Last week we took a 4-day/3-night road trip to Prince Albert. Normally we just zip over for the day and back in the late afternoon (see this earlier postfrom 2014), but this time we decided to stick around awhile...
Day 1 - The Drive Over
Getting to and from Prince Albert from Great Brak is simple - in fact, you have a few options. Think of a very figure 8 as your doctor would draw it (or someone else with illegible handwriting - like me), with Great Brak at the bottom, and Prince Albert at the top. This time we decided to go counter-clockwise via George, over the Outeniqua Pass past Waboomskraal (check out previous road trips to Herold and Rosa Bleu Estate in the Hops Valley) and on to Oudtshoorn, before making our way to Prince Albert via De Rust and the Meiringspoort Pass. We'd come back down the other side via the Swartberg Pass, Oudtshoorn and through the Robinson Pass (at the Ruitersbos Nature Reserve) and back via Hartenbos and Little Brak.
An unpaved section of the magnificent Meiringspoort Pass (when we were through last year the area had just been hit by bad flooding)
We checked in at the Dennehof Karoo Guesthouse, (see: TripAdvisor Reviews) a charming guest house situated where Prince Albert's very first farm site was located back in the 1700's. It's run by wife & husband duo, Ria and Lindsay who have done a fantastic job landscaping it in the 14 years they've owned it (you'll find wonderful sculptures scattered throughout their gardens - you'll spot a new one each time you go out!). Highly recommended for the super-friendly hosts, great staff, lovely accommodation and great breakfasts!
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Lindsay also offer a number of MTB trips (doing the multi-day PA to Wilderness beach ride is on my "to-do" list if I can get 3 others to join....) as well as 4x4 up to Die Hel (you really do need a 4x4 for that rough road - it's a good 6 hours there and back for what's about 70 km's return).
So, all checked in and bags unpacked, it was time for a wander up and down the main drag, ducking in and out of the various little shops and galleries. For dinner, went to the Gallery Cafe (we went there 2 out of 3 nights). Besides the art gallery, they've got a restaurant with outdoor seating on the upper veranda - white table cloths, little hurricane lights and wine glasses and a spectacular view of the Klein Karoo and Swartberg Mountains makes for a wonderful ambiance, topped off by good food and a convivial host.
Day 2 - African Relish Cooking School
It was a birthday celebration (not mine), and we had a full-day cooking lesson booked at African Relish- the theme: vegetarian. hmm, and here I thought the only vegetable on a South African braai was the chicken - apparently not! Incidentally, if this piques your interest, you might find a full day pretty long (we did). Especially in the heat (the mercury hit 49 degrees). Instead, I'd recommend their half-day option.
We were welcomed by African Relish's new chef, Jaco Fourie. Having just started on December 1st, he must have been run off his feet with the holiday season, and here he was running a class - no rest for a chef it seems! The kitchen is quite spectacular - check out the slideshow on the right.
We were welcomed by African Relish's new chef, Jaco Fourie. Having just started on December 1st, he must have been run off his feet with the holiday season, and here he was running a class - no rest for a chef it seems! The kitchen is quite spectacular - check out the slideshow on the right.
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I think our favourite part of the class were the outings, which I think was a really inspired start - first we went out to O is for Olive for a quick olive oil and olive tasting (including tapenades and relishes).
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Then it was out to see Basil and pick some tomatoes from a local farmer's garden (no, I'm not being funny, that's his name). The heat made for some pretty scrawny looking plants, but there was no shortage of tomatoes to be picked. We even picked up a pomegranate or two, straight off the tree.
From there it was out to see the doctor. What? Yup, you heard right, we were off to see Dr. Reinders who has a spectacular garden which I'm guessing covered about 1 hectare. He took us around, offering even more tomatoes, a variety of eggplant (including Cambodian and Assyrian, the latter being *very* bitter and tobacco-ey, by the way!), and other assorted veggies - oh, and he threw in a yard-long bean at the last minute. Then you go to the reception desk in his surgery where the bounty is weighed (African Relish picked up the tab for this, of course). I thought it was pretty cool - imagine going to the doctor and him "prescribing" a walk around his garden in the sunshine for a bit of vitamin D and maybe some cruciferous veggies for your iron deficiency! That was probably the highlight of the day for us.
Then back to the kitchen at African Relish to figure out what to do with all our bounty of veggies.
Okay, "school" starts - time to roll up the sleeves and make lunch: a salad, including pickled celery, some roasted Adams figs and freshly baked bread.
Lunch done, we get a 1.5 hour break to refresh ourselves. It was pretty hot. So, we wandered down to the Lazy Lizard for a quick pick-me up, then back to Dennehof for a catnap and a dip in the pool.
Times up, so back to African Relish we head - for dinner we'd make an Italian-style tomato sauce which we'd combine with grilled eggplant (aubergines to you) for a parmigiana-inspired dish, together with a butter nut and blue cheese risotto. Dessert in the desert: stewed plums with ice cream.
Times up, so back to African Relish we head - for dinner we'd make an Italian-style tomato sauce which we'd combine with grilled eggplant (aubergines to you) for a parmigiana-inspired dish, together with a butter nut and blue cheese risotto. Dessert in the desert: stewed plums with ice cream.
And finally, it's time for dinner with stewed plums for dessert - bon appetit!
African Relish isn't just a recreational cooking school - they also serve lunch and dinner which is probably a good option if you're interested in seeing what goes on in the kitchen without having to do the work yourself (it's open style so you'll get a pretty good view of the action!). But they're only open on certain days, so best call in advance to find out what their schedule is - call them on +27 23 541 1381.
Day 3 - Gay's Dairy, the PA Museum and an Excursion to the Mieringspoort Waterfall
Before we can start the day, I have to rescue a tortoise that had lodged itself in a wire fence as he/she crossed the gravel road in front of us in seek of shade (and food, no doubt) in the garden opposite.
Good deed done for the day, we pay a visit to the Fransie Pienaar Museum - probably one of the better local museums I've experienced. Museums aren't normally my thing - usually within minutes my legs feel like lead, I start to feel light-headed and find it difficult to breathe (I experience a very similar condition in shopping malls). In fact, we usually have a pact for our European road trips: no churches or museums, but we made an exception in this case and I have to admit this one was not bad at all.
The affable greeter at the Museum gave us a quick introduction to the place, then left us alone to discover the rest. But he planted an idea in our heads: he said the waterfall at Meiringspoort (see the great MountainPassesSouthAfrica website for photos of the pass and an overview as well as these TripAdvisor Reviews) was worth a visit. Bingo! The deal was sealed: that's what we'd do in the afternoon. But first, over to see Gay's Guernsey Dairy (see: TripAdvisor Reviews) to check out their cheeses (you can do a tasting at no charge - we bought a mozzarella and a parmesan-styled cheese).
The affable greeter at the Museum gave us a quick introduction to the place, then left us alone to discover the rest. But he planted an idea in our heads: he said the waterfall at Meiringspoort (see the great MountainPassesSouthAfrica website for photos of the pass and an overview as well as these TripAdvisor Reviews) was worth a visit. Bingo! The deal was sealed: that's what we'd do in the afternoon. But first, over to see Gay's Guernsey Dairy (see: TripAdvisor Reviews) to check out their cheeses (you can do a tasting at no charge - we bought a mozzarella and a parmesan-styled cheese).
Cheese safely back in the bar fridge in our room at Dennehof, we were ready to drive the 55 or so km's back towards De Rust to visit the Meiringspoort waterfall. We parked the vehicle and walked the trail to the waterfall (an easy 7-10 minute walk). Not quite as hot as the day before, but there was nothing that was going to stop us from taking a dip in the spectacular pool (call me sentimental, but it's not quite as fantastic as the pools we discovered on our hike up the old Willie Searle Furrow above Great Brak, but hey, pretty darn sensational nonetheless!). We weren't alone - there were others, including a few daredevils jumping from higher and higher perches on the surrounding rock face. Pretty nice! Cooled off, it was time to return to Prince Albert, have a snooze and then get ready for dinner.
Day 4 - The Drive Back via the Swartberg Pass
The Mieringspoort waterfall - the pool is deep (and refreshing) - perfect for a swim on a hot day!
The next morning we got up, had another delicious breakfast - it was busy, there was a large group of friendly Danish bikers of the motorcycle variety who had made this their first stop on a Cape Town to Durban trip (they'd ship their bikes back via container. But within minutes we had our coffee and freshly-squeezed orange juice - and thereafter our "stack" and meringue omelette (delicious!).
We had a good chat with Ria before leaving - guess what? She suggested (in fact, strongly suggested) that for our next road trip we might like to check out Karoo Cuisine in Murraysburg - Ria said that after spending time with host Susanna and Chef Erika she always comes back inspired with new ideas. Judging by the quality of the food that comes out of Ria's kitchen at Dennehof (they often also serve dinners, but sadly not while we were there...), that's definitely a vote of confidence. hmm, that just may be a thought.... stay tuned!
But first we have to get home - so it's over the Swartberg Pass where the watermelon pink petals of the proteas are blooming as we approach the summit. Incidentally, with little recent rain, the gravel road, which can be rough at times, was in very good condition. Then it's over the Robinson Pass where we see a few more protea (though not nearly as many) and home via Hartenbos and Little Brak. Figure 8 done and dusted!
We had a good chat with Ria before leaving - guess what? She suggested (in fact, strongly suggested) that for our next road trip we might like to check out Karoo Cuisine in Murraysburg - Ria said that after spending time with host Susanna and Chef Erika she always comes back inspired with new ideas. Judging by the quality of the food that comes out of Ria's kitchen at Dennehof (they often also serve dinners, but sadly not while we were there...), that's definitely a vote of confidence. hmm, that just may be a thought.... stay tuned!
But first we have to get home - so it's over the Swartberg Pass where the watermelon pink petals of the proteas are blooming as we approach the summit. Incidentally, with little recent rain, the gravel road, which can be rough at times, was in very good condition. Then it's over the Robinson Pass where we see a few more protea (though not nearly as many) and home via Hartenbos and Little Brak. Figure 8 done and dusted!
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