Opposite Day
Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
December 02, 2013
We enjoyed our last breakfast at Taj this morning, and then walked to the District Six Museum that focused on an area of Cape Town that was declared "white" and all the black and coloured people were forcibly moved and their homes bulldozed. Sad stories, Can't really believe much of this was happening in our lifetimes.
We returned to our room, packed up and then walked to Avis. I have to be the driver for the rental car because Bill did not bring his driver's license. I am freaking out because they drive on the opposite side of the road. To make matters even more challenging, the car is standard. I have not driven a standard vehicle since 2005. Oh, and now I have come to realize that Bill always thinks about left as being the driver's side, so he is telling me to turn left now, when he really means right District Six Museum. Talk about stressful!
I managed to get us back to the hotel to gather our luggage and out of the city without doing any damage. Driving in the countryside poses a new challenge though, many people walk or bike along the major roadways where the speed limit ranges from 60 km/hr to 120 km/hr on a two lane roadway. GULP!
Just because things were not interesting enough, we stopped at a few wineries along the way. Why not have a few glasses of wine and then jump into a car where everything is backwards. I turned the windshield wipers on a few dozen times instead of the turn signal.
Our first stop in the Winelands Region, Stellenbosch, was Meerlust Estate. This winery has been operated since 1693! It is a beautiful property and we saw an eagle perched on a tree as we drove down the long, palm lined drive. We sampled their Chardonnay, their only white, and a few of their reds. We ended up buying their Cabernet Sauvignon, so the tasting fee was waived Meerlust Winery. We chatted with a couple from Chicago who recommended another winery, so we plugged the address into the GPS and headed out.
The Waterford offers a wine and chocolate pairing. We sat in a courtyard with a fountain and were served three glasses of wine with 3 chocolates. It was very delicious and I really liked the dark chocolates. We did not buy any wine here, but it was a great experience and a beautiful estate.
It was getting late, so we headed to a winery also had a restaurant, Morgenster. Wine has been produced here for over three centuries, but the latest owner decided to also try to grow olives here too. Well, he has been very successful and his extra virgin olive oil is ranked #7 in the world! So, we decided to do an olive oil and wine tasting. Since I was driving I indulged in the olives, tapenade, olive oil and balsamic vinegar and let Bill have the majority of the 8 samples of wine. Everything was so good. I normally do not really enjoy green olives, but these were incredible Tasting. We did not end up buying any wine, which was outstanding, but we did buy some extra virgin olive oil, truffle olive oil (it is heavenly), green and black olives, green and black tapenade, and balsamic vinegar (it is the best I have ever tasted, not bitter at all). I can't wait to enjoy it when we return home!!
It was getting late in the day and we were now stuffed with olives, olive oil and bread, so we skipped lunch and headed to Hermanus.
Our hotel is perched beside the Indian Ocean and is so beautiful. We have a spacious suite with a small balcony. It is so nice to have the windows open to feel the cool breeze and to hear the crash of the waves.
We took a short walk along the cliff toward the restaurants and shops. The view here is so stunning. I think Bill is ready to fly home, sell everything and move here. Wonder if they need another accountant and marketing person in Hermanus?
The concierge recommended Lemon Butta, so we checked it out. Our waiter Zach, was very charming and had a great sense of humour. We had a bottle of white wine with a massive seared tuna steak (for $15 CDN), grilled crawfish, tuna nigiri, and calamari strips. Our entire dinner including tip was $70 CDN. I think I have gained at least 5 lbs simply because the cost of food is so incredibly reasonable in South Africa and Namibia.
Pictures & VideosWhat Olive Oil to Try Next?
