Road Trip!: Stellenbosch

Here's another post I kept meaning to ... post!

Just one of the many, many things we love about Cape Town is its proximity to so many amazing sites, parks, and other lovely cities ... like the town of Stellenbosch.

It's only a 45 minute drive from the Mother City and Aaron and I kept meaning, kept meaning and kept meaning to go.  So one random Sunday, we just took off.  And if ever you wanted to see a picturesque place, this is it.  

It's situated in the hills of the Western Cape's prime wine region and its old quarter is filled with Cape Dutch architecture, little shops, and tons and tons of restaurants:

It's also a university town, so it's kind of a happening place:

We spent the afternoon just strolling around, soaking it up:

We wanted to have lunch here:

Look at their amazing pizza oven!  WANT:

But they were closed, so we ended up here:

Aaron had the eisbein, a salted pork knuckle you see here all the time:

And I had some yummy chicken kebabs:

Just, you know, a quiet Sunday afternoon.  Stellenbosch.  Me & my dude.

Sigh.  I'm really, really, really going to miss South Africa.

Road Trip!: Cape of Good Hope & Adios!

There could be no more perfect way to end our amazing trip with my in-laws than by taking them to The Cape of Good Hope.  It is a stunning spot, windswept and striking.  It makes you think of early maritime adventurers and loaded spice ships making the turn back to Europe.  It's quite the last-impression to take back home with them.

All in all, it was one heck of a trip.  We had a truly wonderful time, and mind you that's with 2 of those weeks spent stuck together in a car!  I realize I am a very lucky girl; you hear those horror stories of crazy in-laws and I just count my lucky stars.  The Armstrongs are a beautiful family -- kind, adventurous, generous and sweet -- it's no surprise really.  That's how Aaron is and he had to come from somewhere right? 

I leave you now with the final images of our time together.  Thanks to Mom, Dad and Sarah for making it a trip of a lifetime!  We love you!

Road Trip!: Wining and Dining

After Knysna, we were off to enjoy 3 days in the heart of South Africa's wine country.  We went all in and around the gorgeous towns of Montagu and Robertson and stayed in the Koo Valley.  We ate, we shopped.  We went on a tour of the famous Montagu farms where they produce the most gorgeous dried fruit in the country.  And of course we did wine tastings at numerous wine estates.  Our absolute favorite was Kranskop, a small winery whose vintner took the time to talk to us (and give my father-in-law advice on growing grapes in cold weather!) and give us a tour. 

It was a stunning, amazing and delicious 3 days.  Absolutely delicious.  In fact, we topped it all off with a gourmet dinner at the award-winning restaurant at Fraai Uitzicht, which we had scoped out during our first trip to the area.  (By the way, we finally figured out how to pronounce it, FRY EYE-TSIK.)  You know, I'm not normally all about tall food, but this was absolutely divine.  It was relatively casual, which is what I usually hate about chi-chi restaurants: the outfits, the attitude -- but none of that here.  And oh, just oh ... Beetroot ravioli, traditional ravioli, springbok carpacio, springbok en croute, a fresh fruit panna cotta ... FLIPPING EH.  Not to mention their wine!  A crisp rose made with a blend of their merlot, and then a bottle of their out-of-this-world merlot.  And lemme tell you, I usually don't like merlots.  But instead of overwhelming heaviness, this thing was alive, fruity yet still deep ... and kinda ... punchy.  I don't know what kind of voodoo they do do, but they do it well.

Overall, a fantastic way to end 2 weeks on the road.  Oh, and to top it all off, the last night, who should come by to visit our cabin but 2 kitties that were almost identical clones to our 2 cats back home, Bela and Miles.  (See their pictures here.) The little tabby was a bit darker, and the big black one had the tip of its tail lopped off (!) but other than that, they were identical!  Down to the attitude:  the tabby was all like, leave me alone (but love me), and the poofy black one just wanted to be loved and be around us and made little cooing noises just like my baby back home ... It was perfect.