Vineyards of South Africa

Just an hour outside of Cape Town are three small towns that form the cradle of the winelands region: Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschoek. We drove to Franschoek, which was settled by French Huguenots in 1688 and still retains a heavy French influence, and found that it was just the type of town we were looking for: serene, beautiful and seemingly isolated from everywhere else.

From the top of the slate gray mountains that defined the valley below, we watched the sun set on a bucolic scene dotted with vineyards in a landscape that felt more European than African.
With the region known for its wine, of course, as well as good food, there are some superb accommodations that offer luxurious lodging for reasonable rates. We wisely chose to stay at Le Quartier Francais, which had started initially as a restaurant and has expanded to include 16 beautifully furnished rooms surrounding a small courtyard and garden.

Naturally, we dined in their restaurant which boasted awards such as one of the "Top 100 Restaurants in the World", and enjoyed some unusual and mouth watering foods, including a never-seen-before Beet Soufflé. When we returned to our room, we found a fire had been lit in our fireplace, and from our window, we could wake up and see the clouds just starting to form around the mountain peaks the next morning.

While not a wine connoisseur at all, there seemed to be something perfectly civilized about exploring some of the surrounding vineyards the next day. Looking at the old farm buildings or sitting outside underneath a spreading tree, we sampled the wines and slowly and contentedly took in both the tastes and the surrounding sights.

While I could have stayed a few extra nights alone just to have the opportunity for more meals and more decadence in Le Quartier Francais, our time was limited and we drove into Cape Town and witnessed one of the main contrasts in South Africa. Having just experienced a peaceful, almost manicured world, the highway into the city would take us past vast sprawling townships stretching for miles where thousands lived in nothing more than corrugated iron shacks and most lack electricity and running water.

There is a tremendous gap between the wealthy, First World South Africa and the impoverished Third World South Africa, and despite South Africa's amazing progress and advanced industry, there is still a long way to go. Even without Apartheid, divisions between races - black, white and colored (a term used in South Africa to describe a person of mixed race) - still seem to subtly exist. Without Nelson Mandela to lead the country, a leader who won virtually unanimous praise, tensions still linger. The good news is that South Africa is committed to moving ahead while still preserving the memories of the past. (CONTINUED...)