Tuesday, January 15, 2019

A pre-Christmas break in Lambert's Bay

After a very busy year, we decided that a few days’ break up the West Coast would be a good idea, so we booked a house in Lambert's Bay for ten days
On the way, we stopped at the Rosemead artisan bakery in Yzerfontein for lunch,
because we’d heard so many good things about it
The baker was busy getting dough shaped for loaves. They really have the most wonderful bread. We didn’t buy any but collected our order of Pasteis de Nata that we had placed during the week. And we bought some escargots (snail shaped croissant dough filled with marzipan and lots of butter), both quite superb and decadent. The Pasteis are good, with crisp pastry but not quite as good as those we had in Belém
The very simple menu of the day
It’s a nice and relaxed place, great to stop off for lunch on the way up the coast
Lynne had the Fresh sandwich of Avo, goats cheese, humus and salad leaves on a scrumptious seed roll
Lots of flavour and totally vegetarian
John had the Hot Pressed Sandwich on sourdough with bacon, fior de latte mozzarella and tomato
They don’t have a licence and were happy for us to drink our own beers
"I do not want my photo taken" ... shy waitress. We highly recommend and will definitely be back again for food and bread
The three bedroomed house we rented in Lambert's Bay for about R700 per night
Very comfortable with all the essentials
A very well fitted kitchen
The door leads to the outside deck and there is both a binne braai and an outdoor one
Nice large bedrooms; all have their own bathrooms
And it is right across the road from the sea. We had great views of local fishing boats going by
and lots of sea birds, including the famous gannets
Council workers stopping for a bite to eat. The season hadn't quite begun and they were busy sprucing up the town
Lambert's Bay is not big and a bit stuck in the past. There are a few restaurants, two small supermarkets
and not many amenities, but it is a lovely place for a relaxing break
For those concerned about the legendary smell, the fish factory is now a potato chip processing factory
The view of the sea in all its many moods was lovely
Spectacular sunsets as you look due West
And watch the skeins of cormorants flying to their roost
Opal final light
The colourful harbour
The ships did seem to stay in harbour most of the time, and the weather was fine
Lack of fish or fishing permits? The town is poor and the main economy used to be fishing
We were recommended to go to Isabella’s for seafood. We had been once before many years ago
Lynne examined the menu and we booked for dinner one night later in the week
Lots of locals on the beach at the weekend. The holiday makers would be here the following weekend
as school holidays would have started.
Teenagers on the end of the breakwater. There is not much for them to do in the area
Enjoying the water which is rather cold. It does warm up as the summer goes on
Miss Fancy Pants having a great time!
The tide is coming in
The route to Bird Island is on one side of the harbour
R50 a person to get in to the Nature Reserve and visit the Cape Gannet colony
Kelp beds in the clear harbour water
The Gannets in flight. Have a look at John's separate story about the gannets
A Kelp Gull (Larus Dominicanus) in perfect sail mode. Also known as Dominican gull and Southern blackbacked gull
And a pretty Grey Plover (Pluvialis squatarola)
Sundowner on the deck with a bottle of Migliarina Chenin Blanc
The fire is lit. The mangoes were being ripened for breakfast
for our first Braai of the holiday - boerewors, lamb chop (for Lynne) and sirloin steak (for John)
Yes, we have been on country dirt roads.... We were having a lovely rest but we still can't sit stock still... see our Fryer's Cove and Namaqua stories

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