It has been more than a year since I have blogged. I am questioning whether it is still a good idea to even keep this blog going. This is primarily a travel blog, and since 2020 and COVID 19 impacted the world, travel was not an option. International travel was restricted and so was travel within South Africa. It was, however, needed as the vaccines have only been around the past couple of months in the world.
Yet, travel has always been something I have been blessed with…or maybe it’s just how I see everything I experience as an adventure in its own. Since, my last blog post I still managed to do some really cool trips nearby and even visit a new province! Travel isn’t always about the destination and getting stamps in your passport, it’s also about discovery. This blog also highlights experiences to help make your travels all that much more special so naturally it includes food, wine and all the fun things to do when visiting.
Last year, I definitely spent a lot more time on social media. Sharing my trips and experiences, as most prefer to get their information from there. In 2021, there’s nothing better than a nice curated feed and excellent discussion topics.
So, I am still contemplating whether to still keep this blog going. Most of my followers and audience prefer social media to connect and find out things anyway. I’ll give beedujour.com another year before making my final decision….after all, websites really do better for helping make transactions these days.
Anyway, let’s catch up on my little travels over the past year and a half:
2020
The Hermanus Weekend
Finally, many local accommodations were running specials for locals to come and enjoy their stays. I spent a long weekend in September 2020 in Hermanus during the Whale Watching festival. It was still really chilly that time, but getting out of Cape Town was so refreshing. I insisted I do the whale watching boat tour amidst the choppy seas and go horrendously sea sick. Next time, the whales can come to me.
Steenberg Vineyards
Keeping it really close to home I did a few visits for wine tasting at Steenberg Vineyards. The bubbly tasting is amazing and of course there was opportunity to take some fresh new pictures for my feed! Their décor and tasting areas are so beautiful.
JC Le Roux
This was my first time visiting their wine farm in Stellenbosch. We went during the week day so it was quiet and chilled. Their wine tasting experience is a lot of fun and they have fantastic Italian food. I even won a prize for the below picture of me sipping on bubbly! They are now one of my faves.
Limpopo!
I also got the opportunity to visit a new province amidst all the drama of 2020! I won a stay at a lodge in the Waterberg region. Covid was still a scary reality with no vaccine in sight at that point, so it was to our delight we got the entire lodge to ourselves along with great service 100% devoted to us. Not a bad way to spend a birthday!
Klein Roosboom
I’m guilty of saying I had not ventured into the Durbanville wine farm area until this day. We came too late for tasting but had bubbly and lunch.
2021
Babylonstoren
A hot summer’s day called for a visit to the sprawling gardens of Babylonstoren. They are vast and I don’t think I saw all of it actually. Their wines were fantastic and I walked away with a Sauvignon Blanc.
Cape Point
I’ve been here several times (always hoping to see the zebra) but it really offers an escape from the city on the Cape Peninsula. Crashing waves, wild winds and wildlife sightings can all be found at the tip of the African continent.
West Coast National Park
I have been in the park before, but in winter. I’ve seen the fields of amazing strandveld flowers and flamingos lounge in the lagoon. This spring, I spent one of the last hot summers days on the other side of this ancient lagoon trying to swim in very, very shallow water. It’s a strange landscape and you can also spot a bit of wildlife roaming about.
Kleine Zalze
Finally…I went to Kleine Zalze. They make some of the best bubbly in South Africa. That’s just my opinion, and we chose a warm Autumn Day to taste them all.
The Burn-out Weekend Getaway
So more than 1 year of living in uncertainty, a pandemic, virus waves and a very poor work-life balance…the pressure all caught up to me. I was planning to do a trip out of province with a friend, but then the third wave hit SA and we felt unsure. Going on a gut feeling, I opted to rather spend a weekend away in the winelands and to just get away from it all. During that weekend inter-provincial travel was prohibited.
This was a spoil and really helped me clear my mind to help make serious decisions for the rest of the year.
Laborie Wines
Located in the heart of Paarl in the Cape Winelands, Laborie is my latest visit. I’m a fan of their rose wine and really wanted to visit their estate. I loved its rustic vibe and gardens that spread into their vineyards.
I clearly drank a lot of wine over the past year and a half…we had an alcohol ban during our lockdown in South Africa so it made us appreciate our local produce even more so.
I haven’t thought about travelling abroad since COVID and am now focused on seeing all South Africa’s provinces. I’m not sure what the rest of the year holds for us, but 2021 has been intense to say the least. I think most are all just happy to get vaccinated so we can take steps for moving forward and picking up from where we left off.
I really have been enjoying the little things…and that’s ok!
Safe Travels
Bee
beedujour.com 