You dream about this little corner of the world...you may even have your ticket for Christmas....but today, you learn in the news for the first time about B.1.1.529, or newly name, the Nu covid Variant. In few hours today, we found out that most countries could/will not people having visited South Africa the last few days. British Airways and KLM wont fly in and out anymore. From tomorrow Emirates will not fly you out...only in South Africa. Lufthansa will take back home only Germans, with a 14 days quarantine on arrival. Singapore airlines will halt, I guess tomorrow Air France too. Maybe Qatar will remain! Ethiopian is a risky business these days with their own little domestic war going on. Trap in SA....and its not that bad of a movie!
Yesterday we had 2500 new cases....600 over the last week...it will for sure increase solid over days, but it still looks like a bad to Europe...for now! Solid issue, here only 24% of the population is vaccinated. To make my point of view clear...being vaccinated does not stop you from being infected...but you should avoid hospital if you are in decent condition. While being
you just play the roulette for 1/20 chance to get to hospital. Im good in stats...Im vaccinated. Thanks!
So here is the second leg of a 4,600kms road trip of 19 days. Of those, we are spending 3 nights in Cape Town and 3 nights around Franschoek. At the end of those 6 days, I have only 72 bottles of wine in my little Suzuki Swift trunk. Yes, its fit, plus a golf bag too!
We were here few weeks ago, end of September, just after the great Blue Train ride from Pretoria to Cape Town. Since then, the Blue Train has derailed...with no passengers on board. This is SA. We were interviewed by a team of France 2 for the 8pm national news...they were doing two reportages on their trip....never was aired...maybe they lost all their equipment on their way to Port Elizabeth. Would not be surprising seeing how these 2 were!
On the golf side this time, Im playing in the area Hermanus, Kleinmond, Pearl Valley, Stellenbosch, Milnerton and Metropolitan in Cape Town. Not a drop of rain and sunny days all around. I told you SA is
For the food, lunch at La Colombe...supposed to be in the top 5 of the country. Well...food was nice, bad...and their wine list by the glass....is solid inspired by my own wine list at home! Kind of fun! We also had dinner at Aubergine, this is proper food, cheap and superb in Cape Town. Than a little more simple, our usual ramen bowl at Three Wise Monkeys in Sea Point. For lunch, super nice LOrangerie a La Lude in Franschoek. Back to Delaire Graff where we love the setting...but regret that their are unable to renew their menu on a more regular base. A good surprise was the Poke bowl from the Terrace at Silo, this is the place to see and be seen currently at the Victoria & Albert Waterfront. Here too, they are a little too inspired by my own home wine list!
Little trick if you do the helicopter ride, the 8 minutes trip is perfect and a great deal. But if you manage to get the last round of that helicopter that day, to go back to the garage, your 8 minutes do become
Wine wise, we stopped at Seven Springs (Rose from Gus is stunning), Ataraxia, Spookfontein (Cabernet Franc only), Creation (way but wanted to check), Gabrielskloof, Iona (not in my cellar, but would do with a steak), Buitenverwachting (get your hands on their limited release Sauvignon Blanc), Klein Constantia, Glen Constantia, Allee Bleue, La Lude, Morgenster ( the Nebiollo and their Lourens River Valley, but only the 2013). I also stopped for my allocation of Ambeloui bubbles (thats iconic, rare, excellent and cheap...all at once)! And finally, a stop at La Cotte, Franschoek for some late harvest Semillon from Boukenhouskloof....and also few Syrah and 2 bottles of thw 2019 Porseleinberg. Yes, thats it....
