Friday, March 27. Cape Town to Hermanus.
We vacated the room on the Silver Cloud by 8 am and left our possessions in the library and then had breakfast in La Terrassa. It was very foggy so not possible to eat outside on the terrace. At 9:30 am we had to leave the ship this was the latest time that they would let us stay on board. We proceeded to pick up our luggage and then went through emigration and successfully ordered an Uber with no problems.
It was just a short ride to the offices to Bluu, the rental car company that Expert Africa was using for us. It was in the centre of Cape Town. It was a long business answering all the questions they seem to need, but eventually we got the car. Then it was another long business for them to try to teach David how the GPS worked. Therefore it was about 11 am when we set off from their base. However we had to stop a couple of times because the GPS kept telling us we were only going to the airport, having previously registered the Hermanus destination. But eventually, David got it to take the information and we proceeded through quite heavy traffic at times and arrived in Hermanus before 2 pm. With only a little bit of trouble we found the Birkenhead House Hotel where we were staying. We were very impressed with this establishment which had just 11 rooms and they had upgraded us to one of their best two rooms with fantastic ocean views out of our windows.
The room itself was really four rooms in a long line: the bedroom, the sitting room, the dressing room and the bathroom. we received a welcome drink of watermelon gin and tonic. Our included lunch was squid and mussels outside by one of their swimming pools. It was a most pleasant meal. Chris then went for a swim in both pools. But the infinity edge sea view pool was only knee deep, so although warmer was not suitable for a swim. But she had a good time in the further back pool even though this were still quite small
This was whale watching country, but it was not the whale season. However the sea with all its waves and the sand and the coves were quite fantastic. And it was a really wondrous view. We went for a walk for 15 minutes to Grotto Beach along the coast path, which hacked its way through overgrown, windswept trees and then suddenly out into the open. There we sat down on a bench for a while before resuming the journey. Back in the hotel we had a glass of white wine and a piece of their delicious cake, consuming these on our tiny balcony while enjoying watching the setting sun. But at this time of the year the sun behind the mountains and not over the sea. The sky did not light up fantastically either. But that did not detract from our enjoyment of the moment
A short siesta was followed by a dinner which Chris had difficulty eating (no appetite), although she really enjoyed the crème brûlée and a glass of Baileys at the end of it. But the setting was really nice and another night she must try to order something really tiny so that she does enjoy it. And so to bed at the end of a very very enjoyable day
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To get a larger photo, click on a thumbprint below
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| The discreet entrance to Birkenhead House Hotel | The splendid view over the sea from the gardens | The sun sets were dramatic | Apparently better when it sets over the sea |
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| Our room was long and narrow | And was right on the sea | Afternoon tea on our balcony | The sea was on the rough side, and cold |
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| A heated Jacuzzi | ..had an infinity edge looking over the sea | There were two internal pools | Looking down towards the sea |
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| Sitting room | A sculpture in reception area | We never used the bar | Nor this sitting room |
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| The welcome drink | The hotel is on right and Grotto Beach on left | We walked to Grotto Beach | ..along the coast path |
Saturday, March 28. Hermanus.
A really lovely relaxing day for my birthday. We had a leisurely breakfast at about 9.30 after soaking up the views from our wonderful room. Then I had an hours massage in the Spa before getting ready for John and Leone to arrive for lunch. This they did at 1 pm and we then spent four very enjoyable hours with them catching up on the 50+ years since we had last seen each other and talking about the dysfunctional Lyons family, or at least dysfunctional at intervals. We seemed to gel really well and the lunch was most enjoyable too, starting with a bottle of champagne that we had brought from the ship. They only lived about 20 minutes away from our hotel.
After they left, we sat outside for awhile with a Pisco sour until the sun went down. The wind had decreased from the strength it had had at lunchtime. We went down for yet another meal but just had a starter and a pudding and really enjoyed these. This was followed by sitting by the wondrous fire in the lounge and Chris enjoying to Baileys on the rocks.
To get a larger photo, click on a thumbprint below
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Sunday, March 29. Hermanus to Swellendam.
A leisurely morning in the Birkenhead House Hotel. I had a swim before breakfast and then after breakfast we sat watching all the families on the beach, it being Sunday, for 45 minutes or so before heading off at noon.