Long trip - great destination: from Wilderness to Winelands on March 11

Tuesday, march 11, is again travel day. I love it, after some days in one location, to go on to the next destination. First we go for Oudshorn, the so called "world capital of Ostrichs". We stop for a coffee and at an ostrich leather shop, very beautiful handbags, wallets, belts, shoes, ... in all colors and all made from ostrich leather, high quality, high prize (may be not high compared to the prizes in Europe, but we do not have any comparison). Then through Klein Karoo, up the hills down the hills, on the famous R62, the landscape is changing permanently. One moment you feel like in the alpes, next moment it looks like driving in Switzerland, then you feel being in a desert, finally the beauty and rich fertility of the Winelands. On the way, stop in a small village, Barrydale, with the Blue Cow Cafe, funny. Finally, close to 6 o'clock pm arrival at Angala Boutique Hotel, in the middle of vineyards, the red grapes ready to be harvested for the 2014 wines. We have a marvelous room, like a little house, with a picturesque view over a pond, the valley, to the mountains. The hotel is just two years old. We will certainly have great days here.

View from our Hotel room in the evening.

Wednesday, March 12: start of the day with breakfast on the sunny terrace, then a talk with the hotel owner about recommendations for activities in the next days. Friday we will have a guided half-day wine tour, today we go to Franschoek. Tommorow tbd. Franschoek is a really pretty European looking town, with many art galleries, a beautiful church from 1847, lots of restaurants. We begin with the Franschoek pass to get a good overview of the location.

Then shopping: we are caught by an art gallery and buy a picture from Karin Miller, a southafrican artist. It will be shipped home.

And this bangle made of old in the sun over years colored ostrich egg pieces. Unique! 

Lunch in a French cafe: le bonbon, with Hendrik, le coque.

Final of the day: swimming in the hotel swimming pond (feels like at home :-)), sun bath, dinner with wine from the vineyard down the road, vrede en lust, that's africaans and means: peace and tranquility. What a well chosen name for this area!

Plans for tomorrow: maybe the Hugenotte monument and museum, motor museum, a walk in the vineyard? We will see. "Wir sind zu nichts verpflichtet als unserem Wohlbefinden" (kann ich nicht in englisch schreiben).