On sunny mornings, the walls of the Jonkershoek valley display countless greens and browns of fynbos and rock. Today, thick clouds rendered them each a shade of gray. But about three-quarters of the way through my 10-mile run, the sun emerged as I passed Van der Stel Manor, a beautiful Cape Dutch guest house on Van der Stel street in the Mostertsdrift neighborhood of Stellenbosch.
Manor, street, and town are named for Simon Van der Stel, commander and first governor of the Dutch Cape Colony. Same for Simon’s Town and Simonsberg. He is an important figure in the history of the Western Cape. In 1865, Van der Stel was granted Groot Constantia at which he developed a vineyard that remains the oldest wine-producing estate in South Africa. Today, the South African wine industry is an important part of the economy, having flourished since apartheid ended, sanctions were lifted, and trade with the rest of the world began anew.
—Matt
