In times BC (Before Covid and Before Children), my husband and I loved to travel. Whether locally or internationally, we spent all our money on experiences rather than things. It’s this passion for travel that helped bring us together. I knew things would be a bit different after having a baby.
Then Covid happened and travel was banned for a long time. The fact that lockdown and getting pregnant happened around the same time was a coincidence but one that ensured we would need to take a break from our travelling days. It started when I developed Hyperemesis Gravidarum at 6 weeks of pregnancy. It’s basically all day, everyday pregnancy sickness that left me hanging over a toilet bowl or bucket for most of the day. My husband had booked a romantic weekend away to the Old Oak Manor in Riebeek Kasteel to celebrate our two-year wedding anniversary, a couple of weeks before the first lockdown began. I told him it would be no fun going while I was so sick and even the drive there in my state would be impossible. I convinced him to postpone for a couple of months, thinking I would be feeling much better by my second trimester. I wasn’t, but even if I was, travel was still off limits due to Covid. When we were finally allowed to travel again and I was finally feeling some relief in my third trimester, we tried to book again. I was hesitant to go away in my third trimester, but it was only an hour’s drive away. My husband thought I was being crazy for worrying about traveling at 31 weeks. It turns out I was not worrying for nothing. The day before we were supposed to go away, I suffered a placental haemorrhage and had to have an emergency C-section. It was a matter of life or death, for me and my baby.
Long story short, after 6 and a half months, almost a year after our original booked date, we asked the guest house if we could book our mini getaway with one extra guest. The owner was very accommodating and booked us the loft room which had plenty of space for Allegra’s camp cot. Our romantic anniversary weekend turned into a mid-week family break away and I had no idea how much we needed it until we were there.
The most stressful part of the stay was deciding what to pack in our Polo Vivo and what would have to be left behind. Who knew a baby could need so much luggage? Luckily the camp cot folds up pretty small and there was space behind the car seat to stuff some bedding.
We arrived in Riebeek Kasteel on a sunny afternoon. After checking into our guesthouse, changing Allegra and giving her a quick feed, we headed to Kloovenburg wine estate. We made it just in time for a wine tasting before they started closing. The wine was excellent, the highlight being their Grenache Blanc De Noir Brut or Bubbly Rosé as I like to call it. We were greeted by a friendly Labrador and a beautiful cat that had the coat of a leopard. We did the tasting outside under the oak trees and Allegra was happy in her Ubuntu baba carrier.
Dinner that night was at the restaurant, Café Felix, that forms part of the guesthouse. We hadn’t been out for dinner with Allegra ever and we didn’t pack her pram so we weren’t sure how it would work. We decided she would join us at the table in her car seat and we would give her a bottle and some puréed food while we ate. This proved a lot more difficult than we had initially thought. Luckily the restaurant wasn’t crowded, as she put up quite a fuss. We wolfed down our lamb shank and curry and Thurston ordered dessert to go while I took Allegra up to our room. After an eventful day Allegra slept well and so did we.
Breakfast was a much better affair. We were served a delicious full English breakfast, tea, coffee and juice on our little balcony right outside our room. This made things a lot easier to eat while Allegra had her morning nap.
After breakfast we went for a drive and soon realised Allegra had used the opportunity to go to the toilet in her car seat. We pulled over to a little wine farm we saw, called Pulpit Rock. After changing her in the back seat we thought we’d take a look inside. It turns out it was a very fortunate stop. Thurston had a delicious wine tasting while I fed Allegra on a comfy couch in the air-conditioned tasting room. We bought the Brink Family Sauvignon Blanc which turned out to be absolutely excellent once I tried it at home. With Allegra changed and fed we headed to one of my favourite wine estates, Allesverloren. I was very impressed with how thorough the Covid screening was and how incredibly knowledgeable the lady who gave us the tasting was. The views from the patio where we sat were also breath taking and we got to watch some Springboks wandering nearby (the animals not the rugby players). All the Allesverloren wines are superb but I have to give a special mention to the Tinta Barocca, which is one of the best red wines I’ve ever tasted.
In the afternoon we took a stroll through the village, visiting the quaint selection of local shops. We were hoping to stop at The Royal Hotel for their famous G&T’s which I can highly recommend, but unfortunately there was a private event on, so we gave it a skip this visit.
We decided to do dinner later that evening and hoped Allegra would sleep at the table, after feeding her beforehand. It turns out this was a busy night for the restaurant and with all the buzz and music Allegra was wide awake the whole time. We took dessert to go again as I went to put Allegra down for the night upstairs. The cheesecake we shared was delicious.
After another lovely breakfast the next morning, we started packing the car for our journey home. Before heading back to Cape Town we stopped at Meerhof wine estate and restaurant. What a wonderful place for children, with two playgrounds. They even had a baby swing. The views are spectacular. The lunch and platter options are also very good, and we enjoyed a nice light lunch while doing a wine tasting. We went home with the Red Blend which was on special and I couldn’t believe what good value it was.
By the time we got home I felt like we’d been on a two-week holiday, rather than a two day break away. I think I appreciate getting away so much more since lockdown and since having a baby. Just to get out of the everyday routine can do wonders for your relaxation and I would recommend it to everyone at least once a year.
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