Didn't make it to Spier today - some of the side effects of the anti malarials are starting to catch up with me. Only have 1 more day of tablets thank goodness!!

So, late start, only to find Misha back home sick, looking like the same bug Marne had. So she went to spend the day with her Aunt. I went off just before lunch to another local winery, Vergelegen (and no, it is not pronounced how you think, you have to shorten the first bit & swallow the g!), which is only 6km or so from the house.

This is alot more like I was expecting. It was 10R entrance fee, but it was definitely worth it. There was some kind of event on, so the main restuarant was closed, so had lunch on the Rose Terrace and very jolly nice it was too - best apple strudel I've had in a long time!! And then I wandered around the grounds for a few hours, which are absolutely stunning. I mean it!!

They have the some fabulous restored cape buildings (yes I took more photos) all nestled against the mountains, bamboo copses (not sure what the collective noun is for bamboo, forest doesn't seem right - answers on a postcard please) which are huge, like 30 feet high, 300 hundred year old oak trees and some award winning camellia gardens (which weren't in bloom sadly). There was a beautiful Rose garden, a Herb garden which smelt lovely and really top notch restored formal Octagonal garden. The main Homestead had been renovated and transformed into a museum, so you could see how it progressed through it's 300 hundred year history. The place is absolutely amazing to wander round and pretty much what I had imagined the old wine estates would look like. Of course now it's owned by some huge corporation, but they really are doing a fabulous job with it. Apart from the odd screaming child, it was lovely and pleasant and tranquil to wander around the grounds.

I was planning some tasting at the end of my wander, Maritha had recommended the wine & chocolate tasting, but by the time I got back to the tasting area, my side effects were making themselves known again and was pretty worn out, plus today was over 30 degrees, so I was a little hot from all my wandering around in the sun. So, got in stuffy little awful car that can't get up a hill unless I drop down to second (oh I miss my car!!!) and came home, to find Maritha has come home sick as well.

Unsurprisingly, we all voted for early bath & bed tonight. I volunteered to cook a frozen pizza or something for the kids, but we had a takeaway one instead & then off to bed! Hopefully everyone will get a good nights' sleep and feel better in the morning.