South Africa's Cape 28 Feb - 21 March

 

Back to the Cape for the first time since Covid forced us out prematurely in 2020. Flew overnight with Virgin Atlantic on their newly restored non-stop to Cape Town. Very good special entrance for Upper Class customers where your bags are taken by staff from the car and there's two dedicated check-in desks, then directly into fast-track.

In the Club House we had no sooner sat down than a waitress poured us

and on board they served  N.V. Hambledon Classic Cuvée Brut (England, Kent) and the delicious 

The wine was good, the food was poor.

Wednesday 1 March 2023 

Arrived Cape Town about 07:15, not long to go through immigration as we were in group first off plane, but behind another plane’s passengers. Immigration officer didn’t say a word to us. Bags out fast, straight through customs, no queue for Avis car. Given Nissan Magnite SUV. 

Had two slices toast & marmalade for lunch and half cold rotisserie chicken, salad leaves & baby toms for dinner with Beyerskloof Pinotage. All except marmalade left to us by Jill.

 

Thursday 2 March

Temp at 34 in car to Delheim.

Lunch at Delheim but they don’t now do hot food Wed or Thurs, just cold platters. Dried button mushrooms nice and crunchy.  F & C from Ooskus for dinner with Neethlingshof SB bought from Checkers.

 

Friday 3 March

Other half cold rotisserie chicken, salad leaves & baby toms plus iceberg, cuke and olives from Checkers.

And this view from our balcony.

 

Saturday 4 March

Colder and a little drizzle as we walked around bay to Ocean Basket. 

No chips as power shedding, only grilled items. I had cajun kingklip with grilled veg and village salad, Joan had 6 King prawns with side salad. And we had bottle of Durbanville Hills SB from their list.

In evening steak pie (from Checkers) with boiled pots (from Houw Hoek - they’re great) with home baked beans {Cannelloni beans baked in oven with tin of chopped toms ‘ with Indian spices’ which actually was some fiery chilli powder. Wine Beyerskloof Reserve Collection 2019 exclusive to Woolworths.

Thunder and rain in late afternoon/early evening,

 

Sunday 5 March

 Joan had tummy problems during night, took Immodium. Lunch Hot Cross Bun with Houw Hoek delicious raspberry jam. Dinner Woolworths Oxtail with cauliflower  and mixed veg and boiled pots and Delheim Grand Reserve 2018. Aperitif Krone excellent fine fizz. Early dinner as power off at 18:05

Rain, very heavy most of the day meant we didn’t leave apartment.

 

Monday 6 March

Overcast and cold morning. By lunchtime sun out but cold wind. Lunch toasted bacon sandwich with tasty chips at café at Old Mall. Power cut 18:30 - 20:30 so early dinner at Spur so we could walk back in daylight. No fillet steak. Had Bruce Jack Pinotage – excellent.

 

Tuesday 7 March

Cold, wore long sleeve shirt.

Dropped laundry off,  no water, they’ll text when ready.

Met Pierre & carer Bev for lunch at Beyerskloof. Bottle of Reserve 2019 and I had Pinotage Burger. Lovely, thick very juicy meat. And they gave us garlic bread pizza.

Went to Woolworths & Checkers looking for Greek or active yoghurt. Couldn’t find any, bought Greek Style from Checkers. Got cash from ATM and paid Jill R10,000 part including cost of her clothes

Dinner – hot cross bun (HCB), yoghurt and glass of fizz. Checkers HCBs are tremendous, packed full of sultanas and spices, the yoghurt wasn't good.

Wednesday 8 March

 Cold, lunch inside at Mantello Cafe

 

Thursday 9 March

Lunch at Ocean Basket with Alvis Drift Chenin Blanc from their list.

 

Friday 10 March

To Delheim to have my long awaited Cape Malay Chicken Curry.

We were pressed by August Pepe to try a glass of their new Riesling, Staying Alive, Delheim & Hammel. Bottled without their usual label because this was a collaboration with a winemaker they’d flown in from Germany.

I really enjoyed this, crisply dry with a fresh lemon thread to it and none of the oily petrol notes I dislike (except in blind tastings).

And, allelujah, the sun came out as the clouds cleared.. Pinotage ice-cream as dessert.

 We were only going to have a glass of wine each, Pinotage for me and Grand Reserve for Joan, but not only were we gifted a glass each of Riesling but co-owner Victor Sperling brought over a bottle of Vera Cruz Pinotage.

Saturday 11 March

F&C from Oomkus with Delheim Wild Ferment Chenin Blanc.

 Sunday 12 March

R44 coastal road open on Sundays, went for drive along it. Coffee at Pringle Bay then walked along beach.

Went to Woolies at Somerset Mall, not much in the way of ready meals there. Lamb Neck Curry for dinner – mostly bones. Beyerskloof Reserve.

 

Monday 13 March

A huge digger is demolishing the sand dunes at the far side of the bar, and dumps the sand in a huge truck. When that truck is full an empty one take its place so the digger carries on without a halt. 

The full track drive a short way to the waters edge, tips up and makes a huge pile of sand the return to the digger to swap with the full digger.

These dumps are demolished by the tides. As the water is calm, it takes several days. The work goes on for days, and the space where the dunes were is marked out by white tapes. We thought it was showing where housing would go, but Jill later told us it is where the council is going to plant the area with indigenous vegetation. 

Dinner at Spur, fillet steak, with BYO Beyerskloof Reserve.  

 

Tuesday 14 March

Picked up laundry then drove for coffee coffee at Houw Hook on way to lunch at Marine Hotel, Hermanus. I had what used to be called Rich Man’s Fish and Chips but which has been renamed, presumably for PC reasons, and I had a glass of the delicious local Beaumont Chenin. 

We then shared an ‘upside down Elgin apple tart with Amarula butterscotch sauce and orange ice cream’, with which I had a glass of botrytised 2022 Bon Courage Noble Late Harvest

Then the cliff top walk afterwards where Dassies were plentiful and didn't run away at our approach. But clouds closed in so came back.

 

Wednesday 15 March

 

Lunch with Mark & Eleanor Cosman at Beyerskloof, Burger & Synergy

HCB and sparkling wine for dinner

 

Thursday 16 March

Probably the hottest day of our stay, with no wind. We walked along the beach and across the sand dunes to the new harbour to lunch at Ocean Basket - at an outside table for the first time this trip. 

There was a massive seal sunning itself on the jetty. BYO, bought by Joan at Wine Village, 2022 David Nieuwoudt Sauvignon Blanc Ghost Corner (South Africa, Elim) ‘Outstanding’ in Platter.

 

Called into Checkers for more HCB, also got ready meal Lamb Shanks.

HCB & tea in evening.

 

Friday 17 March

Lunch at Jordans with Pierre & Bev

Jordan Long Fuse Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 and burgers all round, cold so ate indoor. Slow inept service.

Drizzling when we left. Stopped at Woolies on way back for brussels sprouts for Sunday and pack of mango cubes.

Saturday 18 March

Spur in evening, great steak and spectacular sunset.

And afterwards, from our balcony.

Sunday 19 March

As the coastal road was opened to traffic, we drove along it to Pringle Bay for a coffee and walk along the beach to the stream at the far end.

Then home for HCB and in the evening a roast with lamb shanks

Monday 20 March

We needed to be at airport on Tuesday by 08:20 for at 10:20 flight, and were worried about getting delayed in morning rush hours traffic to Cape Town, so booked a night at an airport hotel. 

As Monday was supposed to be a national shutdown, with protestors blocking roads we decided to leave Jill on Monday morning, enjoy our traditional lunch at Delheim and head from there to the airport avoiding main roads.

It was pouring with rain at Delheim and we had to eat in the tasting room. I had their Ostrich Bobotie, Followed by Pinotage Ice Cream with marinaded muscat grapes.

It seems the day of national disruption was not supported in Western Province and we arrived quickly at Hotel Verde

Tuesday 21 March.

Checked in OK. Avis man took our car and us at departures, stopping on way for us to top up with petrol.

No dedicated Virgin lounge but had an acceptable light breakfast in shared lounge.

Day time flight seems interminable. Virgin serve only one meal, a lunch after take-off, and my 'Asian vegetarian' was dire. But they did offer 'a bite later on' if one was peckish, served on request.

The 'Lamb burger on ciabatta roll with a caramelised onion relish and side of potato wedges' was good and much welcomed, as was the accompanying choice of red or brown sauce.