Beattys Overseas

South Africa is famed for its diverse topography, including a large lush valley perfect for growing grapes. The S.A. wine valley lies a concise 90 minutes from Cape Town, and we decided to join our friends Jon & Vanessa and Craig & Hayley for a weekend in the vineyards. We chose to stay in the small village of Franschhoek, whose quaint charm and easy-to-navigate layout are perhaps the reasons why some find it more appealing than its nearby big brother, Stellenbosch.

John and I found a well-priced and perfectly situated B&B to stay called La Provence Vineyard Cottages. We made fast friends with the proprietor Carin, who runs the business with her husband and three children. They live in a beautiful house on the property which was Carin’s Grandfather’s at one time. Carin’s eldest son Paul, who is currently attending university on a tennis scholarship in Georgia, USA, hung out with us a ton and went on a long run with John around his family’s vineyards.
Our new buddies: Carin and Paul (note his NY Yankees shirt!)As he’s currently home on holiday break from the States, we obviously had a lot to talk about. The vineyards which have been in the family for over 150 years, stretch across hundreds of hectares. Currently, most of their crops are sold to other wineries in the area, but we were honored to be given a bottle of their family’s private reserve, made from a choice selection of grapes from their vines, named after their new generation - and our new friend - Paul.

Their property is amazing. We stayed in 1 of the 3 cottages at La Provence, and such a small number of guests makes for a very personal experience with Carin and her husband Johan’s spread. Besides the amazing vineyards behind and on each side of the home, there are some of the most spectacular gardens I have ever seen, all planned and planted by Carin’s grandmother when she lived at the home. Vintage cars collected by her father dot the property, as do a pack of pet Collies and a Retriever. For a ‘dog person’ like me, this was perhaps the best part of staying here; the company and constant presence of 5 very happy and friendly dogs. 

John LOVED the fresh poolFor John, the favorite was the fresh water swimming pool, fed through a system of pipes and pumps from the mountains surrounding the valley. At first, when we drove in, John questioned the cleanliness of the pool and was a little disturbed at the sight of the large dark pool. However, when Carin assured him that it was a freshwater concrete mini-pond, unlike the suburban chlorine jobbys that he’s always seen, he was sold. And how refreshing! It was extremely hot on our weekend in Franschhoek, and a few dips in that pool were welcome respites from the valley’s heat. The water runs into the pool from the mountains above at one end and runs out and filters itself at the other end. Nice!

Anyway, back to the dogs…. On Saturday morning, following a long and delicious (and winey) dinner at the restaurant of Jon & Vanessa’s hotel the prior evening, Carin suggested a route for jogging to John along her vineyards. But when she said “Head to the foot of the mountain, at the river: the dogs will show you the way, and probably run with you,” I was all of a sudden in the mood to run. Running with a pack of Collies and a Retriever? Bring it on; I’ve been having doggie-withdrawal.
Me and my personal trainersAnd how fun it was… John took the long route, about 3 miles, and the golden retriever stayed with him the whole time. I took the feeble course, only 1 mile, and the 4 collies kept me company. They’d disappear for a few moments and return soaking wet, having ran down to the river to a dip or a drink. When I’d slow down to a walk, they’d turn and stare at me, like hairy personal trainers, their eyes doing the talking for “Hurry up, lady, this is only a mile, I could do this with one paw tied behind my back!” This was an excellent motivator, petite and lovely little collies giving you the “You’re a wimp” kind of look.

When we weren’t enjoying the appeal of La Provence Vineyard, we were eating and drinking in Franschhoek, monikered the “Gourmet Capital of South Africa.” Our Friday night dinner was shared with the Ford’s and little Olivia at their hotel’s winery tasting room. Saturday night’s dinner was with the Fords and Craig & Hayley, their colleagues from London and both native South Africans. Our meal was an 8-course tasting menu at Le Quartier Fancais, one of the world’s Top 50 restaurants. The food was exquisite, with wines paired to each course with perfection. W­­­ith dishes like mushroom and ­­escargot-foam lasagne and cherry jus with slow-baked cake, our only complaint would have been the portions, which were tasting menu size. But, we’re gluttons and we wanted more!
Our rowdy friends - arent we all lovely?Our table was by far the rowdiest in the dining room, and we felt the vibes of envy from other tables in the place; no one wants to see a group of 6 people having a raucous good time when you’re on a boring date. Oh well! A blast was had in Franschhoek, and we headed back to Cape Town on Sunday afternoon. During the drive back, we passed small country animal parks called Monkey Town and Giraffe World with too little time to stop and much regret. Oh well, we were headed to a safari soon where we would see these animals in their natural habitat.