That Blog

A few years ago, my family discovered the amazing meal that just keeps on giving…The Tur-duck-en. For those of you that don’t know what that is, it is a  deboned turkey, stuffed with a (deboned) chicken, stuffed with a (deboned) duck, stuffed with stuffing…or if you find it easier to say, Tur-duck-en. (I prefer to hyphenate the word, as it seems that some people are a little put off at the thought of eating something that has the word Turd in the name.)

So, as you can well imagine, this is a gargantuan amount of bird to get through and if your family is as small as mine, not even a post-Christmas Turkey Curry buffet will save you from Turkey/Duck/Chicken sandwiches for days to come!

So, if you aren’t up for putting together the old traditional Christmas feast and can’t be bothered with constantly having to peer into a hot oven to see if that little red thing has popped out the Turkey’s rear, why not get the good peeps at the Mount Nelson to do it all for you.

Check out the variety of Christmas meals they are hosting…

CHRISTMAS EVE

Planet Restaurant
Date: 24 December 2010
Time: 19h00 onwards
Price: R890 per person. We regret – no children under the age of 12
Menu: Festive 5-course Table d’ Hôte Menu
Dress: Elegant

Oasis Restaurant
Date: 24 December 2010
Time: 18h00
Price: R495 per adult / R195 per child under the age of 12
Menu: Extensive Festive Buffet Selection
Dress: Casual
Entertainment: J Russel Instrumental Jazz Duo

Join the choir for Christmas carols around the fountain from 18h30 to 19h30.

CHRISTMAS DAY

Oasis Restaurant
Date: 25 December 2010
Time: 12h30 onwards
Price: R695 per adult / R220 per child under the age of 12
Menu: Extensive Festive Buffet Selection
Dress: Casual
Entertainment: Enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the company of the B3 Jazz Duo.

Planet Restaurant
Date: 25 December 2010
Time: 12h30 onwards
Price: R730 per person. We regret, no children under the age of 12
Menu: Festive 5-course Table d’ Hôte Menu
Dress: Smart casual

The Ballroom
Date: 25 December 2010
Time: 12h30 onwards
Price: R730 per adult / R280 per child under the age of 12
Menu: Extensive Festive Buffet Selection
Dress: Smart casual
Entertainment: Mike Perry’s 4-piece band

Good news is that the Planet Bar will open on 25 December from 12h00 onwards for festive pre-lunch and dinner drinks…to ensure you get the whole family in the Christmas spirit, or is that drinking the Christmas spirit?

They will also give you a complimentary sparkling wine and Pimm’s on arrival!

If you are looking for something completely different to do on Christmas day, what about…

Afternoon Tea in the Lounge
Date: 25 December 2010
Time: 14h30 onwards
Price: R185 per person / R95 per child under the age of 12
Menu: Festive-inspired Afternoon Tea buffet
Dress: Casual
Entertainment: Resident pianist

No need to slog away preparing that massive Christmas lunch/dinner in Cape Town this year (and dealing with the mess afterwards)…the Old Mount Nelson can do it all for you! Although, I can’t guarantee that they will have Tur-Duck-en on the menu,

By the way, these prices are inclusive of festive novelties and service charge.

For reservations, contact restaurantreservations@mountnelson.co.za or +27 (0) 21 483 1948

www.mountnelson.co.za

Remember I told you about the awesome weekend away for That Blogger and friends to the Agulhas Wine Festival? Well, it looks like it is time for another out-of-town adventure to go and do some Whale Spotting at the De Hoop Collection Whale Weekend.

You may not know this, but That Blogger was part of the semigration from Gotham City (aka Jozi), so the sight and novelty factor of a real Whale that isn’t disguised as a Metro policewoman and is actually splashing about in the ocean is truly exciting one!!

Metro Cops...Closest thing to a Whale in Jozi

We were lucky enough to spot 3 whales when we where there for the Wine Festival, but by all accounts, the whales have arrived en masse and it is a sight to behold. I can only assume it is because the Whales knew that the Whale Festival was taking place this weekend and so made sure their travel arrangements got them to De Hoop in time. Whales…they are clever like that you know?!

If the weather isn’t ideal for sitting on beach for too long, fear not…there are awesome log fires in the cottages that lend themselves perfectly to red wine and a good book and if you feel like learning a bit, there will be a leading whale authority staying there this weekend who will happily share expertise and stories.

Come on…you know you want a weekend away…so why not head to De Hoop Nature Reserve. There is everything from tight budget accomodation to some pretty luxurious spots (check it out here) and if you head there during June and July, you will get 25% off your booking (Tell them That Blog sent you). Come on…get booking!! I will tell the Whales to hang around for a while longer if you can’t make it this weekend

Call 0861 33 4667 or e-mail info@dehoopcollection.co.za for bookings.

That Blogger plus the Touring Party headed off to Robertson this weekend to investigate the legend of the Wacky Wine Weekend.

Whilst there is no denying that there are some awesome wine estates to be visited in the Robertson area, I am not entirely sure that this is the weekend to do a significant amount of farm visiting. A lot of my enjoyment of a wine tasting comes from chatting to the wine maker or at least a knowledgeable staff member about the estate and the wine on offer…this is pretty tough to achieve on the WWW. There are a LOT of people at each farm and it is difficult to talk to the staff about what they are offering for tasting.

Whilst we definitely had a good weekend and much fun was enjoyed with the Touring Party…we may do things a little differently next year.

Firstly, we will do the out-of-town farms on the Saturday. Scrumming against a multitude of drunk students to get a sample of wine is not my idea of fun at a winetasting. Friday and Sunday were really pleasant experiences, but the chaos of Saturday should be avoided by heading to the estates that are a little out of town and less well known.

Secondly, we will stay closer to Robertson. We booked a little late and ended up staying nearer Worcester. A lovely B&B…but you really don’t want to travel 50km home after a wine tasting (even with a designated driver)

Thirdly, we will do more self-catering in the evenings. The (very limited number of) restaurants in Robertson cannot deal with the onslaught of the WWW and are best avoided. Rather cook a great meal at your self-catering spot and then head out for the evening after that…or better still, enjoy some of the fine wine you purchased during the day.

Forthly, Arabella on the Saturday night is HECTIQUE…brace yourself! If you are ready for it and if you are keen for a some chassis shaking, you will keep your wits about you (or at least one member of the group does!!) and a healthy sense of humour and only then a good time will be had by all.

Fifthly, do the responsible thing and assign a DD (designated driver) per day. It makes for a far more enjoyable experience knowing that you have at least one person getting you safely around each day.

Lastly, don’t go with any major expectations other than to have a great time and to enjoy some really fantastic wine!!! With that in mind…you will have a great weekend!

It seems to be Wine Festival time…and I think I may have mentioned before how much I enjoy a wine festival! Last week it was the Agulhas Wine Festival and now another one…WOOHOO!! Awesome! Another weekend away AND a wine festival to boot!

This weekend, That Blogger will be venturing to The Robertson Wacky Wine Weekend. This is my maiden voyage to the WWW and I am really looking forward to it. The festival runs from 03 June to 06 June and promises to be loads of fun. Wonderful wine farms to visit and loads of great activities organised throughout the weekend. Just have a look at this program to see what I mean (Wacky Wine Weekend Program). I have to say that I am PARTICULARLY excited about the appearance of the Wedding DJs at Arabella Wine Estate on Friday night…I do like to “flick a heel” to the awesome sounds of the ’80s and ’90s!

See you in Robertson!

That Blogger and a team of friends, eager to escape Cape Town for the weekend, set off for the Agulhas Wine Festival hosted at The De Hoop Nature Reserve late on Friday afternoon. That Blogger was attempting a whirlwind trip to JHB on Friday morning and due to a dodgy starter motor on the British Airways plane, managed to delay the departure for Agulhas by a healthy amount of time…however, we got onto the road at last and after an easy, uneventful 3 hour drive were greeted by the friendly staff of the De Hoop Collection in the Reception area.

We were shown to our accommodation and given a tour of the house. Wow, what a nice little spot! There were 3 spacious bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, new bathrooms and an outside braai area. The ever-patient, Boy in the group whipped up a roaring fire in the fireplace and before we could say “Chardonnay” we were all kicking back and enjoying a glass of wine and relaxing in front of the fire.

On Saturday morning, after a yummy breakfast, we set off to explore the reserve. There really seems to be a good amount of game around and within a few minutes of leaving our house, we had spotted Bontebok, Eland and LOTS of Ostrich! We headed for the beach and to check out Koppie Alleen, the beautiful little cottage that is set right on the beach and nestled in the Fynbos.

Bontebok

The view from the beach was just breath taking…the sea was a beautiful turquoise colour and the beach seemed to stretch on forever and the setting for Koppie Alleen is just magical. I will definitely be returning to De Hoop to stay there!

Koppie Alleen

After all that adventuring, the Team decided it was time to do some wine tasting. We headed back to the main reception and were guided to the hall where the wine tasting was taking place. Some quality time was then spent tasting some of the most wonderful wines from the Agulhas area – including Napier, Elim and Gansbaai. We tasted some incredible wines from the estates Strandveld, First Sighting, Quoin Rock, The Berrio, Jean Daneel, Lamond, Lands End, Black Oystercatcher, Zoetendal and Brunio. What a wonderful treat to have so many awesome estates gathered in one place!!!

Fast forward through a rather disappointing rugby game (for the Stormer’s fans obviously) and it was time to sit down to the specially prepared 6 course dinner in the lovely Fig Tree restaurant. The Chef, Bruce, had carefully prepared a meal that could be paired with wine from the estates showcased at the Festival. What a treat!!

The Team gingerly made it to breakfast back at the Fig Tree restaurant on Sunday morning and whilst the croissants with smoked salmon and scrambled eggs were wolfed down, I noticed that there weren’t too many takers for the bubbly-I suspect that might have something to do with the generous quantities of wine paired with the delicious meals the previous evening!!

The Beach and Sand Dunes

We headed back to the beach after breakfast for a stroll and were lucky enough to spot some Whales in the bay! We were told that in Whale Season, there have been nearly a 100 Whales sighted in the Bay! (We spotted 2…but it is still very early in the season!)

It really was an absolutely wonderfully relaxing weekend, made even more so by the almost non-existant cellphone reception throughout the reserve! Yes, the world did survive without us!

If you are looking for a great weekend away with family or friends, you really should have a look at De Hoop Nature Reserve. There is accommodation to suit all budgets and there really is SO much to do. The De Hoop Collection are also running a winter special of 25% off accommodation in June, July and August

For further information, call the De Hoop Collection on 0861 33 4667 or the Cape Town reservation office directly on 021 405 4587 or email res@dehoopcollection.co.za.

You can also visit the website for more info www.dehoopcollection.co.za

De Hoop Collection

I have to be honest and say that That Blogger LOVES a wine festival! This is why I was very excited to hear about the upcoming Agulhas Wine Festival being held from 28th to 30th May 2010 at the De Hoop Collection in the De Hoop Nature Reserve. The wine festival will showcase some of the award-winning wines from the Agulhas area – including Napier, Elim and nearby Gaansbaai. De Hoop is described as the “Jewel of the Western Cape” and really is such a beautiful setting for this festival and this is a great opportunity to taste some of the most delicate and decadent wines on offer from the area.

Wine estates on offer at the festival include:-

• Black Oystercatcher, Jean Daneel, The Berrio, Zoetendal, Strandveld Wines, First Sighting, Quoin Rock, Lamond, Brunio, Ghost Corner and Lands End

How exciting is that? Those are really some of my favourite wine estates and now they will all be gathered together in spot for tasting!

The festival begins on Friday evening with sundowners and snacks overlooking the De Hoop Vlei, where you can relax and enjoy the tranquil beauty of the surrounding wildlife and fynbos. On Saturday, from 11am to 2pm, the wine tasting starts and just to make the whole event even more decadent, you will be able to sample the freshly prepared canapés on offer. Later, from 6pm-8pm, another wine tasting will be held, followed by a sumptuous dinner at The Fig Tree restaurant, complete with wine pairing. On Sunday morning, the festival will close in style – with a luxurious champagne breakfast at the Fig Tree Restaurant to celebrate the area’s local bubbly.

Whilst the Reserve is open for day visitors, this is a fabulous opportunity to make this a “Weekend away with friends” type of event (Aren’t we always looking for a reason to get out of town?) There are plenty of accommodation options to choose from that suit all budgets. You can choose from the affordable campsite rondavels, an assortment of self-catering cottages and larger houses or the Opstal Manor House (which incl meals catered for at The Fig Tree Restaurant). If you are looking for something really special and more private, there is the beautiful Koppie Alleen set on its own overlooking the bay.

De Hoop Koppie Alleen Cottages

The Reserve is a World Heritage Site and really has so much to do if you are looking to take a break from the wine tasting. You can do some mountain biking, hiking, birding, animal spotting, snorkelling and even some whale watching! You are welcome to leave your vehicle at any time and wander around the reserve.

Black Oyster Catcher

De Hoop Nature Reserve is about 3 hours drive from Cape Town. It is in the Overberg region near the Southern tip of Africa can can be approached from either Bredasdorp or Swellendam. Reserve gates open at 7am and close at 6pm (7pm on Fridays). Late and early arrival can be arranged with Management at a small extra cost.

For further information, call the De Hoop Collection on 0861 33 4667 or the Cape Town reservation office directly on 021 405 4587 or email res@dehoopcollection.co.za.

You can also visit the website for more info www.dehoopcollection.co.za

De Hoop Collection

The Fourth Edition of the Franschhoek Literary Festival hits the streets of the Winelands on Friday 14 May until Sunday 16 May.

This great celebration of books and writers is really focussed on promoting South African reading and writing. Each year, writers come from far and wide to take part in this festival and this year is no exception. The festival gives you the opportunity to stroll through the lovely town of Franschhoek and interact with authors, poets and publishers. There will be signings, fundraisers and talks happening around town that you can participate in. The programme for the Festival is available on their website to help you plan your weekend. Tickets cost R60 and are available at the Town Hall.

Some of the local writers that will be at the festival this year are Aher Arap Bol, Alex Perry, Alistair Morgan, Allan Boesak, Angela Makholwa, Antjie Krog, Chris Thurman, Christi van der Westhuizen, Graeme Bloch, Harry Garuba, Isobel Dixon, Jacob Dlamini, Kader Asmal, Mandla Langa, Marida Fitzpatrick, Marita van der Vyver, Mark Behr, Mulenga Kapwepwe, Ndumiso Ngcobo, Paige Nick, Pieter Haasbroek, Philip Gourevitch, Rhoda Kadalie, Sue Rabie, Véronique Tadjo and Wessel Ebersohn. And believe it or not, that is just to name a few!!

Sunday Times will be hosting two fabulous dinners during the festival – an evening with Spud author John van de Ruit and Spud the Movie producer Ross Garland and director Donovan Marsh on the Friday at La Brasserie followed by dinner at Reuben’s Restaurant & Bar on Saturday as Mondli Makhanya teams up with Zapiro to discuss the political landscape. Unfortunately, the Reuben’s dinner is sold out, but if you have always wanted to meet the great mind behind the hilarious Spud books, now is your chance! Tickets for the evening are R250 per person and include a three course meal complemented by Porcupine Ridge wines. Proceeds from the evening will go towards the Sunday Times Storybook Campaign.

To book, please contact Thembi on 011 280 3381 or e-mail: goodtimes@sundaytimes.co.za. Bookings will only be confirmed on receipt of payment. Guests will be seated at tables of eight and 10

If you fancy staying over in Franschhoek for the weekend, give the Franschhoek Tourist Association a call and they can help you out with accommodation.