Wine, Whales, & Capes
We all learned about the Cape of Good Hope in school. Well, it is not actually the southernmost point in Africa or where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet. It is, however, one of the windiest places we’ve ever encountered. When we visited, the wind was so strong it was hard to stand in one place! Sunny, stark and rocky, we took our pictures but we did not hang around. Cape Point is the most southwestern point in South Africa so we stopped there too for good measure - also rocky and windy but not quite as much. The final point we saw was Cape Agulhas – this is in fact where the Atlantic and the Indian oceans meet.
Mark stuck his toe in the Indian Ocean for posterity. The lighthouse located there was built some time in the 1800s. It is supposed to be modeled after an Egyptian lighthouse on its ocean-facing side with it’s strange angled windows. We climbed the ladders – 4 of them to get to the top for a spectacular view. While driving around in the area, we added to our wildlife list. Several wild ostriches wandered by along with a few zebras, springboks and an eland (a kind of antelope)
First stop – Simon’s Town, a small town that is home to the South African navy and a whole lot of penguins. Small operations compared to what we’re used to but good to see. Just past the naval base was Boulders Beach and a large colony of South African penguins.
This was our first encounter with wild and unique animals! These adorable birds freely wander the beach, boardwalks and bushes allowing for some great shots. The parking lots have signs to ‘Check Under Your Car For Penguins’ so apparently they are pretty free ranging!
We also encountered our first rock hyraxes – about the size and shape of a football with a guinea pig-like face. They’re kind of cute and it turns out they’re everywhere. We’ve seen them on the rocks every day since.
When exploring the Garden route, we stayed in the town of Hermanus, a seaside resort with stunning cliffs and very rough surf. The town has an artsy vibe with plenty of beautiful art galleries. Hermanus is also known for its whales! We had hoped to go on a whale watch but the weather didn’t cooperate. It didn’t matter because we saw them every day from the cliffs all along the center of town and from our balcony which looked out over the harbor.
Apparently this area of South Africa is where the right whales and humpback whales like to hang in the wintertime with their new calves. We saw several pairs that were moms and young ones. No obvious newborns though. Our favorite place to eat is called the Fisherman’s Cottage – nothing fancy but really fresh and well prepared fresh seafood. Favorite drinking spot – the Wine Glass, a bar with over 40 wines by the glass where we did some wine flight tastings. All in all, the capes were a great escape from the city. Love to go back some day!
Wine country here we come! Stellenbosch is about 45 minutes from Cape Town. Shortly after leaving the city we started to see vineyards everywhere. Though the vines are wintering at this point, the hills with their mountainous background provided stellar views. Stellenbosch is a cute little town with a cosmopolitan college vibe. Lots of interesting shops and even more restaurants. Don’t expect an IPA or decent beer, at least in this part of South Africa. It’s all about the wine, and with good reason.
Reds are the most popular here, with Pinotage being at the top of the list. Pinotage is a SA only wine, a grape created long ago when a pinot vine was grafted with an hermitage one. The result is a very smooth full-bodied red. Almost as full bodied as a cabernet in CA (SA cabs are a bit lighter).
We visited 4 different vineyards – Lanzerac, Delheim, Waterford and Haskell. Lanzerac is the oldest, having made wines for over 200 years.
Delheim was our favorite. We arrived late in the afternoon, had nibbles, tasted 5 different wines, talked to the owner for a half hour and wound up buying 6 bottles to be shipped to San Diego. Turns out several of the vineyards actually warehouse in CA so when you order, they can ship much more easily. Waterford had a tasting courtyard that was surrounded by its wine making operations. You could walk through the barrel room, see the tanks, watch the bottle filling / labeling operation and even the kegs being filled. Not sure you’d have quite the same access in the US! We were interested to learn that not all wines are stored in stainless tanks early in their development.
At Waterford, some were stored in large concrete or ceramic egg-shaped tanks allowing the wine to take shape differently. Kind of an old process (think ancient Greeks and Romans) reinvented. Haskell Winery was one we stumbled across on our way south to the coast. Decent wines, but not overly exciting. The most notable thing here was it was International Women’s Day and the women in South Africa take this day seriously. A private function for at least 50 local women took over the restaurant for the afternoon. It was lovely to see so many women dressed up and celebrating in the middle of the day! And then we were off to explore the Capes.
