Gesondheid or "To Your Health" March 26, 2018
Thanks to the generosity of Graham's aunt and uncle, we had a lovely weekend in Somerset West, in the famous vineyard region. The Winelands offer another aspect of South African life which we had been eager to explore.
The four of us - Vanessa, Graham, Bruce, and I - had rented a car to take us on a twelve day adventure on the "Garden Route", which stretches east of Cape Town, along the Indian Ocean, on the bottom of the African continent. Our visit to Graham's family was our first stop.
The area is visually impressive, overlooked by a range of blue-gray mountains, the Hottentot-Hollands, that rise up steeply from the plains, not far from the coast, providing perfect conditions for great vineyards.
Winelands area
After checking in at the family home, we headed out to Stellenbosch, a lovely, leafy university town with a long history of learning and wine-making. Several people back home in Maine had suggested this as a destination for us. The architecture alone was worth the visit, as examples of the typical old Cape Dutch style line the streets.
Brilliant white Stellenbosch old Cape Dutch building
This is a very white town, both the buildings and the people, with many trendy little shops and restos - just the place for a group of young black kids to raise money with a dance demonstration on the main street. I loved it!
We didn't have time for a wine-tasting in Stellenbosch, as it was late by the time we'd had lunch and strolled around. We headed back to make supper for the family on Saturday evening.
On Sunday morning, however, we set out for nearby Vergelegen vineyards. The South African wine industry was begun three hundred years ago by the Dutch East India Company to produce wine for the company directors in Malaysia - and had a tough time getting it right until French Hugenots arrived, looking for religious tolerance and bringing with them their wine-making skills! Now the Winelands are dotted with historic, beautiful old wine estates, most of which offer wine tastings. We were reminded of Napa Valley.
Surrounded by fields of grape vines, Vergelegen is one of the oldest vineyards in the country. After some years of neglect, the estate has been restored to its former glory, with lovely flower & herb gardens, as well as lush green lawns and huge old trees. The manor house is furnished and open as a museum, showing the elegant, cultured lifestyle of its previous the owners. Of course, all of this rested on the backs of their slaves, whose story was also told. The name, country of origin, date of acquisition, and price of every slave were printed on the wall in a moving display. In more recent times, a bevy of distinguished people have visited the estate, including Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Nelson Mandela, Bill & Hilary Clinton, Elton John, Desmond Tutu, & Martha Stewart! That day it was Vanessa Beck and Bruce & Linda Webb! While I was studying the photos and text describing the history of Vergelegen, along with other white visitors, a very black man, dressed in the white uniform of a staff person, quietly passed by, carrying an armload of fresh linens. I couldn't help but wonder what has changed in all these years.
Vergelegen Vineyards manor house and gardens
It was a sunny warm day, and the estate was lovely. We strolled the expansive grounds and relaxed on the veranda for an abbreviated tasting of their award-winning wines, keeping an eye on the clock to make sure that we were back home in time for Sunday lunch.
Gesondheid, Afrikaans for "to your health"!
Graham's aunt Antoinette puts on a fabulous traditional family Sunday lunch. In South Africa, the brai (barbecue) is a popular choice for a summer meal, and, just like at home, the man of the house, in this case Uncle Simon, was in charge of barbecuing the chicken. Antoinette's 83 year-old dad, Andre, joined us, which made seven of us for lunch.
Getting ready for the brai on the patio:
(l to r) Uncle Simon, Bruce, Graham, and Andre
Thanks to the generosity of Graham's aunt and uncle, we had a lovely weekend in Somerset West, in the famous vineyard region. The Winelands offer another aspect of South African life which we had been eager to explore.
The four of us - Vanessa, Graham, Bruce, and I - had rented a car to take us on a twelve day adventure on the "Garden Route", which stretches east of Cape Town, along the Indian Ocean, on the bottom of the African continent. Our visit to Graham's family was our first stop.
The area is visually impressive, overlooked by a range of blue-gray mountains, the Hottentot-Hollands, that rise up steeply from the plains, not far from the coast, providing perfect conditions for great vineyards.
After checking in at the family home, we headed out to Stellenbosch, a lovely, leafy university town with a long history of learning and wine-making. Several people back home in Maine had suggested this as a destination for us. The architecture alone was worth the visit, as examples of the typical old Cape Dutch style line the streets.
This is a very white town, both the buildings and the people, with many trendy little shops and restos - just the place for a group of young black kids to raise money with a dance demonstration on the main street. I loved it!
We didn't have time for a wine-tasting in Stellenbosch, as it was late by the time we'd had lunch and strolled around. We headed back to make supper for the family on Saturday evening.
On Sunday morning, however, we set out for nearby Vergelegen vineyards. The South African wine industry was begun three hundred years ago by the Dutch East India Company to produce wine for the company directors in Malaysia - and had a tough time getting it right until French Hugenots arrived, looking for religious tolerance and bringing with them their wine-making skills! Now the Winelands are dotted with historic, beautiful old wine estates, most of which offer wine tastings. We were reminded of Napa Valley.
Surrounded by fields of grape vines, Vergelegen is one of the oldest vineyards in the country. After some years of neglect, the estate has been restored to its former glory, with lovely flower & herb gardens, as well as lush green lawns and huge old trees. The manor house is furnished and open as a museum, showing the elegant, cultured lifestyle of its previous the owners. Of course, all of this rested on the backs of their slaves, whose story was also told. The name, country of origin, date of acquisition, and price of every slave were printed on the wall in a moving display. In more recent times, a bevy of distinguished people have visited the estate, including Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Nelson Mandela, Bill & Hilary Clinton, Elton John, Desmond Tutu, & Martha Stewart! That day it was Vanessa Beck and Bruce & Linda Webb! While I was studying the photos and text describing the history of Vergelegen, along with other white visitors, a very black man, dressed in the white uniform of a staff person, quietly passed by, carrying an armload of fresh linens. I couldn't help but wonder what has changed in all these years.
It was a sunny warm day, and the estate was lovely. We strolled the expansive grounds and relaxed on the veranda for an abbreviated tasting of their award-winning wines, keeping an eye on the clock to make sure that we were back home in time for Sunday lunch.
Graham's aunt Antoinette puts on a fabulous traditional family Sunday lunch. In South Africa, the brai (barbecue) is a popular choice for a summer meal, and, just like at home, the man of the house, in this case Uncle Simon, was in charge of barbecuing the chicken. Antoinette's 83 year-old dad, Andre, joined us, which made seven of us for lunch.
(l to r) Uncle Simon, Bruce, Graham, and Andre
From the patio table, we could see the ocean in the distance. Chatting over lunch was a unique opportunity for us to get to know Graham's family and more about South African life. Later that afternoon, Antoinette took us for a drive to the seaside towns of Strand and Gordon's Bay, which we could see from their home.
The day was wearing down as we passed the tall hotels and apartments lining the shore. In the late afternoon sun, families were walking together, groups of young men played a lively game of beach soccer, a few hardy folks swam in the waters of False Bay. There was definitely a relaxed, beachy vibe with a much more diverse crowd than we'd seen at the vineyards. At the end of the bay, mountains dropped quite steeply into the sea, and expensive homes dotted the hillside.
The next morning was Monday. Antoinette & Simon went off to work. Vanessa & Graham went to Cape Town for an appointment. While Bruce & I waited for V & G's return, the family housekeeper arrived. She had traveled on public transport from a township with her grand-daughter, who is attending pre-school in Somerset West. Townships are the areas where Blacks were required to live during the time of aparteid - and where they still live, due to economic hardship. On our way from Cape Town, the highway had passed the township where Thandi lives. As the second largest township after Soweto, it was not hard to miss. With upwards of half a million residents, its sprawling clusters of distinctly poor shacks and shabby concrete houses along dirt pathways are such a stark contrast to the upscale housing that we had seen in Cape Town and the winelands. It is very sad. I am reminded that it's been barely 30 years since the end of apartheid, however. Trevor Noah, in his memoir, Born a Crime, shows the power of education and determination to move out of the townships and into a better life. I'm sure his journey is unique, however.
Vanessa & Graham returned, and we got on our way for a great adventure that has taken us 1000 miles, round trip, along the coast to Port Elizabeth and inland to Addo and back. We're not quite finished with our excursion. It's been an amazing experience, full of dramatic scenery and interesting encounters with local residents. One highlight was our day spent in an elephant preserve. More on that in the next post.
This post has been extraordinarily difficult to get out, due to computer grumpiness, primarily, along with sketchy internet availability. Here goes!
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