South Africa

Stellenbosch is one of the oldest European settlements in South Africa, famous for its wine, university and well-preserved Cape Dutch architecture.  Located in the Cape Winelands, Stellenbosch is surrounded by vineyards, mountains and lush valleys.  There are over 150 wine estates in this region!!  The university is one of South Africa’s top universities and the student presence gives the town a lively, youthful feel.

Read more →

Our 16 day road trip covered 1,222 km and included the 200 km Garden Route section through the Western Cape between Mossel Bay and Storms River.  The scenery is incredibly diverse ranging from ancient forests to beaches, mountain passes and miles upon miles of farmland.  We thoroughly enjoyed the diversity of the country that we encountered on this journey. Read more →

Franschhoek is Afrikaans for ‘French Corner’ and is one of the oldest towns in South Africa.  In the late 17th century French Huguenots, a religious group of French Protestants, were forced to flee from persecution in their Catholic-ruled country.  In 1688 almost 300 Huguenots arrived at the Cape of Good Hope.  Read more →

Wine, glorious wine!!!!  We have always enjoyed South African wines and after leaving Cape Town we spent two weeks visiting some of the vineyards in the Western Cape region of South Africa.  We have toured wine regions around the world and take great delight in finding small vineyards producing wonderful wines that you cannot buy anywhere else.  Read more →

Welcome to Cape Town, the capital of South Africa and commonly referred to as the ‘Mother City’ because it was the site of the first European settlement in South Africa.   The city had its origin in 1652 when the Dutch East India Company established a supply station Read more →