Bit of a Diary... part II

23 January 

Our last breakfast at Constantia Valley Lodge and we say goodbye to Steve (from Ouseburn) and our lovely Anglo-German friends - Renata and Yoda (Peter). This place has changed sadly since the arrival of all Renee's golf friends. Now less friendly and we are slightly irritated by Baron Von Bombast's (not his real name but like the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang character!) frequently shouting. Time to go. 

We head initially towards Stellenbosch which is like Harrogate with wine! Good shops and cafes and some nice linen shorts! 

Then on to Franschhoek and for the second time on our travels (Australia being the first) we are effectively abandoned in the vineyard where we are staying with no staff after 6.00pm. This is Manoir de Brendell. Seemingly tomorrow it will be busy because there's a wedding on ...

We drive to the vineyard opposite - Paserene - and enjoy 2 wines (me) and 5 wines (Bert) and lots of delicious tapas. We walk home and are delighted to get back in through the electric gates (memories of Australia again). However this is the first time we have really been affected by load shedding (the South African method of reducing electricity use). At 8.00pm all but essential electricity is turned off so asleep by 9.00pm. 

24th January

We wake up to clouds and rain - not in the plan! And today is our wine/tuktuk morning. We get Hannaz (designated driver) to take us into town and drop us at the tuktuk station. As it turns out, we start at the best - La Motte - with the incredibly knowledgeable Ross who takes us through a host of wines with great tasting notes. Finding my wine feet (or flippers!) here a little at last. 

                                                                Tuktuk wine tours! 

Then it's on to Leopard's Leap which is more of a showroom than a winery. Very impressive building but the wine is nowhere near as good. We wait for ages for the tuktuk to return but eventually he arrives and takes us to our third and final winery of the morning - Grand Provence. This is beautiful and we have some cheese and fruit with our six wines. Then we return to the Manoir de Brendell very full! 

A bit of lazing around the pool as the weather has returned to its glorious normal before changing for the Cafe de Vin for dinner. Getting there proved challenging as Ubers don't really operate here so we ring Hannaz who is at the airport. He instead sends another blokey who takes us and then says he will pick us up at 9.00. Great steaks, fabulous wine - then no taxi. After 20 minutes the maitre d' calls us a cab. Not actually being in the centre of Franschhoek is slightly challenging if you want a drink! 

                                                                                                                

                                                    Beautiful pool at Manoir de Brendall

25th January

Lovely morning by the pool whilst Robert went to the Motor Museum. There is now another family here with a Freddie-sized boy - very cute. 

Today is La Petite Colombe day - surely the most impressive restaurant I have ever been to. Absolutely stunning surroundings starting with a walk round the sculpture part before going in. We choose the Reduced Chef's menu with paired wines despite my needing all my wines to be red! Amazing, amazing food and phenomenal wine. Utterly extraordinary! I go to congratulate the kitchen team on my way back from the loo and nearly burst into tears! What am I like? Applause! Afterwards we walk along the garden after lunch towards the uber-amazing hotel having decided that a wine tasting is a bridge too far. 

                                                

Lying by the pool in the late afternoon before taking a short walk amongst the wines. Note to self: don't do this in flip-flops - loads of thorns! 

                                        

26th January

Beautiful morning, beautiful day! Lying by the pool until Hannaz comes to take us to Chamonix for lunch - fabulous food. Afterwards we walk into Franschhoek down the hill in the heat and after a little light shopping we find a bar and drink beer in the sun. Luckily Hannaz was in the bar so he took us home a little later. Load shedding again. 

27th January

We say goodbye not too sadly to Charmian at the Manor de Brendell and get a good 20 minutes up the road before getting a call to say we have left the battery charger. Back we go. 

Arriving at Fernwood Manor in Newlands. Very easy. Our room was not ready but a cake and tea later and we're in our room and it's very pleasant with excellent pool right outside our door. Lie by the pool before heading into downtown Cape Town to El Paradiso which was probably the only disappointing meal we had. We should have booked the Black Sheep two doors down which number 4 and I had loved and was rocking and rolling. All meals are about the same price regardless of how good they are. El Paradiso was only ok. Home in an Uber and sleep the sleep of the dead - oh yeah! 

28th January

Wet. So disappointing. After a lot of toing and froing we decide to go to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens despite being told that it's not as good as it was. Actually it was lovely though very wet - glad we went. Met fabulous people who were doing 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 continents - utterly bonkers and insanely wealthy! Then back to Fernwood Manor for reading and napping - albeit indoors. 

                                                        Beautiful sculpture at Kirstenbosch

                                       

                                                                            The Table Cloth!

Our evening jaunt was to Lobster and Burger - an excellent burger joint on Bree Street. Fab food, great atmosphere. Then back to Fernwood for an early night. Last day tomorrow. Feeling torn - love it here but also ready to be home. Lots of happy memories at Kirstenbosch Gardens today from my holiday with Number 4. Special mother and daughter times 4 years ago. 

29th January

Last day today and feeling a bit ropey so my beloved takes the car back to the rental place and I stay by the pool. We meet Robin Smith (and his lovely wife) ex-Chair of Yorkshire Country Cricket. Hang about by the pool all day enjoying the last of the South African sun. Boy, I will miss waking up each day to Table Mountain. I love looking at it from wherever we are. The constantly changing light and shade, the clouds (known as the Table Cloth) and the magic of it all. 

We walk to a neighbourhood pizzeria and then home to pack. 

South Africa - it's been a blast!! 

                             Mum would have loved this wine - a tribute to a great lady! 

Bit of a Diary for our Fabulous Cape Town Holiday (Part 1!)

                                        

Four years ago, number 4 child and I headed to Cape Town for a brilliant week of fun, amazing sights and great weather and yes... it was a blast! And now we're back - slightly different dramatis personae with Number 4's place being taken by my beloved - but we are most definitely back. Here's our story...

15th January 

We manage to leave Crow House early - that never happens. Surely a good omen and we have such such a good run that we have to wait in airport parking for the valet guy. Flying long haul from Heathrow is a breeze compared to short haul from any other UK airports. Snack in the lounge and then on to the plane which is absolutely full. Virgin Atlantic staff are very good and apart from a poor amount of sleeping due to - the snoring one on one side and an American woman on the other who watched television until 2.00 am and then didn't switch it off. Ho hum! 

16th January 

We land into the sunshine. Straight through customs and into a taxi driven by Gilbert who is the size of a prop forward. Constantia Valley Lodge is beautiful, peaceful and in spite of it being 7.30am so rather ahead of our check-in time, very welcoming. Our room is one of the cheaper ones but we can have it straight away and it's perfect. 

As I write, there are tiny white scuds of clouds in the otherwise deep blue sky, a small bush of limes growing behind me, roses everywhere and through the gap in the border a view of Table Mountain. Is this heaven? Should we sell up and run a B&B here? 

                                            Constantia Valley Lodge - my favourite of our hotels

                                        

                                                            Palm trees in the garden

A lovely day in the sun, punctuated by a couple of hours napping on the bed, catching up with myself. Renee, our host, kindly drives us to La Belle, a couple of streets away for delicious food in a lovely relaxed atmosphere. We walk home (nobody walks here, as we discover) and chat with some other guests before I crash for a full 12 hours sleep. 

                                                    

                                                                And so it begins! 

                                        Lime bushes in the garden at Constantia Valley Lodge 

17th January

Andy Murray wins in Australia! Unbelievably he beats Berrettini though it took him 4 hours. My social media accounts are full of Sir Andy! 

Hop on an Uber down to the city centre where we get on a HOHO bus for a city tour. Up Table Mountain and then down to Camps Bay for a glass of something and a snack. Amazing acrobats on the road!

The beautiful beach at Camps Bay

                                                                    Acrobats - of course! 

Back on the bus and into town to collect the hire car. Stress. I prefer to leave these things until we absolutely can't do without them but my beloved needs no encouragement so a hire car it is. We wend our way back to Constantia via a million small roads and hope for the best. 

We are meeting Susan and Degsy tonight but already the booking has gone wrong. We arrive at the lift to the 6th floor in the Old Biscuit Mill (of which more later) and there is a power cut (of which even more later). Moments later it's back on and we head up. "No" they haven't got room for our two people to become four. Low level panic but the maitre d' says don't worry. Susan and Degsy arrive and Susan tells us that Degsy hates lifts and heights. He is traumatised. Luckily he recovers quickly and we are given a table at Pot Luck Club - Conde Nast Travellers No1 restaurant. Everything is as it should be - great old friends and amazing, amazing food. Some of the best food I've ever had and tooo much wine for my beloved who subsequently says he can't remember how we got home! (in a taxi, in case you wondered!) 

18th January

Rain in the night and swathes of clouds rushing across the skyline over Table Mountain. Will Table Mountain even be open? We set off not too optimistically via Hout Bay to avoid the traffic in the city centre at rush hour. By the time we get to Table Mountain, the clouds are still scudding across but the cable car is running so we park and set off.

The cable car is full of Americans but once we reach the top at speed they quickly disperse. We walk across the Malham Tarn-type landscape for over an hour, watching the landscape below - wild and impressive - change as the clouds move across. The view of the city below is truly extraordinary - all the way to Robben Island in the ocean. We find a rock not unlike the one where I photographed number 4 four years ago. Good memories. Hot chocolate on top of the world. 

                                        

            Me and my knobbly (but new!) knees with Robben Island in the background 

We make our way back via the supermarket where Bert again thinks he has lost his wallet. This is not good and we do think for a moment that we will have to go back up Table Mountain. Fortunately we don't! 

The afternoon is spent lying in the shade before pre-dinner drinks with our fellow guests. Then off to Buitenverwachting with Susan and Degsy. Fab evening - unbelievable food. Truly you would never get a meal like that for under £100 in the UK.

19th January

Designated quiet day today. We elect, despite being invited to the Vineyard by Susan and Degsy, to lounge by the pool, deal with a booking and an enquiry. However we choose the day that Andrew and Renee (our hosts) are hosting the arrival of their golfing chums and they sit outside the breakfast room making a terrible racket which makes Renate - married to English bloke Yoda (not his real name) - kick off. We decide to set off early to Hout Bay and then on to Camps Bay for our booking at the Codfather. Hout Bay is quite run down and even though it has a beautiful beach it was covered in jellyfish. 

On to Camps Bay where having established (via the estate agents' windows) that we could sell our house and buy a pretty nice condo, we head to the Codfather. It is everything it is cracked up to be - great atmosphere, superb ford, buzzing, like the old Flying Pizza on speed! We choose kingklip, tuna, calamari and scallops served together to share between us. Delicious - and then back home early. Lovely day! 

Just some of the seafood fare at the Codfather! 

20th January 

Bit of a road trip planned for today. We head to Nord Hoek and enjoy a coffee at the Food Barn where we are eating later with Susan and Degsy. I'm feeling not 100% but a mint, honey and ginger tea improves things a lot. Then on to the toll road over Chapman's Peak stopping for the stunning views. On to Boulders Bay to visit the penguins. "Are they real?" asks number 2 when we send her pictures for Freddie. Yes! 

                                                                    Yes they are real! 

                                               One of the beautiful views from Chapman's Peak

The coast road from Simon's Town is blocked by heavy traffic so by 1.30 we have had enough and head back to Constantia. A couple of hours by the pool and a nap and I'm all good to go! 

We meet Susan and Degsy back at the Food Barn. I feel I ought to describe the food we've had this week as it is truly extraordinary. 

Monday: La Belle - probably the most traditional meal we've had but beautiful ingredients for tired diners. 

Tuesday: The Pot Luck Club. Perhaps we ordered too many tapas but otherwise a stupendous meal with great staff. 

Wednesday: Buitenverwatching. Absolutely sublime. I thought last night was amazing but this is beyond words.

Thursday: The Codfather. An institution - beautiful fish cooked to order. No wonder it's hard to get in. 

Friday: The Food Barn. 2 tapas helpings each. Just beautiful - our last lovely evening with Susan and Degsy or at least we thought... Lovely! 

21st January

Up and out early (not really but to Robert it probably was!) to go to the Old Biscuit Mill. Having panicked a bit about parking, I didn't need to and we were slotted in almost opposite. The place was buzzing and the food stalls, as ever, amazing. We had a leisurely walk round the stalls and eventually bought some food for lunch on the beach at Bloumbergstrand - amazing view of Table Mountain with the bay standing between us and Cape Town. 

                                            

                                        Bloumbergstrand and the amazing view of Table Mountain

                                                                Beautiful proteas

Back to Constantia Valley Lodge for a nap and a read then we walk back to La Belle. A restful evening following by a terrible movie about a drink and drug-soaked pilot. Poor choice! 

22nd January

La Belle - or La Belle plus whatever drugs I am on now - turns out not to be the best choice. Upset stomach and my beloved gets me some imodeum but we're going nowhere today. I sleep pretty much all morning but feeling better later. Meanwhile the Barn guests are complaining about the shower. Richard dealing with it, bless him. 

We return to the Codfather at Camps Bay with Susan and Degsy. Lovely evening, lovely people.

                                        

                                                        Camps Bay at sunset