# Cotswold Connections: Cathy Retief-Neil's Cape Diaries > Cathy Retief-Neil shares a Cape Winelands Christmas in summer, with Table Mountain dawns, 30ºC days and her outdoorsy children visiting from Banbury. URL: https://cotswolds.info/cathydiaries/stellenbosch-wine-route.shtml Section: Cathy's Diaries Author: Cathy Retief-Neil Last updated: 2007-03-27 ### ARTICLES BY CATHY RETIEF-NEIL ## Christmas in Summer ![Art tablemtn](https://cotswolds.info/images/cathy/art2tablemtn.jpg) I awoke this morning to the usual sounds, but somehow this time, they were more special. Guinea fowl were clucking away in the field next door, seagulls squawked their way overhead and sparrows twittered in the garden, while the lavender-coloured dawn crept over Table Mountain, the vineyards and sweeping expanse of sea. Oh dear, I know this sounds so poetically-cliché, but when you wake up to this magnificence each morning, you cannot help but draw from poetry. As Christmas approaches and our great expanse of pristine beaches start to fill with tourists from all over the globe, I picture raindrops and gently falling snow in your part of the world... and wish I could be there! With more than seven months of warm, sunny days, we actually look forward to the cool winter that brings the much-needed rain. Just a reminder that our coldest day temperature is about 12ºC and 6ºC at night, therefore we do not have central heating, but believe me, we do have airconditioning to survive temperatures upwards of 30ºC in summer. My children will be visiting from Banbury England over Christmas and I am counting the days. They are very outdoorsy and enjoy deep-sea diving, wreck-diving, absailing, hiking, water-skiing, canoeing, barbeques and any other invitation from Mother Nature during the splendid, sun-filled summer months . They keep a 'cache' of gear at the in-law's family holiday home in the Garden Route, where we'll all be spending Christmas together. ![Art flowers](https://cotswolds.info/images/cathy/art2flowers.jpg) The vineyards are shedding their rust-coloured coats now and donning their Summer green - almost like Joseph and his technicolour coat! The indigenous flora, or 'fynbos' as we call it - literally translates to 'fine bush' and includes the majestic Protea that South Africa is renowned for - is spreading blankets of colour along the mountainside and coastal roads, while those magnificent 'ships of the sea', the mighty Southern Right whales, are frolicking in the bay, introducing their new-born calves to the joys of our warm Indian and Atlantic waters. I stand in awe as these huge mammals raise their great bulk out of the water like some giant, graceful ballerina, only to come crashing down in a mighty splash that sends ripples as far as the eye can see. Yet they are so gentle and docile in the presence of we mere mortals; almost as if they know that we would not survive the massive waves and tunneling swirl caused by their playful antics. Sadly, they will soon head back towards the colder waters of the Antarctic. There is so much to see and do here in my little spot on the globe and I thought I would mention just a few popular activities and sights. ![Article sea](https://cotswolds.info/images/cathy/article2sea.jpg) Stellenbosch Wine Route is the oldest in the country and gives those who appreciate the fruit of the vine, the opportunity to taste some of the international award-winning wines of the region at the various cellars, where, incidentally, anything from a vintner's platter, to snails, homemade water-lily pie and other traditional South African fare may be enjoyed. There are also two amphi-theatres where anything from the more serious of entertainment to sunset picnics and pop concerts may be enjoyed. There is, within a 10 mile radius, a crocodile, an ostrich and a butterfly farm, lion park, cheetah outreach programme and wildlife reserve. ![Art house](https://cotswolds.info/images/cathy/art2house.jpg) **Typical Cape Dutch Home on a Wine Farm** There are many beaches to choose from, both here in my neck of the woods and in Cape Town, that is only a half-hour scenic drive away. Once there, you will find a myriad of entertainment at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, or take a cable car ride up Table Mountain that offers panoramic views of the Cape Peninsula and surrounds, meander through the magnificent Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens or visit historic sites. But, more about the Mother City at a later date. Until the next time, my friends, I say "totsiens" and goodbye - and keep a little of that snow in the refrigerator for me... Cathy ## My Little Spot on the Globe What an honour to be able to connect our two historic and scenically splendid regions through the Internet - you in the Cotswolds and me here in the heart of the Cape Winelands in South Africa! Just a quick word about me and my connection with your beautiful region... ![Cathysmall( )](https://cotswolds.info/images/cathy/cathysmall(1).jpg) I was born in Scotland, but raised in South Africa. I am a journalist/editor and also write scripts for, produce and present on radio.One of the people I have most enjoyed interviewing, is BBC TV celeb chef/presenter, Alan Coxon, who lives in Evesham and who is invited to Cape Town regularly. During recent visits, he was spotted scouting for a home-from-home here in the Mother City. Alan and his partner, Thelma Holian, run Coxon's Culinary Recruitment Services from Evesham. My daughter, Michelle and her husband, Pieter, moved to Banbury almost three years ago and are so happy, that they have decided to stay. Suffice it to say, I miss them terribly, but on the plus side, I have the best excuse for visiting the Cotswolds regularly - that is, if our South African Rand picks up a bit against the mighty pound sterling. It is wiser to leave your SA Rands here when embarking on a visit to Britain and taking equal value Monopoly money with you instead! From your point of view, SA is an inexpensive holiday destination, both in respect of R15,66 to the £1 and everything from accommodation, transport, restaurants and entertainment to clothing and footwear being fairly cheap. I am afraid we do not have the ancient history of your region, as, although Stellenbosch, with its world-renowned Wine Route, is the oldest town in South Africa, it is a "baby" of only 350 years. The Cotswolds holds mountains of interest for someone like me who has an unashamed curiosity about most things, including art, historical buildings, music, people and places. No mystery, then, the nickname "travelbug" which I use often as a password - well, I did, until I divulged it to half of Britain! Your region has an abundance of sites to visit, with its many historic towns, equally at home as a picture-pretty jigsaw puzzle, or in paintings by some of the Masters. Gentle slopes, bubbling brooks, timeless villages, historic churches and manor houses offer the traveller a bankful of memories of an era past. Add to this magic mix the friendly, hospitable folk from the region and you will know why visitors from all over the world return time and again. Perhaps our Webmaster will be kind enough to indulge me, by placing a photo of my region each week, giving you some idea of what the region and town has to offer. I shall enjoy telling you a little about Cape Town, Stellenbosch and the quaint seaside town of Gordon's Bay, where I live, high up against the slopes overlooking the vineyards and wide expanse of sea, with Table Mountain as its backdrop. I look forward to welcoming you to my little spot on the globe one day soon. Cathy ## Cotswold Connections **This page last modified Tuesday, 27-Mar-2007 16:26:32 BST**