As happens a few times each year, yesterday’s rain and hail brought snow to the mountains that surround Stellenbosch. At the lower and relatively warmer elevation of Stellenbosch town, snow rarely (never?) falls.
I paused my chilly, 3 °C (37 °F) run up the Jonkershoek valley to take photos of the icy white peaks of Simonsberg and the Hottentots-Hollands mountains. In the clear winter air, I could see to Cape Town, too. A dawn run through Jonkershoek is like a morning run through the Creator’s cathedral; a vaulted blue ceiling rises above soaring walls painted by the rising sun in the hard gray of sandstone, the light brown of soil, the soft green of fynbos, and the bright white of snow. It is a privilege to be there.
For lunch we went to Postcard Cafe in Jonkershoek, but it was closed for the winter. I used my telephoto lens for a better look at the snowcaps and a regular lens for candids.
We moved slightly downriver to the cafe at Lanzerac, a historic vineyard founded in 1692. After a lovely lunch, we took a stroll and a partial family photo. Catherine rolled on the lawn but stood still long enough for an individual snapshot. Our destination for tomorrow’s hike was visible beyond the Cape Dutch manor. It was a lovely afternoon in a picturesque setting!
—Matt
