Lunch at Eendekuil

The weather forcasts for the weekend were promising clear and calm weather for both Saturday and Sunday, I was stuck with meetings on Saturday but we decided if it was indeed a nice day then we would ride Sunday. I had no destination in mind, we would go where the road, the mood and the big red machine took us - something to look forward to.

Sure enough Sunday dawned clear and calm, lovely after the seriously bad weather we had had to put up with for the whole week.

While sitting in the spa bath sipping our cold JC LeRoux sparkling wine we discussed our options; a longish round about ride to a restaurant close by or a longish ride to a retaurant far, far away. We both took another sip and decided on the second option although our destination was still not settled.

By the time the bottle was finished we had sort of agreed on the Eendekuil Hotel, (say - Ian-duh-kale fast) we have been there before and had a nice meal and it was a good 160-170km ride.

It really was good to get out on the bike, the air was cool and the sky was a pale wintry blue with flecks of high altitude cloud. There was no wind and virtually no traffic as we sped out through Vredenburg to Velddrif, there we took the R399 some 70km to Piketberg. Unfortunately that road is in very bad condition and even with the BMW's superior, adjustable suspension it is really only comfortable at around 100kmh.

Still it is sometimes nice to just cruise along and enjoy the scenery, not every trip has to be at high speed, does it? I sat comfortably relaxed with the song "Country roads" going through my head. After about forty five minutes we could see the hazy blue Piketberge (Piket mountains) ahead in the distance. By then I was tired of singing Country bloody roads!
We rode at a sedate pace through the little town of Piketberg and then took the R365 which winds along the base of the majestic and rugged mountain range, I couldn't help stopping for a photo opportunity and a bit of a leg stretch at this picturesque spot.
We turned off for the short ride into Eendekuil and I was struck by what looked like a duplicate of the Lion's head/Table Mountain/Devil's peak range ahead of us! We could almost have been heading towards Capetown.

I was surprised to see that there were no other bikes outside the hotel, it is quite popular with bikers, especially when the weather is that good. Soon we were sitting out back enjoying the warm sunshine and a cold beer.
Lunch was great; a lovely thick vegetable soup with homemade bread and then the main course was chicken pie, rice and potatoes with vegetables and gravy and icecream and chocolate sauce to finish it off. All this for the amazing sum of R60 per person, unbelievable and we could have had more if we wanted.
After a lovely relaxed lunch it was time to get back out on the road, I was feeling really good as we turned out of Eendekuil and accelerated up the hill heading back towards the imposing mountain range, what a day it had been so far and it was not yet over.

I took it easy back towards Piketberg, not only because I needed fuel but just because it was such a peaceful feeling, the bike was just gliding along with the engine purring silently beneath us. (Damn! I gotta make a plan to get that new exhaust fitted so that it's not so quiet.) It wasn't long before we crested a ridge and the town appeared laid out at the base of the mountain, we cruised through the outskirts and found a service station to refuel the big red machine.

From there it was back onto the bumpy R399 back towards Velddrif, again we took it slowly just cruising and after about half an hour I snapped this photo of Janet, I just knew that she would be sleeping! A full tummy and a couple of glasses of wine will do that to a girl.

We ended off a really nice day with two beers at our favourite local pub, we were just in time to see part of the second race at Kyalami - great stuff.

These are usually the days that turn out the best, no serious plans, no fixed destination just get out and go - it's all about the journey anyway, not the destination.

The Eendekuil Hotel is biker friendly, excellent for a breakfast run or a stayover it is only 150kms from Capetown and they can accommodate 24 people in their well appointed rooms. There is also a large camping area with an ablution block and braai facilities. Give then a call on 022 942 1030 - you won't be sorry and you'll definitely see us there again.