The weather did not cooperate, but what is a strong wind and some rain when you are out on an adventure? It's just Nature at work to shake us up a little. We were to go by bus from Whale Haven to 5 wine farms in the gorgeous Hemel-en-Aarde valley behind Hermanus, and nearly choked on the first glass of Pinot Noir when our transport arrived. Not a bus, but two typical safari vehicles (three tiers of seats fixed to a large bakkie, with canvas roof and side flaps. Not quite what we needed in the inclement weather.
We clambered up a stepladder to reach the seats, 5 in one and 6 in the other, with two young girls who would be giving us a little information on each art exhibition at the wineries. (At this stage we were not expecting more than a glass of wine at one venue, but things improved as the morning went on and substantial amounts were quaffed.) It was not actually raining as we headed off, so one side of the canvas was rolled up to ensure unobstructed views of the game (there was none, so we never found out why the safari vehicles), and blankets were soon draped all over us to keep out some of the very cold wind, as we are currently in the grip of very low temperatures in the country.
By great good fortune, we managed to be inside each of the tasting/exhibition rooms while it was raining, and in the vehicles while it was not. We were treated to scenes of great beauty, with rainbows stretching across the valley as each cloudburst approached, and we enjoyed a good amount of sunshine which enabled us to stroll around a little, although we were on a bit of a tight schedule and had to swig the wine rather inelegantly at times.
It was such an enjoyable outing, with much laughter, a few complaints that were ignored, some interesting art and outstanding wines. Definitely to be repeated. The pictures don't give any idea how cold it was, though!
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