South Africa - Greyton, Western Cape

 

Greyton is one of the many "Small Towns of South Africa" and it's an easy drive from Cape Town. Whether you pop in for the day or the week-end, there is enough to enjoy in this quaint town, where horses and the odd cow roam freely. The owners of the cottage where we stayed advised that we could open the gate for the horses. And, lo and behold, on Sunday morning the horses had their heads over the gate waiting to be let in! This was a totally amazing experience with about 6 horses on the lawns at one stage. They were very peaceful and munched away on the grass - they even came right up to our bedroom door to "steal" some of the bird food! It was a 90 minute experience that we won't ever forget. 

The Sonderend Mountains of Greyton offer many photographic opportunities, plus hiking trails.

A drive on the surrounding gravel roads can be very rewarding - view the farms with huge herds of cows, we saw a new dam being scooped out, a meerkat taking a rest in the shade of a water tank, some blue cranes and lots of road building action. 

For those who love shopping there are a number of interesting and quirky shops dotted around the village. Take time to browse and don't forget to get your chocolate fix from the legendary Von Geusau Chocolates. Stroll around the Fiore Garden Centre to source something for your garden or just take a breather and enjoy a meal in this tranquil setting. For other treasures, continue browsing!

The Greyton Nature Reserve was established in 1977 by Professor Brian Rycroft and, at 2200 hectares, this is the 3rd largest reserve in the Western Cape. There are many trails to choose from and the flora is beautiful. Entrances are at Park Street, where there is a parking area or from the east bank of the Gobos River. We met a number of hikers who has completed the Bosmanskloof Trail and they still looked fit and healthy! 

THE BOESMANSKLOOF TRAIL

The Boesmanskloof trail is one of the most popular hiking routes in the country, and it’s easy to see why. The starting point is right here in Greyton, a short hop from Cape Town. The trail winds through the deep and untouched Boesmanskloof gorge, past Oak Falls, before you hike up and out to Die Galg, where overnight accommodation sits perched right on the edge of the gorge. Most hikers stay over in Greyton on Friday, start the 14km hike on Saturday morning, and make the 14km trek back the next day

There are numerous shorter trails - check the Information Office for full details. Remember to take water, hats and cell phones!

Gobos - 1-4km - Gentle, Hardepeerkloof Trail 5km - Challenging, Knietjieshoogte walk 5km - moderate, Loerkop Trail 3km - moderate, Maermanskloof Trail 5km - challenging, Platkloof Trail 3km - gentle, Noupoort Walk 2km - Gentle, Breakfast Rock Trail - 7.6km = Challenging, Gifkllof Trail - 7km -Moderate

Greyton's appeal lies in the beautiful homes that are dotted in the village. Many of these roads are still untarred. The village was founded by Herbert Vigne in 1846 as a freehold agricultural village. The plots still appear be be substantial and the Cape architecture is evident, adding to the charm. The leiwater irrigation system is still in place and feeds the gardens of many homes. So look for these channels along the roads. This village makes for an interesting look back at history yet with plenty of modern day conveniences. It truly is a "must visit" kind of town! 

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                         For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                              www.bradclin.com

South Africa - Darling Craft Beer

Darling Brew Craft Beer

A great find in the village of Darling! 

South Africa's first carbon-neutral brewery.

A unplanned stop in Darling, took us to the Darling Brewery.

What an eye opener!

With 16 Craft Beers on tap and more only in bottles, this a a Craft Beer lovers dream

The brewery is visible from the dining/pub area and is a hive of activity

Spotlessly clean it operates week-days although the brew is most probably still brewing quietly over week-ends!

Darling Brewery

The pub area is large upstairs plus there is garden seating and a play area for the kids.

The furniture, bar counter, jungle gym and artwork is all made by local artisans as the focus is on keeping it local. 

The menu offers something for most tastes - we chose to share a cheese platter.

All food on the platter was from businesses in Darling with the excpetion of the Sourdough bread that comes from a bakery in Yzerfontein. All delicious! 

 

The beers have interesting names....

Blood Serpent (Pilsner)

Bone Crusher (Pilsner) and Pixie Dust ( Weiss) both Wheat Beers

Warlord (IPA)

Gypsy Mask (Red Ale) and Rogue Pony (Pale Ale) both Ales and inspired by the Roan Antelope and the Plains Zebra

Slow Beer and Sungazer -both Lagers 

My favourite - Slow Beer - however, the tastings were great - there would have been more favourites had we stayed longer!

See the info below from the owners themselves, an amazing story.

We wish them all the success in forging ahead

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For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

www.bradclin.com

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"ican Adventure – October 2007

In October 2007 we left home on a trip into Africa, with the idea to see as much wildlife as possible, our return date undecided.

Unexpectedly 3 days into our trip we stumbled onto an idea that we thought we could bring back to Darling. We met Andre of Sneeuberg Brewery and were inspired by the concept of a microbrewery. Leaving South Africa we found ourselves talking about something we knew little about, beer.

Besides wildlife we now had another goal; exploring the different beers of each country we visited. We were expecting to be exposed to varied and interesting beer and branding but what we had not expected was the increase in the size of beer bottles. Having started with 340ml in Botswana, 630ml in Zimbabwe, 550ml in Mozambique, 500ml in Kenya and 750ml in Rwanda our beer drinking appetites had gradually grown the further north we travelled and the hotter it got.

Turning south into Zambia the dinky 340ml bottle reappeared, one bottle feeling like half of another and leaving us still wanting. The realisation of our beer in a big bottle was decided.

A Thing Called Beer

Returning home was daunting as all our thoughts and ideas had to be turned into a reality, a thing called beer. Our excitement had been shadowing the realisation of what lay ahead. We were prepared for hard work but the challenges of red tape, we didn’t see coming.

Our investment began to take shape in the form of a small turnkey brewery. After months of brewing, no hint of our liquor licence and faced with the challenges of a manual system we realised that with our current setup we would never reach our dreams for Darling Brew.

We were on the verge of throwing in the towel when we by chance met Chris Barnard, a chief brewer, who agreed to contract brew for us. Chris’ knowledge and passion for brewing beer has afforded Darling Brew the privilege of becoming part of the current craft beer movement.

The Exciting Part of Branding our Beer

When we got to the exciting part of branding our beer, we wanted to create a contemporary look. We scoured through the flora and fauna of the area, as well as the geographical features. We kept on coming back to the tortoise and on doing some research we learnt of the geometric tortoise which was not only endangered but it was endemic to the Western Cape too.

From there we started playing with words and ‘slow’ struck a chord with us. We knew we didn’t want to use premium beer, handmade or craft beer; we wanted something more meaningful than that. One night after far too much red wine ‘slow beer’ was mentioned and scrawled down amongst our many ideas.

Waking up to our notes we realised that ‘slow beer’ was it. ‘Slow Beer’ is not only the name of our first beer, it is our philosophy, encompassing all of our beers, highlighting their slow fermentation process and why people should choose it over mass produced beer. It has also got the minds wondering ‘what is slow beer?’

South Africa - Philadelphia - West Coast

Philadelphia, West Coast, South Africa

Philadelphia is a tiny town that does not appear to have any claim to fame. Situated a mere 30 minutes drive from Cape Town, one has to wonder what moves people to live here? Fresh country air, peace and quiet, proximity to the city yet the benefit of village life? It certainly is a peaceful place.

Most of the residential area is above the road leading into the village. Modern homes and perhaps not that interesting. However, the fascination lies in a few streets in this tiny gem of a village. Park in the shade opposite the NG Church and take to the streets! Wonderful Victorian  houses, interesting arty shops, a corner store, a deli and a number of restaurants.

It's well worth the drive just to take a step back in time! With fascinating shops, displaying their quirky, unique wares, ensure that you have loads of cash in your wallet.
With verandas adorned with colourful plants in pots of various sizes, it's truly a feast for the senses.






There are a number of restaurants in this tiny village but no accommodation, so, if you love food, you will have to return again and again!

Odds Bistro is beautifully furnished inside and has an outside Smoking area plus an interesting small shop. It's housed in a modern building which looks spanking brand new. Intimate and cosy.

De Malle Meul was closed - they are normally open Thursday - Sunday and serve Buffets which are apparently fairly highly rated.

As we only had time to try one breakfast venue, we chose the Pepper Tree Coffee shop.
Set outside under large pepper trees, breakfast was certainly tasty and service was prompt.

Another find was the newly opend Deli Shed. With the owner being from Wales originally, we just had to buy a loaf of their Sour Dough Bread to take back home. All I can say - it was Delicious with a Capital D! We wish them success in their new venture. Pop in for a cup of coffee if you are passing.

Odds Bistro Philadelphia

Pepper Tree Coffee Shop, Philadelphia

De Malle Meul - Buffet Restaurant, Philadelphia

The Deli Shed

Philadelphia Shop

The Philadelphia Shop

Well worth a week-end drive if you enjoy good country cooking, browsing shops with a twist and marvelling at the beautiful Victorian homes.

© Judelle Drake

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                For Accommodation Cape Town, South Africa

                                      www.bradclin.com

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