SPICE ROUTE AND TEA UNDER THE TREES
31ST MARCH 2017
March and the weather is cooling down – a maximum of mid 20’s was predicted for Paarl today and after a hassle with early morning traffic, we arrived at The Spice Route just before 11.00 am. Wow, nearly an hour and a half from our first pick up in Constantia to the Spice Route. Mind you for the passengers on the coach we must just sit back and relax and leave our movement in the capable hands of Hylton Ross!
The Spice Route has a myriad of attractions – amongst the most popular were, of course,
The Trading Company – a newly opened fabulous store with everything a girl can want – albeit a bit more for the tourists to our country than for locals!
Red Hot Glass where many were tempted to at least buy themselves one of the stunning pendants
Bertus Basson who serves delicious cappuccinos
DV Chocolatewhere many tasted and bought!
Coffee Roastery where delicious ice cream can be purchased (yes, even at 11.00)
We spent an hour doing this-and-that and then headed along the back road past Rhebokskloof to Tea under the Treeson Main Road, Paarl. No wonder, this is listed as one of the bucket list things that you have-to-do in Cape Town! Their beautiful gardens – even though, obviously, the hydrangeas had finished flowering – are a sight to behold. This is the perfect place to kick off your shoes and ‘feel their garden’ and enjoy being pampered. Staff hurried around serving us all a delightful lunch comprising:
Freshly baked ciabatta served with home preserves (so very Boland!)
Portions of slow roasted chicken with garlic, lemon and sage filling (decadent)
Fresh herb couscous and a farm style green salad with olives, onion & cucumber
Dessert was a Pavlova with fresh fruit and cream
Coffee or tea was included at the end of the meal!
A very laid-back group of ladies (this is where I always battle to get everyone back on the coach after lunch), told me that it was, in fact, time well spent with friends in a beautiful garden.
If I had a flower for every time you made me laugh and smile –