The group was greeted by Ash at the van as our luggage was packed into its own trailer. We set off for a day of wine tasting in South Africa’s Wineland region. Ash regaled us with more history about the settling of the area and how the Winelands were created. Our first stop was at Anura (French for frog) in the Paarl Region where we were given a tour of the cellar. I had never seen an oak barrel cleaned before.
We were escorted to the couches in front of a very toasty fire. On the coffee table before us were the setups for wine tasting and cheese pairing. We sampled each wine with a fabulous cheese and spread chaser. I wish I had room in my luggage to bring some of those spreads home.
We were escorted to the couches in front of a very toasty fire. On the coffee table before us were the setups for wine tasting and cheese pairing. We sampled each wine with a fabulous cheese and spread chaser. I wish I had room in my luggage to bring some of those spreads home.
Next was a visit to the Franschhoek region. Ash asked if we wanted to take an unplanned detour to see the statue of Nelson Mandela at Drakenstein Correctional Centre. Once we said yes, Ash proceeded to tell us some of the history (https://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography) as we went on down the road. After so many pictures later, we were off to our second wine tasting of the day at a French winery which makes sense since Franschhoek means French corner. We visited the Rickety Bridge Winery where we tasted 5 different wines. There was a corn hole game in the front of the yard of the winery. I asked Ash what that game was called in South Africa because I had never heard of it anywhere but in the U.S. He had no idea. I asked the man who was serving the wine. He also didn’t know and said he would find out. Ash went and inquired further only to find out it was called Corn Hole. The owners had brought it back form the U.S.
With the completion of wine tasting, we climbed back in the van and headed into the City of Franschhoek to exchange money. All of the foreign exchange computers in all the banks were down so we were out of luck. On to Lunch! Ash had made reservations for us at Le Petite Fermé (Little Farm) where we finally for the first time this trip all ate together. The restaurant overlooked the Franschhoek valley and was a truly beautiful backdrop for a delicious lunch. We loved eating on the porch surrounded by a large glass window. It was a little cold without heat. Karin and I snuggled into the blankets provided.
After lunch it was on to our third and final wine tasting of the day. Lanzerac Wine Estate was on the outskirts of Stellenbosch. Their specialty is wine and chocolate pairing. I never realized how chocolate could actually change the flavor of wine and how wine could change the flavor of chocolate. There were special chocolates spiced to accompany the different wines of the vineyard. The other fascinating thing were the sinks in the bathroom. Please make sure to look at the picture.
We left and headed to River Manor Boutique Hotel in the heart of Stellenbosch. Our room was at the top of some very steep stairs but worth the climb. I noticed that the desk did not have a lamp. When I asked for one, the assistant for the hotel asked if she could rearrange our room. I said yes thinking she was going to move the desk to where the small table was which had a light and put the small table where the desk was. I was wrong. She picked up what looked like a mason jar and moved it to the desk. She then proceeded to flip the metal bar across the top to make an electrical connection. The jar lit up. It was a solar light used when the city experiences a brown out. It was very cool. I showed pictures of this to the others in our group at dinner. They also did not know about the “Mason Jars”.
Tomorrow we are touring Stellenbosch.
Tomorrow we are touring Stellenbosch.
