Sunday breakfast run with the club

Last Sunday, being the first Sunday of the month was the Meeulanders' regular breakfast run and the weather started out great, clear and sunny if a little cold, in fact only 15 degrees when we rolled out from home to the meeting place at the Engen one stop on the R27. No wind though, and you can dress up for the cold weather, I was fully into it and looking forward to a good ride.

Eventually seventeen people on eleven bikes roared out of the parking lot at 09h30, I settled into the middle of the pack and we formed our usual staggered formation heading to the R45 and breakfast at "Die Oude Stoep" (The Old Veranda) in Moorreesburg via Malmesbury. We were well aware that we were going to encounter four "Stop/Go" sections on the R45 but what the hell?

The first of these was not even one kilometre from the start!

We sat patiently in the Queue, not even bothering to push our way to the front, at least the Western Cape provincial government is doing something about the roads in the province, not like the other provinces in the country, why would that be?

Within ten minutes we were on the go again and cars even pulled aside within the single lane sections for us all to gather together. We blitzed happily along, the stop at the second roadworks section didn't bother us and shortly after that our President, Div turned off into a large laybye for the first "Melktertjie" stop. This is a tradition on breakfast runs where we pull over for a small dop-stop which consists of a cream liqueur sprinkled with cinnamon, rather delicious! Also those that must smoke can have their fix.

 Here Daan carefully pours out the libations under the watchful eye of Carlo, actually he was busy sprinkling the cinnamon.

There were two other bikers from Capetown in the laybye when we all pulled in and we invited them to join us for a spot, in this photo by Gerrie Pieterse I have my back to the camera taking a photo of the others enjoying their milk tarts.

Janet picked a Spring daisy for the bike and we were on our way again,

 The next stop/go was open for us but the last one caught us, it actually started getting a bit warm sitting there in the sun just waiting.

 Murray on his Gunston Orange LT.

Daan on his 1800 Honda.

The group all waiting patiently in the sun.

The last section ending at the N7 has a few long sweeps and Div let those who wanted to speed ahead go past him, unfortunately where we live we have to ride for an hour in any direction before we hit any interesting twisties so our tyres tend to wear out in the middle!

It is 31kms from the turn off to Malmesbury and the N7, particularly on a Sunday is a lovely ride, it wasn't long before we were turning off into Moorreesburg and parking outside "Die Oude Stoep".

 This place has recently come under new ownership and they were pretty busy, we arrived around 11h00 so there was a lunch time crowd arriving as well but they seemed to cope pretty well. That little dorp has a dearth of eating places on a Sunday so they should do well if they maintain standards.

Waiting for breakfast but got beer, not all bad.

This was the "In betweener" for R40, I've had better and I've had worse. By the time we left we had spent R156 including our drinks, we agreed on the shorter route taking the 22km stretch back to the R45 but that is a slow section for us because of the road works under way and the poor condition of the road.
Once we reached the R45 though the hooligans were unleashed and we travelled at speeds in excess of 170km/h before pulling in to the "Plaasmol" to finish off the last of the "Melktertjies".

Some of the guys, including Frank decided to stay for an A.B.F. at the bar but by then the wind had come up and was blowing strong gusts out of the North, a presage of the crap weather I was to have out on the boat at work for the next two days. We headed home leaning over to the right, the clouds were heavy and ominously grey above us, we didn't have any rain gear with us and I was certain we were going to get wet. What the hell, if you ride a bike you're going to ride in the rain. Some fifty k's ahead of us though I could see patches of blue sky and we blasted our way Westwards towards the coast, the wind was cold but man was it good being out there, the bike was purring along and I was thoroughly enjoying myself - bring it on!

Sure enough we cruised around the bay heading for home under cold but blue sky, life is good man, it had been an enjoyable day with a bunch of good people - I personally cannot imagine not being a biker.