Good day all my readers
So I promised you a post about my holiday and in Fransshoek so here it is:
Last year November I decided I wanted to go away on holiday somewhere nice and far but not to far so couldn’t make up my mind were exactly I wanted to go , until I saw an add on Gumtree for a place in Fransshoek called: Otters Bend Lodge and it was running at a special. So I immediately phoned and made a booking and paid a deposit. This was really exciting for me for two reasons:
1. I achieved a goal for myself and it became reality.
2. It is my first holiday away since I have been in Cape Town and I paid for it myself.
So I left on the Saturday morning 16 April and first stopped off in Stellenbosch to have a walk about and land take some pictures like I was a tourist on a mission lol. After about and hour in Stellenbosch I drove through to fransshoek when I stopped at a place called Cafe Le Choclatere (which is a fancy small deli/restaurant in the beginning of the main road of Fransshoek – lol because Fransshoek is actually just one long main road). There I had some fine chocolate's and a mango smoothie (which wasn’t that great but it was okay). Once I was done I headed to Otters Bend lodge (which is located behind the main road of Fransshoek near the Monte Rochel hotel).
There I met Mark the owner of Otters Bend Lodge , a really layed back awesome guy who had no hesitation introducing me to the lodge and showing me the log cabin in which I would stay. I firstly got a small log cabin but he said it was just for the evening and tomorrow morning I can have the main cabin which was much bigger. That night I went to dinner to Calcatious Pizzeria and had one of the best pizzas ever just brilliant!! and exceptional service.
The next day I moved into the bigger cabin which was bigger and absolutely more fabulous. Then decided to go and speak to Mark with regards what all i could do while i was in Franshhoek so he took a map and went through everything with me.
Os the first place i had to go to was the Hugenote chocolates which is a small chocolate factory in Franshhoek which makes there own chocolates in many different shapes , sizes and flavours all pure BELGIUM chocolate so goooood!!!. After that i decided it would be great to go and a find a good place to go and have breakfast and that's were i discovered the most fabulous restaurant to have breakfast called: Cafe Benedict , they served the best sunrise breakfast and french toast with rocket and lemon curd yummy yum and it was super cheap so i decided to make Cafe Benedict the restaurant of chose for breakfast.
So once my day was up went back to the lodge to go and rest in my new big cabin (and then there it was above the roof something i expected seeing that i am staying a in a log cabin a massive Rain spider needless to say he was out there as fast as he came in. now it was time for some peace and quite as i had i hectic day ahead for me.
The following day i decided to go do some wine tasting so i started off at a place called: My Wynn which was at a women's house who made only 20 barrels of wine per year and she did all the work herself this was a fantastic experience as it was so personalised and an awesome experience i bought a bottle of dessert wine called: My amber (2010) only 1300 bottles made and half of that number is in Germany (as it is one of her suppliers). Once i was done i went to a place called" Cahmonix which was just down the road from My Wynn , there i had 3 wines and some grappa (omw never in my life have i ever tasted something that strong it was really bad worse than the afrikaans drink: Mampoer lol).
After Chamonix , i went to : Haute Cabriere (which sells all the Pierre Jourdaan products) there i had some bella rose champagne stunning!! and bought a bottle of dessert wine called: Rafilia (i think lol) stunning dessert wine. Well it was 3 wine farms down and 25 glasses of wine later , it was time i headed back to the lodge and sleep as i was slightly tipsy ehehhehehe.
For that evening i had some nice dinner pasta yayayay my favourite. I also stood around the camp fire and chilled and chatted to some of the owners friends who were all there and we all just bounded and had a great evening. Now it was definitely time for to go sleep (seeing i didn't actually sleep in the afternoon LOL) so i went to bed and had a great evening. i am also a little sad because tomorrow is my second last day in Francshhoek.
The following Day i had my last breakfast at Cafe Benedict all the staff recognised me as i walked into the restaurant , i started feeling like a local LOL. After breakfast i headed outside Franschhoek to go and do some tasting at the Graham Beck wine estate WOW! what a stunning estate the best one that i have seen out of all of them so far. After Graham beck i headed off to Boekenhoudskloof wine estate , also a really stunning estate , i even got the opportunity to walk through the vineyard which was really amazing (seeing at all the other wine farms i wasn't allowed to).
After the two farms i was already feeling "sloshed" so i got some food an headed back to the lodge just to relax an enjoy the last day in this amazing place.
The next morning i packed all my things with a very sad emotion as i did not want to leave , i thanked Marc for the amazing stay and jumped into my car and headed back home.
My holiday in Franschhoek was the most amazing time of my life. I would really recommend it to anyone to go toake a holiday there (ecspicially if you just want to escape the city life , its the prefect setting for that). Thank you to everyone who made it special for me and i will be back next year because i decided to make it an annual thing.
Here is the details for Otters bend lodge if you need accommodation in Franschhoek:
http://www.ottersbendlodge.co.za
