iolanda andrade: The 16 Day circuit around South Africa - Day 13 - On the way to Franschhoek via Barrydale and Montagu; Rickety Bridge Winery

I woke up with the feeling that I would have liked to have stayed longer in this Hotel and as I made my way to yet another surprisingly copious meal, I couldn't help taking a few more photos .

We drove along rather arid areas ocasionally specked with green cultivated ones. Somewhere around an off track route a sign "Ronnie's sex Shop" did catch our attention. As the guide stopped at its parking lot we didn't exactly know what to expect, once he deliberately said nothing to us. It turned out to be a pub once known to have been a farm stall. Some of the owner's friends are said to have played a prank on him and as from then onwards it has become famous. As we walked in a lot of hanging bras of all sizes and colours, saidd to have been left by visitors seemed to be the highlight of the decoration, but as we moved towards the toilet area the written sentences covering most of its walls became the focus of our attention.

We stopped at a small colourful village called Barrydale situated at the Northern end of the Tradouw's pass where we spent some time shopping for handicrafted objects. We then continued driving till we stopped at yet another village, whose 19th century architecture inevitably called our attention before we finally reached the Franschhoek valley, where we would be visitng the Rickety Bridge Winery.

The place waas filled with local and foreign tourists who like ourselves wer going on a wine taste visit. We had an incredibly tasty Malay plate (followed by an even tastier dessert) for lunch prior to the wine tasting, in which I did not participate because of not having been particularly interested given the fact that I do not drink nor appreciate any alchoolic drinks.