Sunday was another one of those lovely winter days that I've been telling you about; calm, clear and crisp and I couldn't wait to get out on the road and take a long round trip home, but I'm getting ahead of myself;
We wanted to go to the Good Food and Wine Show in Capetown and had earlier in the week decided that we would go on Saturday afternoon, typically the weather leading up to the weekend started to deteriorate and it rained! Friday night it rained and early Saturday, while we were enjoying our bottle of JC le Roux sparkling Sauvignon Blanc in the spa bath, it rained.
We are bikers, we're going! But determination wavers when faced with putting on the rain suits and heading off into the rain, it's all very well when you are out on a trip and get caught but to cold-bloodedly mount up and leave a warm dry house when it's raining?
We procrastinated a bit and by the time we mounted up, sans rain suits, the sky was starting to look like it might clear, it was 11h00 by the time we rode out of Saldanha and we got a few little spots of rain but I could see blue sky to the south. We both had our winter jackets on, they are water repellant but not water proof but as we thundered south the sky started to clear as the clouds broke up and the weak winter sun started shining through.
It was cold but it was good, I waved a greeting to a few other intrepid bikers heading up our way as we cruised down the R27 and by the time we rode into the outskirts of the City and through to Linda's house the sky was pretty clear and it was no longer quite so cold.
We took a taxi to the show and back so that we could partake of the wine tasting and the beer tent without having to worry about road blocks, we spent about four hours there and by the end of that time I had had enough, it was so incredibly crowded as to be very unpleasant - been there, done that, got the tee shirt. Talking about tee shirts, I was wearing a rally tee shirt as usual and was greeted by three brothers during the afternoon, also wearing various rally shirts, reinforcing the brotherhood that exists between us even though I did not know them.
Sunday; We decided to take a ride up the N7 to Mooreesburg for a brunch at "Die Oude Stoep" which I have mentioned before, we have often stopped there for a drink, let's see what the food is like.
The N7 is a pleasant ride, especially on a Sunday as there is not too much traffic, it is the national road leading through to Namibia so is usually very busy with lots of heavy rigs.
Once we joined the N7 it was only about 80kms to Mooreesburg, I set up a steady 140 to 150km/h and we relaxed into a comfortable cruise through the farmlands, the pale wintry sun was by then starting to warm us and also apparently the little lambs frolicking next to their mothers in the veld, they would stop every now and then to nibble at the succulent green grass shoots which had been teased up by the first of the winter rains. Thousands of Sheep and Cattle grazing contentedly on hundreds of farms bordering the N7 as we sped happily by.
Now is the time when the normally dry Western Cape comes alive and green fynbos carpets the hills and valleys through which we rode, it was sublime, sheer pleasure and I cannot remember enjoying a ride so intensely as I did that one. It was with a slight sense of disappointment that I saw our destination drawing nearer through the pale, hazy sunlight.
At "Die Oude Stoep" in Mooreesburg a chalkboard propped in the doorway bore the legend; "Sorry kitchen closed." - bad news because hunger pangs had been with me for some time!
There is nowhere else to eat in Mooreesburg on a Sunday, at least that we know about so nothing for it but to press on, the next place is in Langebaan some 80kms away. We rode slowly along the link road some 20kms to the R45 because it is such a bad road but then wound it up to 16okm/h once we joined the R45.
Cruising along my thoughts revolved around food, I was hungry and there were a lot of options in Langebaan but I was leaning towards the Chinese restaurant; A & J's at the Laguna Mall, two weeks ago we had had the best prawns there and I fancied a Salmon hand roll as a starter. Salivating into my helmet I opened the throttle wider.
They did not disappoint, the prawns were crispy fresh in a sauce that made my fingers taste good, my starter Salmon hand roll was perfect and we finished off with a chicken dish with egg fried rice which we washed down with a bottle of cold Sauvignon Blanc. A & J's are having winter specials with as much as 20% discount on meals, sushi specials and buffets that really make it worthwhile, it's a great place to eat, we'll definitely be back even if only for the prawns!
A great day, a truly memorable ride and a delicious meal - really what more could one want? Maybe a winning ticket in the lotto?!
No comments:
Post a Comment