WOW!! What a fabulous tour. We arrived at the Adventure Shop in plenty of time to gear up and meet our fellow cyclists. A family of four from Utrecht, Holland - adult children fortunately - and an older couple from Dublin, Ireland. We made a very interesting group. The bikes were full on mountain bikes. At first I was a bit worried it would be too heavy but the bike was fine.
Our first stop was an old 1800's general store. Reminded me any old general store in Maine - filled with stuff and a bit claustrophobic. No pictures please - not sure why. From here, we set out about the town stopping at various old Dutch style buildings that have now been appropriated by the University.
Our guide, Tayne, told a good story of how the original magistrate's building burned to the ground. One fine evening the magistrate walked outside for a smoke on his pipe. The winds being what they are here, took a bit of ask from his bowl and poof! It hit the top of the thatched roof and that was the end of that. This is the rebuilt version. Our guide made sure to point out he Roos Athletic Field which is named after Paul Roos a local legendary rugby hero.
We rode through the streets but primarily along tree lined paths following the river. Our first winery stop was at Stark Conde winery. We had a tasting of three wines and a very good explanation of each. For the non-drinkers, soft drinks or juice and of course water was served. The wines were lovely. After the tasting, we walked around the grounds and took in the views.
From Stark Conde, we rode to the Lanzerac Winery. Here we did a wine and chocolate tasting. Tasting five wines perfectly paired with the corresponding chocolate. A wonderful treat. This is one of the best wineries in the region. We were fortunate enough to get a tour of the cellar where the wine making process happens. The grapes are first sorted and hand-picked over removing stems and such.
Going back into town, we crossed through the heart of the university - lots of chaos. Winding our way back through the streets to the Adventure Shop. The clouds never did appear. But the ride was breezy and we were by 1:30, so it never felt that terribly hot. Although the temps are high here, it is relatively free of humidity -- which makes life much more bearable.
Made it back to the pool to score two chaises in the shade. We chatted with a group from Seattle. Mostly talking about the state of our nation. It is almost dinner time again. We'll see where we wind up tonight!
Just back from another good dinner. I have to say the food in this country is excellent. And since we started splitting dinner, the bills come out to $20 and under and that includes a glass of wine. That's a good deal! We have to pack and get ready to leave tomorrow. Early check-out at 10 am. I have to say that we really enjoyed our time here. I wasn't quite certain if wine country was a good fit. But we were able to relax and still have a tour or two. In hindsight, it was a very good thing that we did not go to Franschhoek today as planned. Yesterday there was a huge fire up there it may have just stopped. People were complaining that all they saw was smoke. So we planned that one right!!
CLICK HERE: TODAY'S PHOTO ALBUM
Next time.... Gordon's Bay
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