We’ll be in Hermanus for a few nights before heading up to safari country. This coastal town along Walker Bay is known for several things. First, and foremost, it is the premier place in the world to see Southern Right Whales during their migration. Every year hundreds shelter in the bay for the winter months to breed and calve their young. Second, Hermanus is the gateway to the ‘Hemel-en-Aarde Valley’, a wine-producing appellation in the Walker Bay region. Today we’re hanging around Hermanus. Hemel-en-Aarde is tomorrow’s excursion.
This morning, we had a chance to look around our lodging. What a nice place.
We also finally met our host, Natasha, with whom Dick has been exchanging email for nearly a year. She was off duty when we arrived yesterday evening. It was Natasha who convinced the owners to rent the building out as a boutique hotel when they were not in residence. Originally from Johannesburg, she became disillusioned with the crime there and decided to move to a totally different place. In addition to a continental breakfast, they offer a number of hot dishes. Dick had the Eggs Benedict which was excellent. At our table was a nice couple from the German speaking side of Switzerland who were on their honeymoon. We had a great conversation about global politics. The groom had been to the States and had knocked off a ‘bucket-list’ item by driving the length of Route 66 in a rental SUV.
We are starting our Malaria drugs today and thought it prudent to hang around our deck for awhile in case there were adverse reactions. All good!
Typically, when we ‘wine tour’ we fill up a case or two by picking bottles we like at wineries we visit, then ship the case(s) home. After the first couple of wineries visited at the beginning of this trip, we realized it didn’t make sense to keep buying stuff as we are very limited in luggage size going into the safari part of the trip and finding a shipping partner was a challenge. Really a bummer because we’ve had so many lovely wines we will never see again.
However, during Dick’s trip research he found a shop in Hermanus ‘Wine Village’ that specializes in South Africa wines. Plus, they’ll ship to anywhere in the world. A short Uber ride and we’re at the store. What a great place! They have a comprehensive and well-documented selection of wines from every region in South Africa. I was in my glory – the daily ‘tasting feature’ was Sauvignon Blanc day and the shop’s wine guru poured tastings from multiple producers and discussed the wines. Cool.
We spent a fair amount of time at the Village and whittled our picks down to a nice selection of reds and whites for shipping. Shipping fees were almost as much as the cost of the wine but it sure makes life easier.
Just around the corner from the Wine Village is the ‘Hemel-en-Aarde’ Brewery’ (we can’t forget the beer drinker, can we?). They feature their own beers along with some guest offerings. The wine list is good and there’s some fun appetizers – we tried stuffed pepper dew chilies as a snack. Good choice.
After returning to the guesthouse, we took a nice stroll along the waterfront to downtown proper. Unfortunately, it is Sunday, and many of the shops are closed. We checked out the ‘Wine Glass’, a restaurant but also a world class wine tasting bar. They have a great sign – “if you are looking for a sign to drink wine – Here it is”.
I had asked Natasha to recommend a restaurant for dinner that would be someplace that locals would go. She recommended and made a reservation at Lemonicious on the waterfront, well known for their seafood. Our table had a great view over the bay and the meal was outstanding. Afterwards, we walked back along the shore to the suite and worked on the blog.
