(An SA Blog Beta Post from Your Correspondent)
The hamlet of Tulbagh offers perhaps the best motoring weekend away from Cape Town. It has peace for the world-weary; adventure for the energetic; fantastic dining for gastronomes; the best value-for-money wines in the Western Cape; and (of signal interest to BootsnAll readers) its own home-grown boot factory. You simply can’t go wrong, visiting Tulbagh, as SA Blog will demonstrate over the next several days.
The area can be quite hot in summer and quite cold in winter, so check the week’s weather forecast when booking.
Part 1/6: Getting There
The town’s name rhymes with Bach, as in J.S. It’s situated in the heart of the Swartland, one of SA’s main wheat-growing regions, about 2 hours’ drive from Cape Town.
Many roads lead to Tulbagh, but they all could be better marked. The word “Tulbagh” only begins to appear on signs once you’re near Ceres, Wolseley, Hermon or Malmesbury, so aim for these towns first.
Leaving Cape Town, you have two options:
(1) The N1 to Wellington, which in turn offers the R44 to Hermon, or alternately the R303 to Wolseley and Ceres, the latter traversing one of the most beautiful mountain passes in SA, Bain’s Kloof - budget an extra hour for the convoluted Bain’s Kloof road, two if you pack a picnic.
(2) My favourite route, the N7 to Malmesbury, which leads to the R46 and Riebeek-Kasteel, thence to the R44 and Hermon, and thence to Tulbagh, over the extremely tame Nuwekloof Pass.
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(an SA Blog Beta post from Your Correspondent)
Part 2/3 – a Lesson in Culinary Improvisation
The places to eat in Greyton are many – but the reasons to book a table are, alas, few. Among the latter is the fact that all of the establishments sell cold beer, a real elixir on a hot day in the Overberg. (Afternoons can be uncomfortably warm in summer months, but nights are usually cool.) Other highlights include the handmade Belgium chocolate available from one of the cafes, and the flag of Iceland flying brightly over a certain pub.
The food which the local menus invite …
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(an SA Blog Beta post from Your Correspondent)
Proposed Tags: Western Cape, Garden Route, Overberg, Accommodation
Part One – Getting to Greyton, and Where to Stay
The charms of rural life in the Western Cape are most evident in the tiny town of Greyton, two hours’ drive from Cape Town along the beautiful Garden Route. Horses and cattle roam freely down the quiet streets and lanes (eating residents’ gardens – see below); bohemian bric-a-brac and antique shops open each day, including Sunday, for leisurely strollings-through; one cafe claims to make the best cappuccino in Africa; and there’s a very pleasant day hike up …
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(an SA Blog Beta post from Your Correspondent)
Part 3/3 – Greyton as a Launch Pad
Nestled up against the Riviersonderend (”River Without End”) Mountains, Greyton gives the feeling of being in a rather pretty Overberg cul-de-sac. But it’s actually a small hub: you can easily switch from lazing in country bliss to launching a regional adventure.
SA Blog recommends:
Genadendal
The best day trip, in Your Correspondent’s opinion, is to Genadendal, an extremely important site in SA’s history. It was the first mission station established in this part of Africa – in the early 1700s, by the Moravian church. Whereas in Greyton they have horses, in Gendadenal they have donkeys, which munch the grass around the beautiful mission-era buildings, including a massive 19th century church. The church dominates Church Square, appropriately enough, which also features a museum, a restaurant, a fascinating paper-making demonstration center, and – best of all – a mill house, with a working water wheel, which is fed by a lovely, ancient mill race. Your Correspondent loves working water wheels and ancient mill races. (Note that the steps which lead up to the mill house are fashioned out of old, worn-down grindstones – wonderful.) Genadendal was officially segregated from Greyton during apartheid, and the two communities, though only about 5 min apart by car, seem to have little interaction. If you’re staying in Greyton, start a trend – visit Genadendal.
Greyton Nature Reserve Walks and Hikes
At the end of Greyton’s main road, where the tar runs out and the gravel begins, no less than a dozen walks and hikes branch up into the foothills, leading to places as far away as McGregor. The Greyton birdlife alone makes spending a few hours on a trail worthwhile. Don’t forget your hats, sunscreen and water. Look out for sugar birds, weavers, sun birds, the black-shouldered kite, and – if you’re lucky – the Blue Crane, SA’s state bird. (On our last trip, we saw a flock of about 30 of the big, graceful aviators.) The Greyton Tourism website has an excellent list of short walks and long hikes: check them out at Greyton.net.
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Recipe: Greyton Crock Pot Coq au Vin
(Part of Greyton - The 3-Part Serial Adventure (2/3))
Note: if you arrive in Greyton on Saturday morning, you can get many of these ingredients at the Farmer’s Market, held on Market Square, which runs until about 11h30am.
Prep: 15 min. Cooking Time: 50 min. Serves: 4.
1 whole chicken or equiv. in pieces
3-4 bay leaves
1/2 bottle white wine (red will also do – hey, it’s the country!)
1 med onion, quartered
8 cloves garlic, peeled & halved
8 dark olives, pitted & halved
1 tomato, quartered
2 carrots, thickly sliced
2 ears corn, shucked and snapped in half
Other vegetables according to …
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