Vineyard Adventures

A few chores sorted, including the dentist, slotted in between time with friends. Craig and Coreta came up from Knysna for a few days and with FSC also in town and Hesta and Mark looking for mischief, we made a lot of noise ate a bunch of food, and recycled a large number of bottles.

The FSC team did an amazing lunch in their new look home. Fortunately, Terry took, the decision to drive, which meant that I didn’t have to try and regulate the great red wine which seemed to flow in ever increasing amounts. The fillet was cooked to perfection, with layers of flavours a result of George’s three day marinade.

The rain in the vineyard did not stop our braai, but it did mean that we had to find a couple of extra bottles of wine and bubbles to go with Terry’s stunning new avo dill salad, exotic mushrooms and roast veggies. The cauliflower soup “amuse bouche” before supper in front of the fire excellent.

A morning spent amongst the galleries in town, with some closing and others changing floor configuration. The outdoor street art far more pleasurable than that on display inside the galleries. ‘Gallery D’ is a new gallery in one of the historic buildings in Dorp Street. Simple, tasteful and uncluttered. The current collection of works, however, are dark and disturbing. Nothing to inspire.

Reports of pilot whales off Mouille Point had us zooming through the traffic. No whales, but a dreamy sunset with a glass of wine watching the ships in the V&A harbour before heading home for Boeuf Bourguignon dinner, a la Julia and Terry. Sensational.

Dad and Mary came down from Montagu (their third wedding anniversary) so we could catch up on their new adventure, Sundowner, a cruiser on Lake Kariba. The stunning day meant that we were able to sit out and have a braai before taking Polly up through the vineyards for a walk.

In the garden, cutting back for spring has been done. The protea are in bud and with the rain the garden is green and lush. A creeping sort of groundcover is doing its best to turn the garden into a jungle which will need to be sorted. Under the pine trees there are still gaps and some of the clivia’s are looking a tad jaundiced. I may try Mary’s Epsom salt recipe.