REPORT ON DAY OUT TO MALMESBURY
Thursday 31st January 2019

End of January is bound to be HOT wherever you go – and today Malmesbury, was no exception. When you go inland, you realise how good it is to live close to the sea where at least you often have a cool breeze blowing off the icy waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Our first stop was a new development in Malmesbury called Bill & Co.  We have been working with Johan Piesang at this new venture.  It has a Bistro, Wine Bar, Craft Beer, and I believe soon-to-be installed Gin-Bar.  There is also a vegetable section which sells fresh veggies from the farm including butter and large chickens.

The ladies soon settled in and some ordered coffee and a pastry or apple pie / a few did wine tasting and a few met and chatted to Kotie who had come especially from Darling for our group .  She cultivates the most wonderful mushrooms – and explained to us all about the pink mushrooms and how these mushrooms flourish when it’s full moon!  Many packets of wonderful mushrooms – guess what everyone will be having for dinner on Friday evening?

At 11:45 we headed off on a drive around town and visited No 14 Faure Street which is an extremely well-kept 144 year old house.

We sauntered around the garden and met some of the staff who showed us the back garden.   Alterations are happening – being a National monument all alterations go through the Heritage Council.  Excitedly, Time Out have been invited back at a later stage, to view the home inside!  This will, indeed, be a treat.  What appealed to most of the grannies aboard the coach was the magnificent play-house in the garden – superb!

At this stage of the day it was getting very warm – probably around the late 20’s or even into the 30 degree mark!  Our next stop was the Cherry Lane Bistro and Gift Shop.  They had reserved a large under cover area for half of our group with the windows open on-the-side where there was a cool breeze blowing.

The balance of our group opted to sit inside the house – at least the 2 front rooms had air conditioning and at first it cooled the room considerably!  After eating perhaps our bodies got hot again, and the AC didn’t even seem that efficient!

Our lunch was very good – albeit under the trying circumstances of the hot day a few errors crept in with service!  However, most said they had thoroughly enjoyed their lunch (albeit huge portions) and many portions went home – this is country hospitality for you!

Mains were a choice of Cherry Lane Burgers/ Chicken Schnitzel / Veg stir Fry and Chicken Pie!

Dessert was a choice of Fruit Salad & ice cream (the most popular by far); Lemon Meringue which would break any diet; Carrot cake and Chocolate Brownies with ice cream.

We left Malmesbury at 15h00 arriving back in Tableview by 16:00 and Constantia by about 17:30!

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