Travelogue: In the valley

There is a part of the mountains called the valley where due to the conditions is particularly good for grapes...
we stopped off at one of our regular viewpoints

Look for the lizard

The panorama

We were playing leapfrog with a truck depositing water followed by a road regrader

Even where it looks most barren there are flowers

The temperature reached 37*c
We took a new road which is full of weeping willows despite the water shortage

And the willows are covered with morning glory

They were stunning

All purple ones and just incredible how they had spread

We got to the winery which is organic biodynamic and had a v special Sauvignon blanc but despite saying open it was closed

The car was parked facing the view of a small valley
No way in

So we tried to go to another winery for lunch but being a Monday the restaurant was closed so on again

To Ecology... or "the mutton curry place"

The mutton curry was fab. Woody had rice and I had roti and they also came with a tomato/onion salad and lime chutney
Oh and a wine tasting

I like to reassure my mother that I am the alcoholic she thinks I am

They do 2 ranges, ecology and paardenkloof. It was really interesting to taste wines made from the same grape in the same vineyard but wines that were older and the flavours were definitely different.

And we made friends with Alfie

He was trying to lie on my leg but eventually slid off

And this is the mountains behind, the tall one is the one where the grapes grow that I tasted...

When it had cooled down to a more reasonable 20somehing degrees Woody and I went for a walk along the beach.... believe it or not but there is a deal in the waves, the first time these people got in the way

And again it is where the splosh is but I never got a photo

Another lovely sunset with the sun going down over the new harbour

We found a patch of empty mussel shells - probably the seals breakfast and then turned back but we walked back along the other side of the beach which splits the sea from the lagoon