Our Dutch friends Peter and Yvonne have returned for their annual stay at the Cape so we decided, as the weather is so perfect, to have a jaunt to the other side of the Peninsula and headed to Kalk Bay for some lunch at one fo our favourite restaurants, Kalky's on the quayside
Some of the boats were loading up to go fishing, others were arriving with their catch and you can buy superb fresh fish on the quayside, which they will fillet for you if you desire. We saw fresh and smoked Snoek, Silvers, and pink fish which we think were Carpenter on sale.
There were lots of flecked fish hanging in rows on the quayside. They have been deboned and soaked in salt water and then hung out to dry briefly, then frozen. We think these were snoek. Its to preserve them and a real Cape favourite to cook on the Braai (barbeque).
The outside tables are mostly in the shade and we were lucky to get one reasonably quickly. Kalky's on the pier is a famous institution serving the best Fish and Chips. Its not smart; it takes time to get an outside table and your food, which comes freshly cooked. This is because it is so popular
You decide what you are having, queue, place your order, are given a receipt with your number and it is delivered to your table when ready. Keep your ears open for the waitress calling out the numbers.
They have rules! They don't sell alcohol but are happy for you to bring your own with no corkage. We take our wine in a cold box and oour own wine glasses as the alternative is styrofoam cups. And yes the fish and seafood is that good so worth the effort.
And in a world that is fast becoming cashless, that is all they take. But they have got an ATM inside the restaurant! And thankfully NO smoking.
If you cant get an outside table, there are plenty inside
Crayfish and chips on special at R150. Not very much meat on the crayfish but enough to enjoy this superb crustacean. When we were kids growing up, it was so plentiful and cheap. Sadly now almost poached out around our coast even though the waters are a protected no catch zone.
Calamari, hake and chips - an enormous special at R125
Groote Post SeaSalter
a perfect companion to seafood
Kalk Bay pier
Then replete with food, we ventured to Constantia to Buitenverwachting, so busy with this year's fantastic harvest. We had a lovely relaxed tasting in the cool tasting room. Ssome glorious wines and the purchase of a bottle or two. Elated to get the award winning 1796 Muscat de Frontignan, it sells out fast. It won the Best Dessert Wine in the Country at the 2024 Investec Trophy Wine Show, and we agree that it is. Their Sauvignon Blanc is very special this year, full and layered, a classic expression of the grape and delicious, so some was purchased. The blend of Sauvignon Blanc and 11% of Chardonnay also really impressed. The Christine is areally high end Bordeaux blend which really sang to us, expensive French oak shows as incense on the nose, smooth layers of a beautifully made wine filled with dark berries, some umami and a little spice, impressive.
As always we and all the other visitors were superbly looked after by Shantall Ball, manager of the Buitenverwachting tasting facility and her staff
A surpise was seeing Danie Keulder, Groot Constantia cellarmaster, come to swap bottles of Sauvignon blanc needed for a tasting.
The back of Danie's 2025 harvest T shirt
The gable of the Buitenverwachting manor house peeking through the trees
A striped brown hawk moth (theretra cajus) on a camellia plant at our home. We see the huge green caterpillars each year in our garden and then later in summer, the moth
