Wine tasting last weekend.

Looking back at Citrusdal.

View from the tasting room at Amani.

Wednesday Ride Citrusdal.

Did a ride last night all the way up the mountain. Wasrealy good. Tonight a did a 16 km ride at average speed of 21 km an hour. Stopped to take some picktures of the mountains and the fields.

Meal at Jordan.

Duck confit starter what a meal and had Jordan Chardonay with it , a perfect combination.

Starter Risotto Nero with calamari.

Hake with broadbeans leeks and mussels also went well with the Chardonay. If you realy want to treat yourself or somebody this is the place to go and have a meal. The food is out off this world. Every meal an experiance with wonderfull flavours. (Pictures D.M.Procter.)

De Morgenzon.

Picture from outside the tasting room. They have a wonderfull wooded Chenin Blanc. Also realy nice tasting room with a view of the vineyards.

Building at Bonfoi.

What a wonderfull tasting room nice fire in very old building with realy good wines, also got a boules court. (picture courtesy D. M. Procter.)

Wine X

What a stuff-up. Drove all the way from Citrusdal with big expectations, what a drag. A hundred and plenty bodies trying to really get vrot. It looked like we were on the Titanic in high seas. We arived a bit late, because I was driving from Citrusdal to join Cape WineX. Should rather call it a drunken scrum. As we drove into the parking a guy coming out in his non SUV was driving up against the curb to put his card into the boom ticket reader. We should have turned back right there. Last year it was very quiet, so this year they reduced it to two nights. No good, everybody arrived on Friday night to get sloshed. Thank God we could leave and go home to have some wine and our own soup. Been riding the whole week and took Wednesday off. This weekend no riding did not bring my bicycle. Cold weather tomorrow.

First ride up the mountain.

View from half way up the mountain back to Citrusdal. What a nice view but on the way down the sun was behind the mountain and it was freezing cold. Did another 40 minutes ride on the flat road. Averaged 20.6 km an hour. Had a totally mad day at work. Look like every thing is bracking down. Hope tomorrow will be better.

Manor House at Diemersfontein.

What a lovely evening and night we had at Diemersfontein at their 10th birthday. Lovely wine tasting of ten years of Pinotage, Shiraz and Viognier. Then some lovely opera with some really talented young South African people. Lots of tears wiped away. What a great evening. Then off to supper for some good food and wine. Thanks again to Erica and Diemersfontein. Really a weekend to remember. Saturday morning back home . This morning went for a hour and a half walk in Blaauwberg and then got home to service a car. Did a chicken and lemon in Weber with some roast veggies. Drank a Sterhuis Chardonnay 2008 with it. Worked well with Chardonnay because of lemon in chicken. Now just relaxing in front of TV.

First ride.

What a lovely morning in Blaauwberg. Very cold at first and then after 10 hot and sunny. Now there is a hot bergwind blowing. Went for a lovely ride this morning and did 20 km without a problem. So from next week it will be back on the road every evening. A pitty I did not take my camera with because the view from Blaauwberg beach towards Cape Town was totally magnifecant. Will do the same tomorrow. Hope the weather stay this good. Going tonight to the Cape Guild tasting of there wines for the auqtion. Looking forward to it. Tempreture is 24.5 derees C now.

Drive home Wednesday night.

Just outside Citrusdal.

The people that transport all our exports to Cape Town harbour.
Canolla fields at the bottem of Piekenierskloof pass.

View towards Cape Town.

Womens day.

Today should rather be called cold day in Cape Town. Ten o clock and the tempreture outside is still 10 degrees C. Nearly had 20mm of rain since yesterday. Today again not a good day to go and ride your bicycle. We have got 4 kids in the house and last night made a big macaroni and cheese. This morning nothing left. Now planning lunch and think that will be cooked chickens and sallads from Woollies. Lucky my son is washing last nights dishes and glasses. Drank some lovely Shiraz from Delaire 2009 great wine. Need to get out of bed now but realy cold still.

Sunday morning Winter is back.

Woke up last night with pouring rain. Winter is back again. The temperature at the moment is only 13 degr. C. Light wind blowing. Going down to the Cape Quarters for coffee with my sister and brother in law. Sun is bracking through now. The rain is back 10 minutes later. The farmers must be very happy. We also need some water for our dams. This will surely shock the grapes back to sleep. A soup or stew and red wine day. Not a day to go cycling, only when you hate your wife and have to get away. Lucky Im still in bed.

Freedom Hill Restaurant.

View from the restaurant towards the kitchen with a spiral staircase to the gallery.

Tables set with realy good cutlery and the food is served in the most beautiful plates. Also lovely big wine glasses and realy good food.

Lurgy got me.

Woke up this morning with a sore chest and postnasal drip. Feel like having a hang over without drinking. No riding tonight had a mad day at work and early to bed . Need to fight this thing that I have in my system and the best way I think is sleep and handsfull of vitmin C complex. Hope to fight it off before the weekend. Very hot in Citrusdal today about 30 degrees. We started packing Midnights. (Navals.) So we are in to the last part of the season. Thank heavens for that. Days are getting nice and long , but I think there is more snow to come.

What a good weekend.

Started of with some realy nice sunset pictures on my drive home. Had been riding every night on the home trainer and my hartrate is getting better. We did not ride or walk this morning was around ten degrees until after ten. So I mowed theb laqwn and cleaned the house plus washing the floors. Good workout plus cross training. Watching superbikes and Grand Prix at same tim e now. Drinking Bredell Merlot 2006 and Semillon from Cederberg Ghost Corner from Elim grapes what a winner. Vettel gave them all an international hand up when he got a drive through penalty. Thats going to cost him even more.