I don’t know how I’m going to break the news to Trinity but I’ve developed a serious crush on Brutus. This bike is seriously racing my motor! I now understand why it’s the top selling BMW motorcycle model. It is an AMAZING ride!
Following a rather slow start to the day, my day was nothing but exhilarating. This was because I ended up chatting to three the other couples staying at the same guest house as me, so I got away about 1.5 hours later than I had planned to. Well, everyone knows I’m prone to a chat! What lovely people though – all three retired couples, two from the UK and one from the Netherlands.
The plan for the day was to head to Hermanus via Stellenbosch, Franschoek, Gordan’s Bay and Betty’s Bay.
What a day it turned out to be. The scenery was breathtaking, while the weather was sketchy at bits. It was quite windy but sunny on the route to Stellenbosch. I don’t know this part of the world very well but I could not forget the spot where our minibus broke down on the way to Simonsig wine estate between Christmas and New Year. When I saw the spot I instantly started to giggle and thought about my group of my friends and mom standing on the side of the road with the grape sellers. I could help but smile. It also of course made me realise that I was close to Simonsig so I decided to pop by and see if Maureen was there. As luck would have it she was and I have a photo to prove it.
From Simonsig I headed east to Franschoek passing by Tokara (the best wine estate to see the sunset) and De Graaf (the best wine estate in Stellenbosch to have lunch), which are located on opposite sides of Helshoogte Road (R310). The dramatic landscape surrounding these estates is breathtaking.
It felt quite strange riding into Franschoek without my friend Angela – I have only ever been there with her. I looked for a place to have lunch in town (Franschoek has two of the top restaurants in South Africa so it’s a bit of a foodie’s haven) but as I kept riding I decided to head up the mountain to Le Petite Ferme, Angela’s favourite wine estate in Franschoek. I can’t blame her though, the food there is outstanding. My steak was flawless, the same as my view, so I enjoyed it for the both of us.
As luck would have it I was on the road I needed to be, namely the R45 heading towards Franschoek Pass. What an exciting ride! The road firstly climbs the mountain providing a panoramic view across the wine valley, and then winds down the mountain in a series of tight twists and bends. It looked and felt quite dramatic with the clouds closing in on the mountain pass. I sadly didn’t take a photo of the road down the mountain but I did take a photo on the way up (see below).
By the time I joined the N2 (heading west to Cale Town) it had started to rain lightly. For the first time I felt rather cautious of Brutus so I placed him into rain mode (a setting on the bike that reduces the power output by 30%). As a result the drive down Sir Lowry’s pass was not as dramatic as it would normally be but my other issue was that the wind was really strong as I came over the pass so I had to keep my eyes firmly peeled to the road. This is quite a shame as Sir Lowry’s pass is not something you ever want to miss!
Fortunately for me though the disappointment of missing taking in the view from Sir Lowry’s pass was forgotten on the drive around the coast on the R44 from Gordon’s Bay to Hermanus. The drive reminds me so much of Highway 1 between Big Sur and Monterey, although in my view it’s nicer. Below is a little taster of it for you.
I arrived in Hermanus at around 6pm. After a shower I rode into town to have a light dinner and see what the town has to offer. It’s a very cute little town very much catered to whale watching, which is what this part of the coastline is famous for. I captured one of the whale watching lookout points below.
What a truly wonderful day!
Mel & Trinity 