I was woken up by the baby starlings, in the outside eave above our room, squawking for their food. They seem to eat non-stop in the daylight hours, what a noise. Steve managed to tune them out for a lot longer than me. So I potted around and went out into the garden. Besides the birds, we seem to have inherited about 5 cats which we don't want to encourage by feeding them.
When Steve was up we showered and had breakfast and set off to see the Mary Myrtle Rigg Church which is the only church in the world known to be built at the request of a child. Mary was one of the three daughters of Christopher and Lilian Rigg. She was, however, the only one who survived infancy, but tragically died of meningitis at the age of seven. She was a religious child and on her death bed asked her father to build her a church, which her father duly did. Unfortunately we did not manage to see inside this Anglican church, but explored the grounds where Mary and her family are buried.
S: After that we went to explore the town and went for a circular drive round the Bonnievale valley as it is so beautiful. We stopped to take several photos of the vineyards, river and colourful trees and flowers. At one point we crossed the Breede River on an old single lane steel bridge. It is a little depressing to see some of the farm worker's houses. They do have solar water heaters on the roofs and satellite dishes hanging on the walls but the structures look very run down in comparison to the affluent look of the surrounding farm lands and buildings.
After we had come full circle and back into town, we stopped at the Parmalat Factory shop and bought cheese, juice and ice-cream at bargain prices. The Tim Jan Wine Sales was next door so we decided to pay them a visit too. They offer a product made from Aloes and other ingredients which is said to cure depression, sleeplessness and variety of other ailments. We both had a taste and I managed to drink mine, but Lesley was repulsed by the taste and eventually ducked outside to get some chewing gum to take the after-taste away. I think it is the thought of having to drink it that cures you of whatever is ailing you at the time. L: You know the taste of Jamaica Ginger.....this makes that seem so palatable by comparison.
We bought some wine, olives, etc. and stopped off back at the house for coffee and to put the shopping in the fridge. We later went in search of some lunch, first stopping at the Weltevrede Estate which we were told does lunches, but discovered that they have now reverted to only opening during school holidays. So we went back towards town and turned in at the Arena which has a restaurant, a 9 hole golf chipping course and fly-fishing. All this will form part of a development that will include housing estates and private pastures.
The owner also breeds carp and trout. Trout is more difficult and can only be done during the cooler months. You can also bring your trout catch back to the restaurant and have it for your meal. If you are not successful with catching a fish with a fly they will give you a worm to try. As you walk in to the restaurant there is are steel gates secured with a large chain and padlock. It houses the owners wine collection and there are some bottles dating back to before 2000. He has some strange signs on the shelves saying 'Definitely not for sale', 'Not for sale' and 'Possibly for sale'.
We enjoyed the lunch there, which was fairly reasonable and left for the cottage and had an afternoon nap.
L: Then it was off to the river for a bout of fishing or ….ing as the only thing biting were the miggies which was making things very unpleasant. We slipped around on the river bank trying to retrieve our hooks stuck in the reeds and after losing several sinkers, gave it up as a bad job. We went home, covered in mud and had a quick shower to get rid of the miggies too.
Both of us were full from lunch so we decided not to braai tonight and just cooked what needed to be done from the provisions in the fridge and picked a bit.
Then it was blogging, reading and off to bed ….......
….........unfortunately our last night as we are heading back to Cape Town and home tomorrow. We will stop in Worcester to see Steve's sister, Sharon.
Night.
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