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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

Muratie - Warming up Winter

It feels like just over night we went from sweltering hot Summer days to icy winter evenings where even the sun disappears before 7pm.
On the up side this means cozy blankets,comfy jerseys and PORT. We love port and can pretty much drink it any time of the year but we need even less of an excuse when winter comes because lets be honest - It can warm up even the coldest winter nights.

Not so long ago we decided we'd take my dad on a little adventure and where better to go then Muratie. We'd had their port many times but it's always so much nicer when you visit the place where something you love is made. Muratie is laced in wonderful history...and cobwebs. The tasting takes place in the old wine cellar and the walls have just as much character as the wine.
The rich history of this estate is amazing with stories fit for a BBC drama series and on top of that they make really good wines...needless to say we walked away with 2 cases.
The staff there are so friendly and informative. Even though the day we visited the tasting room was swarming with people we still enjoyed ourselves. We were able to taste about 8 of their wines including their sweet wine Amber Forever (they wines are all named after people who lived on the estate and played some role in its history) which was simply delicious.


Muratie is just off the Knorhoek Road along the R44, also along this road your able to find Delheim, another really lovely estate with fascinating history that goes back as far as 1699. They make a very famous wine called Spatzendreck, which also has a very interesting story attached to it. Delheim does a very informative cellar tour and has a German influenced restaurant which does cheese fondues around the fire places during winter.

So finally winter is on it's way and we've stocked up on winter warmers! Muraties Cape Ruby is definitely one you shouldn't miss out on and if you lucky enough to visit on a day they have their older vintage ports you're in for an absolute treat. 

Entrance of Muratie

lovely music setting a festive mood at Delheim

Muraties tasting hours:
Monday to Friday: 10h00 to 17h00
Saturday: 10h00 to 17h00
Sunday: 10h00 to 17h00
021 865-2330/6


Delhuim tasting hours:
MON– SUN: 09h00 – 17h00
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: 09h00 – 17h00
CLOSED: New Years Day; Good Friday; Easter Sunday; Xmas Day
TOURS:Mon – Sun: 10h30 & 14h30
021 888 4600

Bucket lists

Sunday lunch at Tokara

This is just a quick post because we thought we needed to share this Sunday Lunch gem.

Tokara is well known for their wines and olive oil and as we found out their breath taking view. With my line of work I was eager to taste their olive oil (which really is quite good - despite me being very bias) and was surprised to see how many delicious variations they produce.

Tokara is along the Helshoogte pass heading towards Francshhoek so one rainy Sunday afternoon we set off with our friend Nick to explore a little bit. We decided when we got there, that looking around wouldn't be enough for us and we needed to try some of the delicious goodies at their Delicatessen. They have the most wonderful lunch buffet which worked out pretty nicely because there is no set fee, you simply weigh your plate at the end of the line of the Sunday lunch delights. Roast chicken ,lamb in gravy, veggies, exotic salads, all sorts of goodies. The Deli has a wide variety of specialty items and could make any cooking enthusiast drool. 
It's also a very child friendly place and we'd definitely recommend it if you have kids of any age - their jungle gyms are so cool, we even had to try them out (if it wasn't for the rain we'd probably have stayed even longer). 
The view of the valley is absolutely stunning and it goes on forever. Since it being a Sunday, their wine tasting closed at 3pm so sadly we missed out - we were lucky enough to taste their 5 year old potstill brandy at WineX in November and it is as beautiful as the bottle they pour it from.

We decided it was far to early to go home and seeing as Hillcrest Berry Farm is just around the corner from Tokara we made it our next stop. The chilli hot chocolate is definitely something worth writing home about and I have loved it ever since I tried it about 6 years ago. This accompanied by the cutest ginger lady really hit the spot.

 

A night with Madam Zingara

Madam Zingara has been on my Bucket list for as long as I can remember and we've finally ticked it off.

For those of you who don't know Madam Zingara's Theater of Dreams is a travelling dinner circus, not the kind with elephants and poodles. The kind where beautiful girls with glitter and feathers do amazing acrobatics from the top of the circus tent while you enjoy your delicious 4 course meal. It takes place in the only Spiegel tent in Africa and is propped up by 1000 beveled mirrors.

We arrived a little earlier to enjoy the atmosphere and take in as much as we possible could. The entrance itself is a feast for your eyes with so many different things happening around you, from the Geisha on a podium to the floating top hats at the bar.

Once you enter through the door you find a fancy dress shop so you can make yourself feel at home as well as face painters do the most exquisite art works.

Fancy dress shop

Face painting

                                     

Welcome drinks are passed around and you're ushered to your seat (we were lucky enough to get an upgrade so we were even closer to the action). Before the show started we were served a wonderful mezze platter with a wonderful spinach and pear soup as well as cheeses,roasted nuts, bread sticks and a variety of dips.

Delicious Mezze plater to start the evening

The lights dim and the magic starts. A giant chandelier is lowered from the top of the tent and two women climb on and are lifted to the ceiling where they start the most spectacular acrobatics - no safety nets or strings attached. It's hard to take your eyes off them as they dangle above the audience.

The show is stolen by Cathy Specific, Queen of the Skies. She has a body to die for and quick wit to match, she had us laughing every time she was on stage. Cathy Specific is originally part of the musical comedy Mile High with Cathy Specific. What an awesome performer...she's have you eating out of the palms of her very large hands.

After the first half of the show dinner is served. What a menu, they've really made a huge job out of choosing what you want as a main. After our waiter Sheroo had gone through the list it was a no brainer to choose the Madam Zingara specialty of Chocolate Chilli Fillet with a magnificent tower of vermicelli which was equally spectacular on the taste buds as the show was on the eyes. (This awesome dish can also be found at the Bombay Bicycle Club if you can't get tickets for the show)

The rest of the show was one jaw dropping performance after the next with Russian balancing acts and contortionists to mention a few. Madam Zingara definitely brings a slice of magic to Cape Town and the Theater of Dreams will be at the V & A Waterfront until June. Tickets range from R385 - R475/R495 depending on where you are seated but seating is staggered so you are able to see from anywhere. Booking online seems to be the simplest way to book.