Tag: cape town

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Wine Flies

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Location: Stellenbosch.

Wine flies is the tour company that do Wine tours around Stellenbosch. If you are in Cape Town and are looking for a wine tour then these are your guys! Legend was our guide, yes that is really his name. He was wonderful.

They pick you up at the hostel/hotel you are staying at in the morning and drive you to the first winery, Villiera. Here we do a brief history of wine and see the moving parts behind a wine farm, the full story from start to finish. The entire process for white and red wine. Legend gave it in such a relaxed way, made sure we are listening and taking it in. Even through we were definitely all waiting for the wine.

The tasting consists of 2 Sparkling, 3 white wines and 1 red, there was biltong and kudu sausage to eat as well. The wines were enjoyable and good to start the day with. We had a chenin blanc from a steel barrel and one from and oak barrel – the different was outstanding! The winery was nice and big, so we could sit out side and relax in the shade.

There was not too much pressure but we have time constraints as we needed to move onto the next place. This was definitely one of your more boutiquey wine farms. Cheese Pairing at Mitres Edge. 1 white and 4 reds. The pairings here were really surprising, a cows milk feta with white wine. Blue camembert with a red. For someone who doesn’t normally enjoy red wine, this was my most surprising tasting of the day. The tasting room was in the cellar which was lovely, it was a family wine place as well making it all the more special to have the wine maker with us to explain every element of the wine.

Lunch and the third stop was Middlevlei, lunch was a Braai which was lovely. Sausages and chicken which a whole range of salads and sides. It was delicious and I enjoyed the wine so much I bought two bottles of it. It was a chilled lunch, Legend making sure that our glasses were topped up with different wines every time they were empty.

After lunch we headed into the cellar, which was actually a separate building. We saw the old concrete barrels they used to keep the wine in. And we went into one of the barrel rooms where we could take wine out of the barrel itself! It was great. The wine they had deemed was not quite good enjoy to be sold and so needed longer in the barrel. The guide explained putting fake oak sticks and logs into the barrels when the barrels were older in order to increase the oakiness in the barrels.

By now we are well plied with wine, but still enjoying ourselves, nothing too rowdy. We head to Lovane – this is the only place you can buy their wine, they do not sell in anywhere else. This is where we had the wine and chocolate pairing – again something I didn’t quite understand to begin with.
Mostly red wines and even a port style wine was well! Some of the chocolates were well paired others were more debatable. It was interesting to understand their process and the story behind their wines. This was a boutique little place. Such a lovely stop on this tour, beautiful images to be taken with the mountains in the background.

Heading to our next stop we had a quiz to see how much we had learnt. Luckily I was in the front so I didn’t get involved, just laughing at the answers and being the DJ – naturally. The two teams tied so we all shared a small bottle of wine for the whole bus.

Our 5th stop was Vergenoegt, home of the runner duck wine. They actually have a duck parade here three times a day to teach the ducks to walk together. They use them during the growing season to keep the bugs away from the grapes- reduces the use of pesticides. The geese walk amongst them to keep them in line and stop other animals or vermin getting into the group.

The wines – lets move on – the wines where we had a white, rose and a few reds. I enjoyed the wines, but the rose and red were not quite to my taste. I preferred previous ones. I did however buy a bottle of the white wine to share with my family.

We did visit one final winery Peter Falke, this was extra and so we had to pay for it. It was R65 for 8 wines, only one or two white. By this point we had had so much wine. We were happy just chilling out in the gardens chatting to one another watching the sun go down. I don’t think we were paying too much attention to the wines, more to the conversation and if we enjoyed the wines or not.

We had a party bus on the way back, some golden oldies and good dance tunes – songs you can dance along to. All in all it was a lovely day, I really enjoyed myself and that is not the wine talking. I would highly recommend these guys and this guide. I would take another one of these tours again without hesitation.

Until next time

Restaurant Reviews

Kloof Street House

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Location: Kloof Street.

This restaurant carries a reputation all its own, if you are thinking of going in the evening, then please book well ahead in advance. If you are small number of people you can try on the night but it is unlikely. I went at lunch time for their summer lunch menu, it was still pretty busy for that time.

The entrance into the restaurant looks rather grand, the steps are tiled and the gravel, leading up to a glass front. It is very ornate the outside area is all shaded with a tent like structure. A few booths as well as actual tables. All comfortable and giving a relaxed atmosphere.

The Summer lunch menu, has a wide range of choices, as you can see. Some things that are familiar and others that are not so. It is well priced and usually the Chicken main is R175. I am sure that means you get a smaller portion on this one however even the meal I had was filling enough. The drinks menu is extensive too, with wines and cocktails as well as soft drinks.

I opted to sit outside, after sitting inside for 15 mins waiting for everything to be ready for me. I was asked multiple times if I was okay sat inside and people tried to take my order but I was adamant about being outside. It was a lovely warm day.

So after downing a litre bottle of water I opted for the Gili Gili mocktail, which was a bit like a virgin mojito but less sugary. It was nice, still went quickly. Eventually I had my order for food taken, both courses had to be order at the same time. I ordered Kingflip goujons and chips with Malva pudding for dessert.

I want to make a comment at this point about the service. After waiting for long enough to be moved outside and to have my order taken. I then watched two other tables receive their food before me. I had ordered at the same time, if not before. Admittedly they were having starters or salads so to an extent I can understand. This still bordered on the annoying. It was simple surely. Anyway, I asked where my food was, and as soon as someone had reported it, my food came out. It was piping hot at least. The waiter came and offered a drink or glass of champagne to compensate which I was pleased for. At least it was something. After this they then proceeding to turn the fan on next to me which then blew water at me as well… That wasn’t appreciated…

Onwards to the food – this could not be faulted!

The chips were delicious, the goujons were not greasy, the batter was crisp. The mushy peas were divine, they had mixed them with mint and butter I think, very yummy. I can tell you that these did not last long.

Malva pudding for those who have not had it, is very similar to sticky toffee pudding but it has been soaked in a type of alcohol and there are no dates. Surely no downside right?! It was a very large portion I will give you, and the pineapple and pistachios where the perfect combination with the soaked cake and the ice cream. It was a lovely end.

I would still recommend this place but with some caution, make sure you keep an eye on your waiter so that he doesn’t forget you. I felt forgotten in this place, the food made up for it. Food and drinks were amazing.

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Spier

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Spier – probably one of the most well known places in South Africa to try and drink wine. It is about 45 minutes outside of the city. It is grey drive, mostly on main road, but I promise you, when you arrive you don’t even know the road is there.

It is green beyond belief! Such wide open spaces it is a beautiful winery. You can stay there as well, there are plenty of things to do, places to eat and things to try. It is a whole experience at Spier. I am getting ahead of myself – lets concentrate on the main reason… the wine.

So I stopped here for a wine tasting. R40 for 7 different wines, I had 2 sparkling, 1 rose, 2 white and 2 red. It really did show the complexity of wine making in those wines and how perfect these people are at it. All of them were enjoyable and drinkable more to the point. There is something there for every taste. You can have a chocolate and wine tasting, cheese and wine, or just different levels of tasting depending on your feelings. I saw many many tables here with groups of people or even with children.

I ordered a 6 bottle mixed case to be send home for delivery when I get home. Which was super easy and very convenient. I am so pleased I was able to do that. So if you are interested just talk to the host you are working with and they will be able to walk you through the process.

The grounds of Spier are stunning, so please do not just do the wine tasting and leave, enjoy it. Walk around, and just get a feeling for the place. There is a small stream that you can walk along as you can see from the below photo.

Lunch – now this place has 4 different restaurants from a farm to table place, a steakhouse or even just a run of the mile restaurant whatever you are feeling they will have it. I went to the farm to table place and I order a roast beef sandwich and got a cake too. Both were amazing, the roast beef came with rocket, caramelised onions and vegetable crisps on the side. What more could you want. You can even rent a picnic set with your lunch and have a picnic on the lawns. Wine is a must naturally. I took a bottle home to enjoy at a different time.

Spier for me was a must coming to Cape Town. I hope it is for you too. The wine tours are good to do a number of wines and even better when you don’t have to drive yourself right, however experiencing one by yourself is a wonderful experience in itself.

Restaurant Reviews

Riks American Cafe – Review

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Location: Park Street

Named after the cafe in Casablanca. It is a mixed cuisine place, you are in for a treat.

There is outside seating, that is all shaded either by the trees or by umbrellas, they all very comfortable and it is always teaming with people.

There is Happy Hour from 3pm – 7pm with over 500 drinks to choose from, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. The ice tea is lovely and sugar free and therefore guilt free – right?

So I started my meal with the smoked crocodile, passion fruit, orange and rocket. It was like Carapaccio. I really enjoyed the smokiness next to the fruit. I devoured it quickly. It is hard to see the crocodile but it is that pink/cream type stuff on the outskirts of the plate. Really tasty.

For my main course I had the ostrich burger which came with pineapple and onion rings. The meat just fell apart, and it was delicious. Just divine. It had been seasoned well, and the accompaniments were perfect. The chips and onion rings were crisp without being greasy. The slaw was small and didn’t add much to the meal it was perfect without it.

The options at this place are just amazing! From burgers to Turkish and Moroccan Tagines, I was spoiled for choice I really was. Highly recommend this place. Service was attentive, with being the only person I was worried about being smothered but it was quite the opposite.

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Tempest car hire

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This will be brief.

Car Hire is simple in South Africa. I hired one through Aroundabout cars who then gave my rental to Tempest. I turned up a little early but no dramas, on the start date of my rental. Please note Tempest Car hire are on 26 Chippani Street not what google maps says.

The paper work was fairly standard, driving license, passport the usual. Blocking so much on the card in case of any issues, the standard walk around the car to make a note of all the ‘damage’ already done etc etc. They were every welcoming and easy to talk to. I took a video of the guy going over the car and made sure I had copies of everything – naturally.

The one thing I would advice, Tyre and Winscreen Cover, try and get it included it is worth the extra R70 just in case. Hub caps being stolen so driving on a rough road. just better to have the cover.

Andrew walked me through everything, explaining everything to the n’th degree. Even with others asking questions around me, he was still attentive. My little Kia Rio and I were on our way with relative ease and speed.

R85 admin fee payable regardless. Full to Full policy, with R23 if they have to fill up the car – Gas stations are plentiful in Cape Town, however I made the conscious decision to just leave it.

The drop off was just as simple, a walk around the car and giving the keys in and all is well. Super Easy these guys I would recommend. Just don’t forget we drive on the left here.

Restaurant Reviews

Stacked Diner

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Location: Kloof Street

This place is the perfect Brunch place – a wonderful Sunday morning I spent here, and I would do so again without any hesitation. It offer all the options from burgers to all day breakfasts, waffles to pancakes. What more could you ask for from a Diner like this.

Greeted upon a arrival to a very busy restaurant. Normally such a thing would worry me, about the level of service however this was not the case. They were amazing.

I ordered a coffee and orange juice to drink. This is the standard flat white!! it was huge! Did not last long I can tell you.

I went with the jacks – they are actually pancakes and they are delicious. I had mine with pineapple, banana, strawberry and a side of maple syrup. There is just enough maple syrup as well. 3 was plenty for me however you can order 5 if you so wish. You can add when you wanted, there is so much choice. You can have a full breakfast if you wanted, omlettes, waffles. The food looked incredible regardless of what you ordered !

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Kirstenbosch botanical Gardens

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Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. A beautiful set of gardens a well worth a walk around if you are every in Cape Town. It costs around 70R to get in, you can get their on the blue route City sightseeing bus, Uber or drive. There is parking on site, it is mostly shaded parking a few sun spots.

There are many hiking routes through the gardens, and there is a map you can buy for R10 at the same place as the ticket which gives you everything you might want to see in the gardens, as well as giving you an idea of the space.

There are a few statues and plaques throughout describing what was going on, the plants, the people involved. It is such a lovely space, you can just wander, relax. It is on the side of the mountain so it is quite steep at times, so please make sure you are in good shoes. There are plenty of places to sit in the shade, and a few places to walk in the shade. A few water fountains throughout, so just make sure you have a bottle to fill up. On a hot day it can be quite tiring walking around, so just an awareness point there.

There are walking tours that go through the gardens with someone who knows the flora they go at certain times.

Kirstenbosch holds summer concerts, on a sunday around R250, you can bring your own picnic and a few beers or wine and sit and enjoy the music. It is quite popular so make sure you book tickets in advance if there is a band going you like. There is a range of bands through the season.

The major reason people go to Kirstenbosch, is for the tree canopy. The gardens are gorgeous and if you are a botantist or into your gardening then this may be untrue, I apologise. But The following photo is the picture people want. The tree canopy is not as long as you think it is, the views are breathtaking though. I took so many photos, I wish I could share them all.

Kirstenbosch Gardens is a lovely place for a day out. It does everything it says on the tin. It has two places to eat, plenty of places to walk or to picnic. A large shop if you want to buy yourself a little something.

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Mount Nelson Afternoon Tea

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As I have said previously, I love afternoon tea, so when my Brazilian friend asked me to join her at afternoon tea – how could I say no…

The Mount Nelson hotel is well known in Cape Town, a prestigious hotel with a larger archway at the bottom of the driveway. You walk up this palm tree lined drive to the front of the hotel. There is security at the gate and at the front of the hotel. The door opened and we were steered towards the afternoon tea.

This is what leads out to the gardens, where some of the afternoon is served. There are some tables inside but the outside is lovely.

We sat down at our table and given the tea menu which was incredible. There is a very extensive list of green, fruit and black teas to suit every taste. The waitresses are very helpful in figuring out which tea you want. The first part of the afternoon is the savouries, there is a range of quiches, sausage rolls, cauliflower bhajis, sandwiches, cheese bread etc. The choice is just amazing. It was filling, it was just so delicious. The china all matched and was immaculate. The serving was perfect. All very impressive.

What followed was warmed scones – with whipped or clotted cream and jam or even butter. They were plain scones so they were sweet enough but the cream and the jam was just the perfect compliment.

What followed were the clean plates ready for the final ‘course’ two tables full of every cake, sweet treat and desert you can think of. Allergens are on the descriptions/name plates of the items. You can stick to your favourites; millionaires shortbread, chocolate cake, lemon meringue, anything you could possible fancy. You can go back multiple times as well! Can you imagine? Unlimited tea and cake !

The gardens surrounding the hotel makes you think you cant be anywhere near a busy road. The vegetation, the trees and the bushes just seem to create this haven in the middle of the city. What an Eden. It is a stunning experience. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and although I will never afford to stay in the hotel, this small experience has been wonderful.

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Two Oceans Aquarium

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Location: Waterfront

Price: R175

Okay I know Aquarium’s are much of a muchness, all are very similar however I had heard some wonderful things about this place. So one a cloudy day I decided it was the perfect opportunity. It is one of the more expensive places to go. There is a massive range of fish and sea creatures to be enjoyed and learnt about. It is very accessible for families, wheelchairs and prams included.

Surrounded by Nemos and Dorys – hard feeling to beat according to this childs face. Bless him. This is right in the start of the Aquarium, and you walk through there are a few smaller tanks to see the stranger of the fish. As you work through there are sea horses and crabs and eels. The explanations are very easy to understand and read. The only challenge is then trying to see the different creatures, in the different tanks.

As you turn a corner there is darkened corridor – normally I would be the last person to go into this voluntarily but curiosity killed the cat. The photo below is what i was greeted with.

So I turned the corner and I am welcomed by Jellyfish , tubes of Jellyfish, and surrounded by mirrors so it made it look like there were hundred of them. It was a very cool affect – no pictures can really do it justice. Another ‘exhibition’ that could not be photographed well was a darkened one too, where you press lights and it lights up the tank in certain areas to see if the fish and crabs of that prefer the dark. This was just incredible. I loved it.

Just beyond here was a touching pool, the lady was in the know, showing me what could be eaten and not eaten. I got to feel all sorts of kelp and sea weed, starfish and other plants too…the woman tending it was very chatty and happy to explain everything. I love the hands-on learning in places like this. They really do help the whole process.

The big tanks for me are always the best part about Aquariums, either being able to walk through it and see everything going on around you, or just sitting and watching their world from a distance. Seeing the Kelp forest you start to appreciate the underwater world, the different sizes and colours. I must have sat here for a good 10-15 mins just watching penguins dart around and the fish avoid one another. All the big tanks have somewhere to sit nearby so you can just relax and take it all it.

There are to penguin ‘exhibits’ in the Two Oceans Aquarium. I happened upon them during feeding time, so I could see them in their element as above. It was very interesting to hear the explanations of how they distinguish between the different animals and how they all have name . They have to keep track of what each penguin eats and ensure everyone gets something. – What a job…

Just behind this part of the Aquarium, there was a section that helps you realise about the plastics used in daily life along side an interactive learning space to make sure people make the right choices with packaging and products. The ids seemed to love it.

If you get there at the right times you can change various feeding points. As I mentioned earlier I saw the penguins being fed but also the Stingrays. This Tank I watched for maybe 30 mins. It has so many fish and rays it was hard not to be fascinated by them. The divers explained everything so well, everyone was mesmerised by the experience. The lady on dry land helping to guide the conversation had to come up with a lot of the questions herself – i think we were all a bit dumb struck.

All in all, this place is a lovely stop on a rainy day or somewhere when it is too hot to be outside. As anywhere gets its busy and quiet periods. There i wifi throughout the Aquarium and it is easy to navigate, there is a cafe half way around and play pens for children too.

Until next time