Chapman's Peak Sunday Drive

 

One of the things we really love to do together is go to new places so a few weekends ago we decided to take advantage of the wonderful Autumn weather and finally take a drive along Chapman's Peak.

 

This is one of the most beautifully scenic coastal drives you'll ever experience. It starts in Hout Bay and reaches all the way to Noordhoek (or visa versa but because we drive on the left hand side I'd recommend starting in Hout Bay - far less scary) and consists of 114 curves!!!! It's an absolutely stunning drive with the rock face on one side and the sea on the other.

 

Chapman's Peak is also known for it's horrific rockfalls but when the sun is out it makes for the perfect day out - there are even a few spots that are safe to stop at have a picnic.

We were both really blown away by how beautiful it was even though there were recently terrible veld fires which left a lot of the plants burnt, but the magical thing about nature is that the regrowth had already started leaving wonderful patches or vibrant bright green amongst the burnt bushes.



 

 

 

 

There is a tariff to use the pass but is definitely worth going. The Pass is occasionally closed for safety reasons when there is bad weather.

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

Things to live by

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

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