Once upon a time, not so very long ago, we could go wherever our walking shoes would take us, but that all changed in a matter of weeks because of one nasty little virus!
From that day on we see the world in a different light as we wonder if it's safe wherever we go; not talking about muggers and the likes now; no we're all afraid of that little CV monster!
I've been taking you to some real quaint places in the Overberg region of late and today is no exception, as I take you on my last walk in the Western Cape before the Sh1t Hit the Fan here in SA, to put it bluntly!
So put on your walking shoes as we're going to cover a lot of ground today but I'm sure you're going to be amazed.
LANGEBERG MOUNTAINS
We'll start off by looking at the Langeberg Mountain range which really is everywhere, all of approx 250 km long; starting in Worcester, past Robertson, Montagu, Swellendam, Heidelberg and Riversdale and ending near George.
One sees vineyards and orchards along the way, some still heavily laden with fruit.
WIND FARMS
This is farming land, and as the Cape is known for its strong winds, it only makes sense to put that wind to good use.
We saw a couple of Wind Farms along the way, some smaller with only a couple of turbines and one really big one. Of course these turbines are there to convert the wind to clean electricity thus harvesting the power of the wind.
Wind energy is a clean, renewable and cost effective source of energy which basically is a transformed form of solar energy. It further is a pollution-free energy source as it does not produce any air nor water pollution. Modern wind turbines produce 15 times more electricity than the typical wind turbine did in 1990. Source
I hope that our government will start seeing the light so to speak, and make use of this natural clean source of energy sooner rather than later.
BONNIEVALE
We're going to stop at Bonnievale Wines along the way and do some wine tasting. This wine maker has has been producing wines from the fertile land in the beautiful Bonnievale Valley for over half a century. We tasted six variants; they take exceptional pride in only producing quality wines so no surprise that there are a couple of award winning wines!
We left there in quite a jolly mood I must add, so be careful you don't trip up along the way:)
ASHTON
A quick look at the map and we'll make our way to Route 62 via the Cogmanskloof Pass but will first stop off at a place called Platform 62 in the little town of Ashton. There were many temptations here at the farm stall; I could not resist the African Cream Liqueur in a stunning bottle in the shape of a Rhino horn. The producer donates to the Royal Rhino Fund which is a registered and audited donor towards the Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT), this was a good buy indeed all around with both sides winning!
We were a tad peckish and in need of a good cup of coffee, so sat down for a while; this was the cheeky but very effective challenge to all tipsters!
Hope that made you smile @elizacheng:):)
COGMANSKLOOF PASS
So now we're on our way to Route 62 and come across the Cogmanskloof Pass - an impressive gorge with towering and colourful rock formations which passes through the Langeberg mountain between Ashton and Montagu on the R62.
The tunnel which is hued into rock is regarded as the window to the Little Karoo.
MONTAGU
Our next stop will be the town of Montagu, the home of dried fruit and nuts. One can find little Montagu shops all over South Africa, but it was great stepping into its home base and there was much more on offer here and of course everything was fresh from the farm.
We'd had a full day so had to make a beeline for our home base at Stonehill River Lodge on the banks of the Breede River before nightfall as it's outside Swellendam on a gravel road that could be quite treacherous in the dark with all the twists and bends!
We made it back in time, the sun was just beginning to set, a perfect end to a memorable day!
Hope to see your Wednesday Walk here on Hive, a challenge run by that wonderful photographer @tattoodjay in collaboration with @elizacheng's Make Me Smile.
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