On spiritual things ... and spirits - January 25, 2013
The day began with a spiritual favour. After a leisurely start (our departure from the hotel was at 9:45am) which allowed us to arrive at Saint Paul's Roman Catholic church just after 10:00am where we celebrated the Mass for the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul.
After the completion of the Mass, we discovered that this parish has recently celebrated a winemakers' festival. Ideas for community building are always welcome. The parish church of Saint Paul appears to be well entrenched in the community: across from the church is an HIV clinic where we can surmise that some very Apostolic work is being accomplished.
Leaving the church complex, we first made a quick stop at a small (or not so small) cooperative where the practice is to sell last year's vintage at reduced prices so as to make room on the shelves and in the cellars for this year's harvest. Prices for these bottles of wine are very reasonable (750ml of local varieties of wine can be had for as little as R17 (equivalent to CA$2).
Down the road a little way from the cooperative is the university town of Stellenbosch (pronounced Stel-en-boss) which boasts the pride to host one of the very few universities in South Africa where instruction is given in Afrikans.
After a brief visit to the Stellenbosch Village Museum: four colonial homes complete with guides in period costumes, we were set free on the unsuspecting residents of this suburb of Capetown. University town (and students) are the same all over the world so it wasnèt difficult to find a restaurant where we could have lunch, and perhaps a shop or two, the keepers of which were more than willing to take our money.
This informal experiment helped to convince at least these tourists that although there are always areas of certain cities that may be dangerous for unsuspecting tourists, Capetown (or at least many parts of it) are very safe (or so the locals would have us believe).
Sufficiently suffoncified, we set out for the stellenbosch Farmers Winery located in Oude Liberlas (in the town of Stellenbosch where first one glass and then another of the nectar of the gods were poured for us. Before long, everything began to look just a little bit better. Songs and tunes mixed with laughter and a knowledge that we were in the company of friends.
With a bit of time set aside for purchasing wine and even chocolate truffles (both made on the premises), it was time for us to head for the hotel, the pool and the bottles of wine and other spirits which would not find their way onto the plane the next day.
The end-of-day party continued poolside where stories mixed with remarkable fluidity to tell and retell the adventures lived over the past few days. From there it migrated to the dining room and continued afterward in a few select rooms, especially those which had dregs of bottles to empty.
The final day will be equally as packed with activity and excitement. Can't wait.
The day began with a spiritual favour. After a leisurely start (our departure from the hotel was at 9:45am) which allowed us to arrive at Saint Paul's Roman Catholic church just after 10:00am where we celebrated the Mass for the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul.
After the completion of the Mass, we discovered that this parish has recently celebrated a winemakers' festival. Ideas for community building are always welcome. The parish church of Saint Paul appears to be well entrenched in the community: across from the church is an HIV clinic where we can surmise that some very Apostolic work is being accomplished.
Leaving the church complex, we first made a quick stop at a small (or not so small) cooperative where the practice is to sell last year's vintage at reduced prices so as to make room on the shelves and in the cellars for this year's harvest. Prices for these bottles of wine are very reasonable (750ml of local varieties of wine can be had for as little as R17 (equivalent to CA$2).
Down the road a little way from the cooperative is the university town of Stellenbosch (pronounced Stel-en-boss) which boasts the pride to host one of the very few universities in South Africa where instruction is given in Afrikans.
After a brief visit to the Stellenbosch Village Museum: four colonial homes complete with guides in period costumes, we were set free on the unsuspecting residents of this suburb of Capetown. University town (and students) are the same all over the world so it wasnèt difficult to find a restaurant where we could have lunch, and perhaps a shop or two, the keepers of which were more than willing to take our money.
This informal experiment helped to convince at least these tourists that although there are always areas of certain cities that may be dangerous for unsuspecting tourists, Capetown (or at least many parts of it) are very safe (or so the locals would have us believe).
Sufficiently suffoncified, we set out for the stellenbosch Farmers Winery located in Oude Liberlas (in the town of Stellenbosch where first one glass and then another of the nectar of the gods were poured for us. Before long, everything began to look just a little bit better. Songs and tunes mixed with laughter and a knowledge that we were in the company of friends.
With a bit of time set aside for purchasing wine and even chocolate truffles (both made on the premises), it was time for us to head for the hotel, the pool and the bottles of wine and other spirits which would not find their way onto the plane the next day.
The end-of-day party continued poolside where stories mixed with remarkable fluidity to tell and retell the adventures lived over the past few days. From there it migrated to the dining room and continued afterward in a few select rooms, especially those which had dregs of bottles to empty.
The final day will be equally as packed with activity and excitement. Can't wait.
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