TULBAGH , THE PLACE WHERE ART IS CREATED

Tulbagh is not far from Cape Town, it took us around 2 hours to get there. Upon entering Church Street, you know that you have entered a historic town. As we drove down the road we admired the largest number of Cape Dutch, Edwardian and Victorian provincial heritage sites in one street in South Africa, as I was told.

 

Our accommodation, Wittedrift Art Manor, is an old Victorian style house with it's art and antique furniture, a true beauty. The rooms were comfortable, white linen and rosemary on the pillows to add an extra touch. There were two single beds in our room with still enough space to move around. The kitchen is spacious and really takes you back in time, real old style. There is a stoep outside the kitchen right opposite the pool so you can relax in the evenings, with a bottle and just chill.

The 5th annual Tulbagh Arts Festival was celebrated and we got ready to attend the opening which started only minutes we arrived and it definitely was a rush for us, but we were glad we made it in time.

This exhibition was held at the Mission Church and featured a number of artist’s present. Wine and snacks created a great vibe to the opening. It was well attended by many locals and guests that travelled from outside the town. 

I just felt that each of the artists who exhibited should have been represented and introduced. I also think that part of the programme should have included a five minute video of ether what could be expected or what it was like last year. As the social media platform was being populated , many asked questions re the event.  Definitely something I would look into re marketing.

 

The Festival offered weekend activities that included music from different genres, art exhibitions, literary discussions, concerts, walkabouts, wine-tastings, crafts market, food stalls, live entertainment, etc. Looking at the programme it was clear that much effort went into it. This for me must be complemented with my reasoning above. 

 

After the opening I headed off to the De Oude Kerk Volksmuseum in Church Street where Rocco de Villiers, a pianist was going to perform tunes from his latest release. This was my first time that I was introduced to him but simply loved this entertainer. He is witty, funny and truly knows how to captivate his audience. The venue, a beautiful architectural building was the perfect setting for the hymns, pity that it was not packed. Fabulous show indeed.

 

 

It was late into the evening, but it was far from over. Time to meet the town’s very own popular group called, Witzenbergies , consisting of farmers and entrepreneurs. Chris Kreef is the leader of the pack and also owns Saronsberg Theatre / restaurant. Looks can be deceiving but they rocked the event and got people off their feet. I hope to see them at the International Cape Town Jazz festival in 2016.  Attendees are in for chocolate with nutty ice-cream, mouth-watering for those who indulge like myself. 

The next morning, it was an early breakfast and we had the privilege of meeting renowned violist Hezron Chetty. What a gentleman and musician. He played on the violin to give us a taste of what was on offer later that morning. 

 

One of the members fell ill and we needed to get an Asthavent pump. To my surprise the chemist had no stock of most items; I wasn’t sure what was happening as the racks were empty. We had to drive to Ceres, which was 25 kilometers away, not cool. This is another important element that the organizers will need to address even though the doctor in the town was on duty.  

In the town there was a buzz of activity from the crafts to the bazaar. We meandered around and finally ended up at the Readers Restaurant for the craft beer tasting with the performance by Hezron Chetty. The combination of the two was an amazing idea and with the cheese stall right there we combined all the elements to make for an unforgettable hour. It was not well attended and I felt that this man needed a far bigger audience to have appreciated his efforts. My eye is on him for the footprints he is making in South Africa and the globe.

 

 

Next we went on a walkabout of the town and our steps led us to Kuierbossie restaurant. As you enter I felt that I was at an upmarket Spur, a place of diversity and families. The exhibition complimented the ambiance of the venue and the owner, a hands on lady that interacts with all her patrons with the help of her son and family. In the evenings entertainment is provided and the surprise element is that the owner forms part of a trio called Arida. I enjoyed the food and atmosphere and definitely recommend them. They are very proud of their community involvement and a patrons comment bore testament of this. 

 

This town had so many art exhibitions and one starts to appreciate creativity and the efforts of this festival. Wish there were more people to behold the beauty.  

 

 

 

 

  

     

 

The evening we attended the gala concert where we were in for a treat of a lifetime, with the ever popular Vivaldi’s Four Seasons performing (Violin was played by Petrus de Beer, Accordion by Stanislav Angelov, Double bass by Schalk Joubert joined by one of the local acclaimed blues guitarist Albert Frost).

This show cannot be described in words; it was that moment heaven opened. The venue was Morgansvlei Country Estate and the setting completely complemented the performance. What a wonderful art exhibitions they displayed, really intriguing. 

 

The night was set and started on a high note.  

 I popped over to Saronsberg Theatre to see the Valiant Swart Band performing. This was well supported by the locals and I could see a definite hit with them. By this time I was exhausted and wanted to hit the sack.  

 

The next morning we had breakfast at Readers Restaurant, where the cat lady and her cats, welcomed us. Norman Collins a resident photographer and co-owner of the restaurant had his exhibition the previous evening outside the restaurant. He has such talent and captures more than what the normal eye sees.                             

We immediately had to leave for Waverley Hills who produces organic wine,   infused by distinctive fynbos. A special 5-course, creative food and wine pairing were created especially for the festival. One of my best ever pairings and I can’t describe how much each dish left an impression on my palate and memory. This all can be enjoyed while at the foothills of the breath-taking Witzenberg Mountain Range which forms the backdrop for the scene. 

  

 

Our afternoon ended off discussing possibilities for the future as well as having an ice-cream tasting at Readers Restaurant. OMG , this festival wanted to send me off in style and how! The flavours born in this restaurant can only be described by saying, visit them and indulge. Don’t talk about the curry flavour and the mint. Don’t get me going here; ice-cream is one of my favourite foods.  

 

Thanks to everyone that made this possible. Follow @TravelingMedia for regular updates or check me out @D7events. 

See you next time for more discoveries and possibilities. 

 

SHO'T LEFT TO DEVON VALLEY

So when I got the invitation to do the Devon Valley Detour, I searched the map and could only find the Devon Valley Hotel. Finding information on the valley seems near impossible. My life saver on the morning was the GPS system that guided us to the hotel which was our first stop.

As you turn from the main road into Devon Valley Street, it almost feels that you have entered a rural valley, tranquil, serene and these vineyards surrounding you.  We arrived at the hotel and were greeted by staff who directed us to sit in the lounge area. I needed assistance with @warriorwheels as he needed to grab something to eat, but the staff came to my aid and sorted us out. Well done!

A quick coffee to start the day and we left with Devon Valley transport to our first stop which was Stellenbrau, where we would do the craft beer tasting. I believe that craft beer is taking our world by storm and should be watch as a big contender. Their beers are made of the finest barley and for those fearing that you will develop love-handles, no fear as these beers are low in kilojoules it was told to us. My suggestion, try a few and if it does build a waistline, don’t blame me, I am the recipient of the information. Speak to the man who will change craft beer forever. 

The tour takes you along a path of what the entire process is about and if you are a lover of beer or just for information sake, this is worth your while, the taste even better.

 So we tasted, four, i.e. Craven Craft Lager( this beer has a hop bitterness to it with a rich malt taste) , Alumni Ale( this has a strawberry, plum aroma with a bit of a sweet honey taste) Governer's Red Lager( I could taste the rooibos in this beer, yet still the malt that came through)  and Jonkers Weiss( if you like banana, then you are going to enjoy this one) . Let me just add that if you are going to do this tour, you need to have time on your hands. We were rushed as we had made appointments with the various establishments.

Our second stop took us to Middelvlei Wine Estate, belonging to the Momberg Family, who has a generational history of the place. It was buzzing that Saturday with activity as they had tables reserved for parties. Loved the attention to details that they gave each of us.

         

When we got seated at our table, right opposite the outdoor fireplace, you could smell the meat on the braai and the coffee aroma luring you. We sat down and each got a “potbrood” which is a bread roll done over the coals, served with a fish pâté. Thinking back, causes salivation.

   

The tapas are paired with Middelvlei Chardonnay, the second one which is a Biltong and cheese on bread made on the fire are paired with their Pinotage Merlot and their cocktail sosatie with a Free-run Pinotage.  

This is such a family friendly estate and kids will enjoy the animals on the farm. The dogs are so friendly and pet lovers will enjoy this kind of atmosphere. Again I want to emphasize time, as you want to just take in all that surrounds you.

The House of J.C. Le Roux was our next stop and as we entered the building where there was this buzz of excitement in the air. I discovered then that many people hire the venue to have functions, which can be private as well. 

The bubbly’s or Cap Classique and sparkling wines was amazing and coupled with the venue setting, this makes for a beautiful stop for any occasion.  

CLOS MALVERNE, which forms part of the detour, was unable to accommodate us as they had a prior group booking. Since we are at this point, let me take a detour. This tour has to be booked in advance and for each stop over you receive a voucher that has to be handed to the host. The cost is R230 and I think would make an excellent, party with a difference, outing, and year-end function or just to have fun and relax. Bookings can be made at: 021 865 2012 or info@sylvanvale.com www.devonvalleyhotel.com

Our final stop was at the Devon Valley Hotel a serene country setting with striking views over their own vineyards. 

 Within their restaurant there were canapés paired with SylvanVale wines. The latter name was given as the vineyards surround the historic Hotel. What a fantastic way to end off this tour and I felt that by body needed a detour to the bed.

For the price you pay, this is real value for money and getting my groups together to Take a sho’t left detour.  

Thanks to @winelands for arranging the tour. Follow @TravelingMedia for the next adventure and let me know @d7events , whether you are joining me on a detour.