Back up to the room, and packed. We had of course had more washing done, so most things were clean which was bliss. I did have the issue of getting my one Pick n Pay bag out which was full of Akademie Street stuff (many bags of crisps, gins, tonic cans, amarulas, juices etc) without anyone seeing. I felt no guilt about it (after all they knew each day when they restocked what I had purloined) but you don't want to look too pikey...
So we packed and loaded up the car, and then went to pay the balance of the accommodation. Katherine and Arthur were their usual lovely selves, with Katherine particularly chatty such that we didn't disentangle ourselves for about 40 minutes! Arthur had printed out directions for us that morning with a couple of different options for how to get to Swellendam. He had asked "Which of you is the navigator?" and then explained all the directions to SS who, as usual, nodded a lot and made appreciative noises, but I knew it was all going in one ear and straight out the other!
We needed to get more cash and also fill the car, so headed to Pick n Pay to use the ATM there (all the ones in town were empty) and filled up at the BP on the edge of town. Had the usual windscreen wash, and filled the car for R270.
So we got on the road, we headed out over the Franschhoek Pass, stopping to take loads of photos as we climbed up the road. The view back over Franschhoek is absolutely beautiful.
Once you get over the pass, the landscape becomes very dry and arid - very different. We ended up cutting across country along the R43 to the N2. There were loads of the local workers walking to church along long dusty roads in their best clothes as they must do every week. They didn't seem impressed by the Sombrero clunking by, but then few people would be impressed by that car.
Once on the N2 SS went to sleep as he always does, and I pootled along happily with the other drivers all being friendly and polite as usual, moving over for people, flashing hazards to say thankyou.
I inadvertently woke SS up as we were 20km out of Swellendam, because at the side of the road, sitting quietly on a road barrier, was a large baboon. I shrieked "Baboon!" and SS woke up and looked around hopefully - after all the signs on the way to Cape Point and not seeing one baboon, suddenly there they were!
Oh well, there weren't any more, and we trundled into Swellendam. Luckily the directions on the Rothman Manor website were perfect, and we found it easily. We pulled into the driveway and pressed the intercom button. Andreas let us in, and we parked under the lovely carport style parking, which, like the rest of the grounds, was done beautifully. Andreas came out to meet us, and helped with our bags into the Morning Sky suite. It was exactly like the photos on the website, although the floor was a bit more laminate-y, and the sofa in the sitting area was truly uncomfortable - but that is being very picky.
He took us over the reception, gave us a map, made suggestions for dinner and confirmed breakfast time, and then offered suggestions for things to do. He was a lovely man.
We decided to go and settle in, and lie by the pool for a while.
No point in unpacking, so we had some green tea and got changed and headed to the pool - we were in the sun by 3:15pm, not bad going after driving about 180km.
There was another older couple also by the pool who were very nice. The grounds of Rothman Manor were really the standout - there were little ornaments and statues everywhere, wooden bowls with flowers floating in them,
plants and chairs everywhere to stop and have a rest or contemplate the gardens. Just beautiful.
We stayed in the sun for a while, then I had a swim in the pool - felt nice to stretch some muscles. Then we put our half bottle of Graham Becks (from Akademie) into the freezer, and took some crisps out to the viewing platform to relax whilst the sparkling wine cooled. There were no animals to be seen, but it was lovely and relaxing.
We finished our crisps and headed in to have the Graham Becks - very nice too. We showered - lovely bathroom, the best room in the place really, and I dried my hair.
SS was most excited to find the weighing scales in the bathroom - he weighs himself daily at home, and so being able to check his progress after a week of fine living was too much of a temptation. He was a little glum when he came back out, but luckily both of us were only a couple of pounds heavier than we had been so things weren't as bad as they could be.
Then we wandered over to the Old Mill.
It was not exactly full in there, but we were seated by a friendly waiter who had a nice refreshing sarcastic sense of humour.
We started on some olives first and bread. Or rather SS did - as you can see, he was a little peckish and wolfed down almost the entire plate before I got my hands on the lone last olive...
For some reason we decided to have a started when neither of us felt like it, and both had the fish soup. We were both expecting a nice thin soup, but received possibly the creamiest concoction I have ever encountered - you could almost stand your spoon up in it. Horrid.
Then I couldn't resist having the bobotie (just for you Marmee!!) which was HUGE but actually very tasty, particularly the accompaniments which reminded me of what my mother used to prepare as side dishes to her really hot curries. I did my best, but could not get through half of it.
SS had the trio of meats, which were not very good, and very expensive (SS's main was R168 which in SA is just extortionate). Loads of dried parsley on the plate did not make it any better...
I had a Windhoek Light to drink, and SS had a glass of the Graham Beck Copperstone Cabsav which was R85 and had clearly been open for at least a few days. Not very nice at all. I do wish I could have taken a doggie bag for the bobotie tho' - that was worth revisiting.
We paidup and headed back to Rothman Manor. We got into bed and each had a miniature of Amarula and ended up watching a film with Natalie Portman and Benecio Del Toro called Goya's Ghost. Weird film about the Inquisition and Napoleon in Spain. Quite atmospheric but very sad really. Complicated by the position of the TV, and the four poster bed, where the post on my side definitely went straight up the middle of the screen...
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