South Africa Day #2

Today we ventured to the town of Hermanus in South Africa to go watch whales. It is their mating season right now and the whales are more incline to come into the shallow and coastal waters for breeding purposes. We had an opportunity to view the whales as they would breech- lunge up out of water and come crashing down. We also saw a few tail fins and their large mammoth heads and parts of their bodies covered in barnacles. The best part was hearing them reach the surface through their blowhole spurt out a spray of water before submerging back into the ocean again- it was truly breathtaking.


We continued onward with our journey back towards Capetown area and had a wonderful lunch at the Bodega Vineyard. The setting of this winery and restaurant was nestled backed within a lush floral valley and cascading mountainside- it was just breath taking and so relaxing. The Spanish decor of wrought iron accents, Tuscany rich rust and peach colors- accompanied with the cultural Spanish music took us back in time and almost to another place. Simply lovely. For lunch I tried something new- a seafood entree of a Kingclip- a white fish- complimented with a side and garnish of asparagus and sun dried tomatoes. The rich flavor and zesty seasonings of the food melted in my mouth. It was so simply wonderful!


After lunch we ventured on to two other winery's where we enjoyed wine and chocolate tasting- now I was surely in heaven. One of the winery's was owned by Ernie Elle's, famous PGA golf pro. This winery estate welcomed us with a hand laid bricked driveway and manicured lawn and landscapes. It was set back also into the rolling hillside- almost as if it was meant to be hidden from passerby's. Inside the winery the decor reflected the golf pro's many accomplishments with shiny large trophies, professional photos, and world champion golf scenes. My husband truly enjoyed this visit and was in his element.


We ended our lovely day with a home cooked curry mincemeat meal with Gerald, Elaine and Elaine's mother. This was a dish neither I nor my husband have had before. To compliment our main meal we had a side dish of rice, fresh green peppers/tomatoes, and sliced ripe bananas. We also added a tablespoon of chutney to the curry mince meat as a condiment- it truly enhanced the overall experience of the homemade entree- which was just marvelous. My husband and I feel so welcome in their home and they have accommodated so graciously- we are so very thankful to have this new family as part of our lives this week and year's to come.





Tomorrow we are going to have a quiet morning and perhaps venture out in the early afternoon to the botanical gardens, before we need to catch our evening flight to Durban to prepare for the conference.