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| Some restored buildings in Kerk Straat. Prince Albert. |
When we arrived in Prince Albert on Friday we set up our home, went for a walk and had a braai and then we decided that we are going on a “braai strike” for the rest of the week end and that is what we did. There is so much to do in the town and wonderful places to eat.
On Saturday morning we walked into town and started off at the Saturday Market, which clearly is the weekly meeting place for the locals. Jaffels and coffee and fresh veggies and we were part of the scene. It was freezing cold and our next stop after the market was again PEP stores to get gloves this time. Red fleecy ones for R9.95! Even with Woolies discount this was a better buy! We spent the morning wondering around the town and popping in here and there and buying the odd mohair sock, having the odd glass of wine and generally enjoying ourselves and the town. Our best stop of the day was at Soet Karoo and our encounter with Suzie Perold the garagist winemaker. When we were in Pretoria, our friend Carl encouraged us to pay her a visit and how glad we were that we did. She is an eccentric and so she should be. She and her husband have been making sweet wine and port for some time. They planted their vineyard, of 1 hectare, in 2000 and made their first wine in 2004 of their own vines. She appeared in her warm winter woolies and stained jersey and hair all over the place, but she was great and wonderful and clearly loved what she and her husband were doing. We tasted the Port like wine and the sweet Hanepoot tipe wine and then Suzie se Soetes, which is made from all the leftover bits. Needless to say, we bought of all. It was so cold that all we could think of is to get enough to keep off the cold!
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| An old original shop, closed on the Sunday morning |
We stopped off for a light lunch at the Swartberg arms and then walked home. We really just chilled and enjoyed the town and the environment. We had booked to go for dinner at the Karoo Kombuis and walked there at about 7pm. What a wonderful experience that was. The restaurant is owned by Michael and Theuns and Denise. They have been there for 13 years and the menu has essentially been the same for all that time. The choices are Roast lamb, Chicken pie and Bobotie and on a week end night there is an extra, which is Lamb pie. You can also get a combo of 3 dishes, if you wish. They are not licensed, so you take your own wine and it was really a very affordable evening in a great atmosphere and with great food. No frills and a good plate of food. 2 bottles of wine later we wandered back to our home, filled with a sense of well being and content.
The Sunday we again walked around the town and stopped for coffee and a glass of wine. At 5pm we met with Ailsa, the Story Weaver, to take us on the historical and the Ghost walk of Prince Albert. What a treat that was and something that I would encourage every visitor to Prince Albert to do. She took us along the streets of the town and told us all the wonderful stories about the people and their lives and in between were some stories about the ghosts of the town. The whole trip cost R50 per person and takes about 90 minutes and it was pure delight to do it. We ended the evening off with dinner at Café Albert and yet again we had some Karoo Lamb , this time presented totally differently and equally delicious. Again the restaurant was unlicensed and we could take our own wine and this time we went with the 3 liter boxy of Robertson Shiraz. It is the first time in my life that I have gone to a restaurant with a box of wine, but what could we do, it was all we had. We did not finish the box and we did share it with one of the local guys that came in for dinner on his own. We walked back home looking for the ghosts, but none were out on this cold night.
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| Beautifully restored houses in Prince Albert |
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