Category: 6000 recommends

Ladismith and the R62

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A quick post with some recommendations based on what we did and where we stayed on our 30 hour overnighter into the Klein Karoo.

Stay: Mymering Guest & Wine Farm
A chilled, tranquil, beautiful place with friendly people, homegrown wine readily available and some lovely chalets. Nice hiking on the doorstep, nature everywhere, and some stunning night skies.

Eat & Drink: Gypsy’s Gin Bar
More of an experience than a drink and meal. Masood (from Liverpool) and Letitia (Cape Town) settled in Ladismith after wandering the globe together. They’ve created a weird and wonderful place in “a town that doesn’t like change”. Over 150 different gins to try, and then Masood’s home cooked curries to enjoy. It felt like a meal at a friends’ house more than at a restaurant. An amazing place.

Eat & Drink: Diesel and Crème
American themed diner (and motel) in Barrydale that does the best milkshakes and burgers around. Instagram heaven (I resisted) with all the vintage signs, stained glass and roadhouse-themed décor. Part of a touristy strip on the edge of Barrydale, which also features some pretty tacky places peddling overpriced Africana to the buses passing through.

Go: We had business in Buffelsdrift (not a euphemism), and so literally took a Sho’t Left off the R62 about 20km before Ladismith. There’s nothing actually to do here, but there is the Buffelsdrift Conservancy:

Buffelsdrift Conservancy is a 1,600 hectare privately-owned cluster of properties, guided by a land use policy intended to preserve the indigenous flora and fauna of the area. The conservancy has invested in small herds of hartebeeste and zebras and hopes to introduce other species in the future.

It’s a beautiful place to drive through: we saw kingfishers, herons, Namaqua doves, weavers, sunbirds, bishops, baboons, ostriches, mousebirds, springbok and a booted eagle, and we weren’t even trying.

Do: Platform 62 Market
The second biggest thing in sleepy Ashton, after their new, unfeasibly large bridge.
Lots of art, local produce, LOADS of wine. Gin and brandy tasting, a pig called Fanie, and a big stream train outside.

Obviously, there is a lot more to see and do along Route 62, and on the way there. The stunning Dutoitskloof, the Nuy Valley, Robertson, Montagu and Barrydale, and beyond that, on towards Oudtshoorn. It’s an incredible road to drive with some amazing scenery, and we were reminded again of just how lucky we are to have all this “just up the road”.

Quirky

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An impromptu trip out this morning took us (amongst other places) to Constantia Wine and Craft on Gabriel Road, Plumstead Constantia.

A fine example of Conspansion if ever I saw one.

But what an interesting shop! I’ve driven past it about a million times, but I’ve never been in.
Obviously, that’s now changed, and I’ll definitely be going back. An amazing range of unusual craft beer from all over SA and Belgium (other nations may also have been represented – I think I saw a Namibian independent brewer or two in there, as well).

And yes, I know I said this,

…and I stand by it. But there is still some good stuff out there too.

They also had some lovely wines from Constantia and beyond. Some of which I’d never heard of before:

Viral gastroenteritis – which is surely the most common revenge of any crustacean-based dish – is a strange choice to name your wine after, and at R500, this bottle from Vredendal was a bit much for me to take a chance on, but I did love the name.

And – a whole few hours before this announcement, this afternoon:

I also spotted this there:

Ja-nee.

All your favourites (including spirits) are there with a sprinkling of the unusual and the quirky, and it’s well-worth popping in to try something a bit different whenever you happen to be passing.

And no, this is not a sponsored post. I tell you when I do them.

Day 715 – Happy Birthday

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No. Not me. And probably not you, statistically speaking.

But 6 Music turns 20 today, so happy birthday to it.

My spiritual, musical home, not always a harmonious (pun actually intended) relationship, but sometimes things need to be a bit challenging and difficult. It’s also both the reason that I use Spotify, and the reason that I don’t use Spotify very much. Because I don’t have the luxury of a local record store, so I need to get my (non-radio) music fix somewhere, but I’m more often listening to the radio in the first place.

Look at all my Spotify Playlists here

And on those odd occasions when I do accidentally tune into some local station, whether it’s one meant for my demographic or not, I thank my lucky stars that the internet and the BBC Sounds app exists. Because there would be misery and death all around if I had to listen to the aural pollutants that SABC and Primedia push out 24/7.

So here’s to another 20 years and beyond.
Happy Birthday, 6 Music.

Day 581 – Coffee on the island

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The trip is going well. Thanks for asking. 16,000+ steps yesterday, so it’s hard work, but good fun.

I’m lucky enough not to be on overnight supervision duties, so I have my own cell – literally an old prison cell – on the other side of the yard from the kids. I’m not sure how much quieter it was, though.

A quick Southland Coffee got me going this morning while everyone else was relying on instant muddy water or juggling with complicated paraphernalia. I stay winning.

Today: the real prison, and that guy‘s cell. Always a privilege.

More soon.

Not a sponsored post. Just some good advice.

Day 580 – About Sunday lunch

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The Restaurant at Clos Malverne was our choice. Fancy, without being too avant garde; keeping a family-friendly feel, but still with some amazing food.

And if you book early, you can get a terrace table.
Here’s why that’s a good idea

[Oops. I’ve just realised that I’m trying to upload a 61MP pano. Let me sort that out with my new resize option. Then you can enjoy the view like we did. There’s it.]

Cajun soft-shelled crab for starters: amazing flavours and textures, followed by their fillet: good quality, simple food done really well. (But also medium rare, obviously.) A bottle of their really good Auret to go with it.
And Mrs 6000 got some extra treats for her birthday. Perfect.

This one drops neatly into the 6000 Recommends… category.