographic southern tip of the African continent, and the official point at which the cold Benguela current of the Atlantic Ocean and the strong Aghulhas current of the Indian Ocean meet. Historically, the cape has been known to sailors as particularly hazardous, notorious for winter storms and huge rogue waves Continued

Cape Horticultural Society’s Spring Flower and Garden Show

Spring Fever is in the air! Why not visit the Cape Horticultural Society’s Spring Flower and Garden Show?

Scheduled for Sat 19th and Sunday 20th September at the Alphen Centre in Constantia, this regular Celebration of Spring features a display of interesting and unusual, as well as common or garden  plants,  all grown by members of the Society in their Peninsula gardens.  Outside stallholders will have many garden related products for sale and there will also be light refreshments available … Continued

Cederberg Photographs

Our photoographs today were taken in the Cederberg in the Olifants River Valley of the Western Cape. The Cederberg is a wilderness area dominated by a craggy mountain range and a nature reserve that stretches from the Middelberg Pass at Citrusdal to just north of the Pakhuis Pass at Clanwilliam – over 70,000 hectares of spectacular, rugged terrain – roughly two to three hours’ drive from Cape Town … Continued

Discovering the Western Cape

The city of Cape Town, watched over by the unique and majestic Table Mountain is South Africa’s oldest town and one of South Africa’s jewels. With its melting pot of cultures, rich historical and cultural heritage and the pristine white beaches that sweep along its coastline, the Western Cape has much to offer any visiting tourist.

The Western Cape is both the gateway to Africa and a major tourist attraction in its own right.

In Cape Town itself, there is juxtaposition of old and new, with major shopping centers, such as the Canal Walk Mall, sandwiched tightly with historical landmarks such as the Castle of Good Hope, the fort built by Jan Riebeeck on establishing a supply station at the Cape.  Continued