We haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list

So lately we have been so busy adventuring we haven't even had a chance to tell you all about them. So we going to backtrack a little and post a few recent adventures over the next few weeks.

We were so blessed to have gone on the biggest adventure of our life time a month or two ago when we visited Amsterdam, the UK and Paris. We could keep you busy for hours with the pictures and stories but all of that will come in good time.

We finally visited the Constantia wine route as well as some old favourite and went to a Kirstenbosch Sunset Concert which I think will be a yearly tradition from now on because it’s so much fun and one of the most beautiful places in Cape Town.

And there’s also the odd spot we've stayed this year that we never got round to share.

“No, no! The adventures first, explanations take such a dreadful time.” 

― Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland 

Madam Butterfly

So last night we got really cultured and went to the beautiful Madam Butterfly opera at the Artscape Theater in Cape Town. What an absolute treat! 

I was lucky enough to have won tickets on Facebook through 021 Magazine (definitely worth following in you live in Cape Town - they often have very cool give-aways) so off we went all glammed up to watch the opera. Even though it was pouring with rain it was an unforgettable experience.

Madam Butterfly is an opera by Puccini about an American navel officer who marries a Japanese lady and then abandons her. It really is a beautiful opera and what made it even better was that the entire opera is has subtitles from Italian to English of a screen above the stage.

If you are planning on having a drink or something to nibble before hand keep in mind that is it slightly price and if you want to be part of the cool crowd you'll need a fur coat - we do highly advise against it though as PETA's worst nightmare may just well be the opera.

Follow the giant strawberry

I'm going to let you in on a huge secret because it's just far too good to keep all to ourselves. If you ever find yourself peckish in a Saturday afternoon and you want to treat your taste buds you want to listen closely now...

Mooiberge Farm Stall is famous for the huge strawberry and brightly coloured animals and scarecrows they have in their strawberry patches (as well as the best strawberries). BUT their new treasure has to be The Farmers Kitchen. This little cafe/restaurant is a real hidden gem which you so often miss as you speed along the R44 between Somerset West and Stellenbosch.

The menu includes a number of very unique dishes, many of which include strawberries and they have some very decedent baked goodies - the chocolate brownies are to die for!! We'd recommend you don't sit next the cake shelf because the smell is absolutely intoxicating -this lead to us buying half the tray on our first visit.

The menu is full of amazing treats; our personal favourite is off the lunch menu - Bobotie Tartlets. This traditional South African dish is topped off with a softly poached egg and the combination is amazing!

Another perk to this trip is if you go over the weekend you can pop into the amazing Root 44 market and wander around for hours.

Phone: 021 881 344
e-mail: info@thefarmerskitchen.co.za
Hours: Mon - Fri: 08:30 - 17:00

             Sat - Sun: 09:00 - 17:00

Cape of History

For years I have wanted to visit the Castle of Good Hopes, those walls hold so many stories and one can only imagine what has happened on that soil hundreds of years ago.

Last week we had to go to Cape Town to apply for our Schengen visas and decided that such a gorgeous winters day in the Mother City could not go to waste so we decided visit the Castle. We got there just in time because at 12pm sharp they have The Key Ceremony on the front lawns and it really is worth watching. You can see this at 11am, 12pm and again at 14pm every week day.

We bought a map and tried to figure out where what was and deep down inside hoped to run into one of the many ghosts that inhabit the Castle but there was no such luck that day. Instead we spent the afternoon wondering through old passages and up and down narrow stairways enjoying the view from the top of the bell tower. The map was a bit tricky to make head or tails of but the majority of rooms had a piece written about them outside.

Normally when you visit a castle or historical building you get a sense of the past and what happened many years ago so this visit was slightly disappointing as many of the rooms were being used for some political conference. There were tents and cameramen spotted all over the lawns and it really detracted from the history. There are 2 museums at the Castle, one is a military museum which was very interesting and the other the William Fehr Collection which is a collection of old paintings and furniture. 

We got in for an absolute bargain with our student cards - R15 per person - Adult rate is R30 and Children R15.
The Castle of Good Hope is open seven days a week (Monday to Sunday) and only closed to the public on Christmas Day(25 Dec) and New Year(01 Jan).

Contact Details:

Telephone:            +27 21 787 1260

Tour Bookings:     +27 21 787 1249

E-Mail:                    casteel@mweb.co.za

Gates open:                               09h00 daily (last entry 15h30 - close at 16h00)
Key Ceremony                          Monday-Friday (10h00 & 12h00)
Firing of Signal Cannon:          Monday-Friday (10h10 & 12h10), Saturday (11h00 & 12h00)

Stairway

Key Ceremony

Model train at the Military Museum

The most handsome man in the World

Sweet dreams are made of Cheese

Not so long ago we decided to take a post-Mothers day trip to Fairview and the new buzz about town The Spice Route.

What a treat! My Skoonma and I absolutely love cheese,any cheese and when you combine it with wine you have a winner (and possibly our favorite pass time).

This wasn't our first trip to Fairview but visiting out of season is definitely a more relaxed option - being the tourist hot spot it is November - March is always busy. The tasting fee is very reasonable and offers you 2 options, one includes cheese and wine and the other simple cheese- which makes it a fantastic outing  if you're taking younger people along or people who just aren't big wine drinker. That being said their wines are fantastic and very well prices. They have a number of very unique wines and Spanish cultivar which is something different for the South African palette but absolutely divine. Don't forget to ask your wine assistant which cheese pairs with which wine because then these two worlds come together you have something really special (it also give you a sneaky excuse to make your way around the cheese counter again). We walked away with a basket full of tasty cheeses and a bottle of the Goatfather-the bottle has such a quirky label you almost don't want to drink it. You can also stock up on lovely baked goodies like breads and croissants to go with your cheeses but defiantly get there early because they sell out of the good stuff very quickly.

Cheese, Wine and all things nice at Fairview

Once we had finished enjoy everything Fairview has to offer we hopped in the car with our massive Cheese-hangovers and headed towards The Spice Route. It's not a far drive and in fact they are neighbors. You can't miss the beautiful estate that has managed to capture one of the most magical views Paarl has to offer.
The Spice Route is made up of a number of different restaurants, tasting rooms as well as an art gallery. The Beer and Biltong tasting at Barley and Beer offers a 100% South African experience and afterwards you can actually visit the brewery and see the entire process. Not being the biggest beer drinker and still suffering from the cheese endued stomach coma we opted for biltong platters which although it was well price they were pretty stingy with the pieces.
We didn't have much time left that day so instead of having another wine tasting (we will definitely be back some time) we decided to try the chocolatier which offered a delicious MoocaHotChocolate. We also ordered a gorgeous piece of cake but once we'd had our first bite released the filling was actually mouldy-not very impressive and the staff did very little to try and fix the situation which put a bit of a damper on the experience, it was fairly over priced compared to other artisan chocolate that in my opinion are far better and I wouldn't rush back.  They also have a very interesting chocolate tasting and tour but unfortunately they close promptly at 16:30. 

The Spice Route has so much to offer you could spend a whole day enjoying it. 

DV Artisan Chocolate

CBC Brewery

Things to live by

Little Oasis in the big city

Company Gardens (Cape Town)

Not even there 5 min and the pigeons
are happy to see us

We went to Cape Town to have a look at the Company Gardens in the center of town. A garden in the center of town that has a relaxed atmosphere? Who would have thought that if they haven't been there before. Parking was a little bit of a problem but it is a popular part of town so we were mentally prepared for it....woosa! The effort is well worth it. 

The gardens are beautiful and full of life......families having a picnic on the lawn while surrounded by doves that gets the attention of the little ones.Romance is in the air as couples relax on the grass, holding each other in their arms while the time slows down and they notice how lucky they are. Groups of friends relaxing and listening to music. The professional photographer making the sky twinkle like stars in the day light. The air is filled with laughter, smiles and appreciation for the atmosphere/beauty that mother nature provides.

The Company Gardens has a little restaurant that provides delicious meals for reasonable prices, it is not fine dinning but it is nice comfort food. The Company Gardens is surrounded by 5 museums, the South African Museum, SA Museum Planiterium, SA National Gallery, Slave Museum and the Jewish Museum. Unfortunately all the museums were closed when we were in the area because it was a public holiday.

It's a big World

United Kingdom

South Africa

United States

Germany

Russia

Netherlands

Brazil

France

Ireland

Morocco

Colombia

Romania

Greece

Poland

Turkey

Vietnam
Malaysia
Panama
Singapore
Colombia 
Finland
Spain
Italy
Serbia
Zimbabwe
Israel
Ukraine
France
Saudi Arabia

So many people from all over the World visiting our blog. Thank you so much for taking the time to let us share our wonderful adventures with you.

Old Mac Daddy and the Apple Blossoms (Part 2)

On you first visit to Old Mac Daddy the Spring blossoms were only just starting to bloom and so we decided we'd have to plan out next visit to see the blossoms in full bloom.

We thought October would be slightly warmer but as luck had it our second visit it poured with rain. This time round we thought we'd take the back route to Elgin via Franschhoek and over the pass which is definitely worth doing if you would like to make a day of it, there are so many lovely things to see along the way. We strolled the streets of the beautiful old town and wandered in and out of some of the shops...a must see is definitely the chocolate shop. 
We decided this time around we'd pack a picnic dinner and enjoy the view from our trailer which was a brilliant idea because it meant we wouldn't have to leave your trailer in the rain. So we packed the bag full of tasty goodies we found in Franchhoek and headed of to Old Mac Daddy.

The Franshhoek pass is one of the most beautiful passes and the view stretches on forever and ever in a gorgeous patchwork quilt. We decided to stop at Haute Cabrière along the way and try some of their wines and MCC. WOW. Some of the most enjoyable wines we've tried and the whole setting is absolutely stunning.

In among the flowers and grass covered hills you find  Haute Cabriere 

All the beautiful spring blossoms

After our wine tasting we headed off to Old Mac Daddy, this time the fields were covered in blossoms and it looked like a layer a snow over the valley.
We decided on staying in the Private Life of Plants on this trip and let me tell you....the view is magical. The Private Life of Plants has a quirky laboratory theme with text books on plants and nature and a work bench complete test tubes and HB pencils hanging from the roof of the trailer. I love that every single trailer at Old Mac Daddy has some much detail that it keeps you busy your entire stay.

Despite the chilly weather we decided to try our hand at fishing and off we went to hire a rod and head down to the pond....after an hour or two we'd given up on trying to catch anything but it was so much fun. Rods come with a bag of gummy bate and Old Mac daddy also has a catch and release policy so no fish are harmed - that's if you manage to catch anything.

Unsuccessful fishing fun

As it got darker we went back to our lovely trailer and cranked up the heater (not so eco-friendly but a must) and enjoyed our picnic to the sound of the rain falling on the roof. Absolute Bliss :)

With a hand full of other beautiful trailers and the Daddy's Villa to choose from we'll definitely be visiting again.

Old Mac Daddy - It's so good we did it twice (Part 1)

This is without a doubt, hands down my most favorite place in the World!
Old Mac Daddy is a little piece of Heaven, even a one night stay feels like you've been out of the hustle and bustle of city life for a week.

Not far from where we stay you'll find the Elgin Valley which is famous for their fresh produce, in particular apples. The entire valley is covered in fruit trees, it really is beautiful.
Old Mac Daddy is neatly tucked away off the main roads where you'll be able to see the shiny silver retro trailers peeping through the apple trees.

Our first visit to Old Mac Daddys was in the beginning of September and it was on our bucket list from the minute I heard about it.
We decided to start our day off as early as possible so we could spend as much time adventuring as possible - no need to set an alarm clock that morning because I could barely sleep I was so excited.

Tractors at Peregine Farm Stall

It turns out the drive from Somerset West to Old Mac Daddy really isn't that long at all. Somewhere definitely worth stopping at along the way is Peregine Farm Stall, they always have a wide variety of goodies to fill your basket up with and have some delicious baked goods. Obviously being situated where it is, there is plenty of fresh and dried fruits to choose from.

We booked into our trailer at about 2 o'clock and were left speechless at the peacefulness and tranquility of the surroundings. Our room Metalmorphosis was beyond COOL (there really isn't any other way to describe it), from the magnetic puzzle that covered the entire trailer to the wall of 'pins' which you can make an imprint of absolutely anything!

Each trailer has an additional lounge/bathroom built onto it which gives you more than enough space, it takes full advantage of the beautiful surroundings. The windows fold all the way open giving you the feeling of sitting in a massive tree house with the birds chirping in the branches right next to you. They have a very Go Green approach and it's so nice to see how they have made something so wonderful and still respected the nature around them. The best part of it all is there is NO cellphone reception (ok there is a little bit in the odd spots but it's best left hidden)

We hadn't been there longer than an hour when we decided we were so in love with Old Mac Daddy that we wanted to extend out stay another night... unfortunately the last room had just been taken. One word of advice if you wanting to stay more than one night is to try and get a different room for each night. They are all so different and unique in their own way.

After we'd unpacked and had a little nibble on our balcony we decided to do a little bit of exploring. There is so much to do at Old mac Daddy, from mountain biking to fishing (they even have fishing rods you can hire from reception) to sitting in front of the fire in the restaurant reading a book - or simply admiring the view from your deck.
The restaurant, Brinny Breezes has a small but delicious menu with their specialty pizzas not to be missed.

After we had dinner we wandered back to the trailer enjoying the night sky and millions of stars we don't usually get to see with all the city lights.
We woke up the next morning to a breathtakingly beautiful mist-filled valley that no words could actually do justice to and before we even checked out we were planning our next visit.

the Old Mac Daddy Trailers

There's also a great kids area which looks like tones of fun, they have a giant tractor to play on and chickens roaming free around it, there play area is also full of neat things to keep kids busy (perfect if the weather isn't that great).

A little kids dream

taking life at a snails pace

LETS GO EVERYWHERE!

Adventures in the Sunshine

Now that the weather is getting a little chillier and rainy days are on the way we have to make use of every lasts Autumn day.
Last week we decided our wine collection was looking a little depleted and we needed an adventure to refill it. So we went a little bit further then normal and see what Knorhoek had to offer. The drive in is gorgeous with a road lined with ice berg roses and the sun hitting a palette of autumn coloured vines.

Knorhoek is near to Muartie and Delhuim and has a lovely selection of red and white wines. They are one of about 15 estates to produce a Cabernet Franc wine. They also have a range of really well price wines that are very enjoyable including a rose,white and red blend (I wouldn't waste my time on the rose but the others were fantastic).
Knorhoek has a beautiful cellar/tasting center with lots of old rustic features, there's also plenty of space to to sit outside and enjoy the view.

If you ever visit Knorhoek you have to pop your head into their restaurant Towerbosch, it's stunning!! It's an whimsical  Alice in Wonderland dream with cups and saucers and silver cutlery dangling from the ceiling. The menu looks mouth watering and they also do a Sunday roast.

Tastings are R20 for 5 wines and if you purchase wine the tasting is free.
Hours: 10am - 5pm
021 865 2114/5