Tag Archives: durbanville
Durbanville Wine Valley
Barbed wire fences
Blue-sky vineyards
Barren fields and wild game
If I recall correctly, I spotted a number of buck (perhaps springbok), as well as two or three ostriches scouring the field for bits and pieces to nibble on. I'm not sure, but I think this field belongs to Clara Anna Fontein, a private game reserve just outside of Durbanville.
I've actually never visited the reserve, but if you're in Cape Town and don't have time to visit our country's larger reserves, then consider doing a game drive at Clara Anna Fontein. I don't believe they have any of the big game, well, unless you consider blue wildebeest big game - but they do have zebra, springbok, ostrich, bontebok, eland and a variety of other wildlife roaming their small part of the Renosterveld.
Golden-orange vineyards
Seriously-speaking though, walking about on farmlands dirt roads in dry windy weather leaves one covered in an uncomfortable grimy-feeling layer of fine orange powder mixed with perspiration. Autumn's cool ~21°C weather is far, far, more desirable - and besides, the skies are bluer and filled with billowing clouds, and the farmlands are a beautiful mix of green and orange.
Isabella’s – good food that takes a while
Isabella's has an astonishingly-comprehensive menu filled with creative gourmet alternatives to regular burgers, wraps, salads and sandwiches. The portions are fairly substantial, and super-tasty.
Don't visit if you're in a hurry though. On both our recent visits it seemed like the restaurant's relaxed atmosphere intoxicated it's staff into a Sunday afternoon-like slumber. :)
But, the lack of speed and sparkyness is made up for by the surroundings and food. So, heed my advice if you're in a hurry, but do visit them if you have some time to spend.
Hillcrest to Table Mountain
If you're keen to amble though the vineyards, along one of the trails, arrive by 8am, take an exploratory walk through the vineyards, and end off the outing by visiting the estate's restaurant for breakfast. Be sure to take plenty of sunscreen and water along - it's surprisingly easy for a quick walk to turn into a two-hour trek.
Hiking in Durbanville
Only after the hike did we learn that this area is well known for the Cape Cobra - an extremely venomous snake. While we never actually saw snakes, the sign "Snake Alley" (posted along one of the routes we walked) made a whole lot more sense, and we felt really grateful for not encountering any of the slippery, slithery slinkies.
What power failures?
Calm before the storm? I'm not sure. We had a bitterly cold winter, and we survived, so perhaps our supply of energy is under control.
Farm fences and country roads
Farmlands and hills
This map shows pretty much exactly where I was standing when taking this photo. :)
Freshwater fishing in Durbanville
A field of pylons
Before taking up photography I probably wouldn't have considered the possibility that electricity pylons, a symbol of the destruction of nature, could in some way be beautiful.
Gimme some of that weed
We stopped over at the Durbanville Wine Valley Season of Sauvignon 2009 festival on Saturday. Although Jimbo here wasn't part of the festival, he kept a keen eye on the proceedings while munching on ground-greens. I plucked this juicy, yummy-looking weed from my side of the fence and handed it over.
After only a few nibbles, Jimbo's connoisseur's tongue rejected my offering, and he instead demanded a couple of life's simple pleasures: nose-strokes and head-pats. Horses are so easy to please.
Chai-Yo – Spiro’s Corner, Durbanville
It seems as though we don't go out for dinner much these days unless it's to a function like GeekDinner, 27Dinner, or something similar. I arrived home this evening to a wife not up for cooking and myself not too much in the mood either.
A quick decision was made, which entailed rationalising the fact that we deserve eating out tonight - because we've been working so hard, you see. ;) Anyway, we've been meaning to try Chai-Yo, a Thai restaurant in Durbanville, for some time.
To be honest, we're never really impressed by restaurants in the northern suburbs, and most often find ourselves eating out in the city or in the southern suburbs. The thing that normally counts against restaurants in the north is the service - which is usually just not good, or pretty average at best (to be honest).
But this is what made our visit to Chai-Yo really awesome. The service was impeccable - polite, helpful, and attentive without being overly intrusive. The thinly-cut, seared, tuna starter that Kerry-Anne and I shared was delicious, as were the traditional Thai chicken dishes that we ate as our main course.
So to sum it up, there was great service, good food, and a pleasantly comfortable yet smart ambience. Well done Chai Yo, please do keep it up!