It's just so much better on a motorbike!

We had a free day last Sunday and as it was a lovely warm day with only a light southerly wind we decided to go somewhere for lunch. I had to make a quick stop in Saint Helena Bay and as Don and Connie were off on a road trip somewhere getting a well deserved break from their Beira Mar restaurant, we decided to go through to Velddrif.

It's only about forty kms in total but as we set off I was immediately glad to be out on the big red machine again, I had just spent about an hour and a half cleaning and polishing and it was looking spectacular again.

I accelerated up through the gears on the road through to Vredenburg, watching out for speed traps I edged the bike up to only 20kmh above the limit, I would open it up more on the other side of the town.

I had forgotten that there was a "Stop/Go" roadworks area and as we approached there was a long queue of cars and trucks waiting for the "Go" sign, as is usual at those irritations I cruised slowly past the line of cars up to the front and when the sign changed we surged ahead leaving all of the cages way behind. It's just so much better on a motorbike!

My business over in Saint Helena Bay we rejoined the busy R399 for the short but fast blast through to the little town of Velldrif on the banks of the Berg River. Although the road was busy it was easy to maintain a fast pace as the cars all moved over as we approached, I acknowledged them either with a wave or with my hazard flashers because I really do appreciate it when they do that, very rarely does an idiot sit steadfastly in the lane without giving way - he gets another type of hand signal!

Soon we were in the town and I went through to Port Owen as I had heard of another restaurant there which I wanted to check out. It wasn't long before we were parking the big red machine infront of the rather unremarkable facade of "Die Vaatjie Taphuis" (roughly translates into "The little wine vat")

The first thing that caught our eye as we entered was a picture of our late friends Dudley and Carolyn, bikers who were tragically killed in a car crash just over a year ago, they had lived in the area.
It is quite a neat, inviting pub with the restaurant section next door and we were offered both the pub and the restaurant menu. I commented on the prominently featured old South African flag in the centre of the ceiling.
Janet said "So what? If it was your place in Zimbabwe you'd have the Rhodesian flag up, not the Zimbabwe one." Doesn't it just piss you off when they're right like that? My Rhodesian flag is prominent in my pub at home.

We ordered our drinks and consulted the menu, I opted for four crayfish tails (Western Cape rock lobster Jasus Lalandii), calamari and savoury rice with a garlic butter sauce at a very reasonable R108.It was a very nice meal, the calamari was tender, the tails were delicious and I really enjoyed the rice soaked in garlic butter!

Janet ordered the crispy roasted Eisbein and I though at first of warning her that it would be too much for her to eat because I knew that it would be huge.

Sure enough it was big enough to feed a small country for a week, Janet ate a little bit of it declaring it delicious and then asked for a doggy bag for the rest. We don't have a dog, it's actually an "Andrew bag."Lovely! This would make up my sarmies for work for the rest of the week, that's one of the things I love about taking Janet out for lunch; my lekker sarmies for work!

The ride home was just as good, I stayed on the R27 down to the Vredenburg turn off to avoid the road works, that is a good fast road and we blasted along in the warm afternoon sunshine heading for an A.B.F at the Phoenix and then home - it's just so much better on a motorbike!

There's not much happening now until next weekend, Friday 28th Frank and I will be going to the "Pure Venom Rally" in the coastal town of Kleinmond which is only about 200kms from here, I'm looking forward to that and will tell you all about it. Ride safe!