Cape Town - We landed in Cape Town one drizzly winter’s morning to discover we had nowhere to stay, as our reservation had fallen through.
Then my phone rang. We had been given alternative accommodation at Cascade Country Manor in the Paarl Valley. I had never heard of it before then, but the day immediately brightened. Literally the sun came out.
This was a sign of what was to come as the next couple of days was the most summery spell I’ve ever experienced in a Western Cape winter (where I lived for five years).
Peeling off layers, we headed for the winelands and the imposing pile that is Cascade Country Manor.
The Waterfall Park estate in a kloof at the foot of the Limietberg has a varied and intriguing past. The core of the structure is some 200 years old, but during World War II the Duke of Bedford called the place home.
In his his biography, A Silver Plated Spoon, he said “It is a lovely part of the world.There is a big waterfall, as the name suggests, tumbling down the mountains at the back, and although the house was a pretty hideous shack with no electric light, we made up our minds that we could convert it into the sort of thing that we wanted.
“Over the years we have turned it into a sort of American Colonial-style house with plenty of bathrooms. It really is a dream place…”
The Duke sold it to a buchu farmer who also cultivated marijuana and, to cut a long story short, the place had pretty much gone to pot by the time Maika and Volker Goetze acquired it in 2002.
One of the anomalies they found was that the facade was, in places, just that. For instance, one of the rooms was only accessible via the window, having no door.
Maika and Volker have carefully revived and transformed the manor into an utterly charming retreat, popular for weddings and honeymoons. Although not honeymooners we were enchanted by the many romantic touches, such as the huge wooden hearts dotted en route to the cascade through the olive orchard and alongside the falls, where nuptials take place.
American Colonial has made way for Mediterranean.
My room, with French doors onto the lawn had a rich, masculine feel, while fellow traveller, Illa, had a more feminine room upstairs and across the cobbled courtyard – complete with Juliet balcony. We loved the unusual windows, wonderful showers and, in the red-walled dining room, huge wagonwheel-sized candle “holders” on a pulley system which provide overhead lighting.
Maika has impeccable taste in decor and design and Volker – chef and olive oil expert – impeccable tastebuds. The food was wonderful as was the pre-dinner olive oil tasting with gruff, twinkly-eyed Volker. Cascade Country Manor has 900 olive trees, producing a highly regarded limited blend.
Hiking and mountain bike trails lead from Waterfall Park into the Limietberg Nature Reserve, and we found loads to delight in around the extended neighbourhood.
Stephen Richardson at neighbouring Mellasat Vineyards plied us with his white pinotage, we attended a lovely recital at Nederburg, were charmed by Franciska Pienaar and the staff at The Harvest restaurant at Laborie Wine Farm, where we also visited the Anglo-Boer War memorial. We made a visit to the world’s only language monument, situated on Paarl Rock, and headed to Wellington for (yet more) wine and lunch with Deidre Taylor at Seasons Restaurant on Diemersfontein Wine and Country Estate.
Winding roads took us via the Franschhoek Valley to the quaint mountain village of Greyton where we sampled Belgian chocolate and calculated how many handmade candles we could fit in our luggage.
And, of course, we made a turn at Volker’s deli in Paarl for wonderful cured meats and gelato.
We left smiling, replete and aware that we had barely scratched the surface of this wonderful area.
Rates are from R800 a person sharing a night. Call 021 868 0227 or visit www.cascademanor.co.za - Sunday Tribune