Franschhoek A day-trip to Franschhoek was part of the itinerary when I visited South Africa 5 years ago. Then, it was winter and the fog was thick, the air brisk and heavy with moisture. Now, as I attempted to drive through the pass, a thick band of smoke overtook the skyline as a wildfire jumped the road and progressed steadily through the mountain range.
This is summer in the southern hemisphere. With daily temperatures nearing a consistent 40 degrees Celsius, the Western Cape was battling a series of bushfires threatening towns and farms alike. A glass of local sparkling was all I wanted on Christmas Eve in Franschhoek, however a 1.5 hour detour down the pass, around and up the other side delayed that plan somewhat. Nevertheless I made it just in time for sunset.
I extended my stay in Franschhoek to three nights. Christmas Day was shared with a bunch of other ‘orphans’ who are based in Cape Town: Troy, Mercedes, Julia, Chris and Dan. They were kind enough to invite me to their house at Val de Vie estate to enjoy a Cuban-themed Christmas dinner complete with mojitos, wine and a selection of incredible food. Overlooking the lake and with a pool to escape the resounding heat, the company was great and it provided an ideal setting to spend Christmas.
Franschhoek, literally translated as ‘French corner’ in Afrikaans, is a quaint little town that could be mistaken for one stuck in the early 20th century. Nevertheless, it abounds with interesting shopping, a spectacular set of galleries, and is home to one of the best wine valleys in Africa. Here, the backdrops are as good as any; one can sit overlooking the wineries that dominate the valley, with the characteristic sandstone mountains of the Table range, rising high on both sides.
On then, for a quick lunch at the Company Gardens in Cape Town. Although just a quick stay, literally for lunch, for I was keen to avoid the madness that overtakes that city at this time of the year.
Lambert’s Bay
After picking up Lesala, another mate from Cape Town, up at the airport, we were off for the next stage of the trip along the west coast of the cape. A three-hour trip to Lambert’s Bay seemed remarkably short relative to some of the earlier driving efforts. The atmosphere in Lambert’s Bay was reminiscent of a Tim Winton novel. A small town, reliant on a declining fisheries industry and a caravan park and seventies-styled motel filled with annual visitors returning for yet another couple of weeks over Christmas. Smiles were hard to come by no matter how hard we tried. Even the local fish n’ chip shop, the go-to place in town, felt morbid over soggy chips and less-than-amazing fish and calamari.
However the stop was not entirely a disappointment. The Atlantic was a welcoming refresher: my jumping in the 15-degree water in the early morning at least drew a change in expression of onlookers. Even if it was just to a frown of confusion that read ‘WTF is he doing’. The Bird Island Nature Reserve was also a highlight, featuring a number of wildlife visitors including Cape fur seals and African penguins. It’s most well-known though for a breeding colony for the Cape Gannet which numbers over 20,000 during breeding months. It’s a sight to be seen and an ornithologist’s delight. Their flying mechanism is like that of a plane: they require a long take-off, flapping rapidly to lift their large bodies off the ground. More than once, I was amused to see a 10-point face-plant as they landed awkwardly back on solid ground.
Cederberg Mountains
The next stop was the Cederberg Mountains, just 1.5 hours drive south-east from Lambert’s Bay. This region is home to a wilderness area of remarkable beauty. With beautiful hiking tracks, winding (read: eerie) mountain passes and flowing waterfalls, the area is home to the Cape leopard that is slowly re-emerging from the brink of extinction. Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to take the long route to see the Wolfberg Arch or rock paintings, but that is certainly a to-do for next time.
Cederberg, revolving around the town of Citrusdal, is also home to one of the largest citrus plantations in South Africa. It is the point of origin for much of the fruit exported across the region, and interestingly, where England gets many of its best oranges. That’s one hell of a journey! It is also home to a growing number of wineries which seemingly are spreading across the entire Western Cape region. And some of it is pretty damned good!
We stayed at Hebron, just outside of Citrusdal on the Piekenierskloof Pass. This was definitely a highlight. Seemingly a self-contained lodge, it felt more like a BnB but with hotel-like luxuries. And very reasonably priced. Run by a lovely South African couple who spent 15 years in London, Hebron is a working flower and citrus farm that is still being enhanced. The highlight was perhaps the food, home-cooked by one of the owners, with the best quality meats, wonderful presentation and unbelievably tasty. The lamb and beef, with accompanying vegetables, sauces and breads: all of it was top-notch. Hebron also has a wine, chocolate and tea tasting shed (standalone or complimentary, although with 40-degree temperatures outside, only the coldest wines were really in demand), a great pool area, cute self-contained cottages and an expansive vegetable garden. This is certainly one of those spots that I would travel to again in a heartbeat.
After just a quick stay in the Cederberg, it was time to head back down the pass into, unsurprisingly, more wine country...