People always talk of the “Merry-month-of-May”, but March should not be excluded – our white coach outing to Stellenbosch was no exception with everyone being merry and looking forward to the day out!
“Time Out” is something that many people look forward to, month-by-month . Time Out in your daily routine from whatever it is that keeps you busy – time to meet up with friends – and time to go somewhere different.
Our coach rolled into Stellenbosch and a large part of our group discovered one of the hidden gems in this town – The Stellenbosch Botanical Gardens! Delicious coffee was enjoyed at the Katjiepiering Restaurant situated under the unbelievable trees in this special garden.
At a pre-arranged time we wandered over to the Bonsai Collection (the largest in the Southern Hemisphere) where another gem was discovered! Willem Pretorius had come in specially to give us a short talk on the love that he has for this unbelievable collection of bonsais!
To hear some of the stories from Willem regarding the background of the collection and the special tales behind some of them, was so very enjoyable! We all left the garden with such a feeling of peace – those that chose to go shopping missed out on this gem!
Lunch was at the Bistro 13 on Baden Powell Drive. Nic van Wyk,who has worked in many top kitchens has now opened his own restaurant. What a special feel it has to it! The staff are top notch and the service was excellent. Our lunch (pre-chosen en route) was so very delicious. Top marks to Nic van Wyk! We had a selection of the following: –
Starters: A vegetarian salad with beetroot, figs, sprouts and goat cheese ; Mussels, chorizo and gnocchi and a decadent salad with smoked salmon fritter, pickled fennel salad, with lemon scented crème fraiche.
Mains: A fabulous plated Onglet steak salad; pan fried line fish and delicious crumbed pork fillet served with sauerkraut, crispy bacon, baby potatoes with juniper jus!
Many people said after lunch that the meal was “The best they had had in a long while” / “The service made me feel very comfortable” ……..Bistro 13 is the type of restaurant that you want to return to time-and-again!
Our route home was along the fabulous Baden Powel Drive to Constantia. Driving along this beach road always soothes your soul!
Arriving back in Tableview just after 17h00 we all felt that the true meaning of Time Out was personified – coming back to our homes with joy in our hearts – what better feeling can you have than this?