We all have these photos … throwback photos!
It’s described as ‘nostalgia-inducing pictures … from a different era of your life”.
Every Thursday we will throw a few photos of ‘way back when’ on our blog. Why on a Thursday? Because it’s just a day away from the weekend … and we love weekends!
You are welcome to join in or just enjoy the photos (#TB Thursday).
October 2016 – Spice Route (Paarl, Western Cape Province, South Africa)
We know we say this about all the places around Cape Town … but really, you have to visit this place whenever you are in the Mother City! This is exactly what we did on a lovely spring day in 2016 and be warned: You will definitely want to hang out here all day!
Spice Route is just 45 minutes’ drive from Cape Town and a delightful farming village near the Paarl – in the heart of the Cape Winelands.
View over the Winelands from Spice Route’s lawn
The first place to look out for when you arrive at Spice Route is Fairview. This working farm is famous for their wine and cheese … oh, and of course the Goat Tower.
Goat Tower visible between the trees
The first Saanen goats (a Swiss breed) arrived at the farm in 1980. Today, a range of over 50 Fairview goat’s- and cow’s milk cheese are produced and available country wide in shops/deli’s/farms stalls.
Goats on the Goat Tower
Just look at those impressive horns
The gardens at Spice Route are beautiful. On our visit, there was a section of the garden that displayed the shape and (almost) the colours of our national flag.
Our national flag in the gardens of Spice Route
Their roses are also pleasing to the eye
What else is at Spice Route:
- Not one, but THREE restaurants
- Deli (with the most amazing spices and preserves)
- Cape Brewing Company
- De Villiers Chocolate house
- Môigoeters Shop (“môi” = lovely and “goeters” = stuff). In short then, this is a place where you can buy and create your own môi stuff
- Red Hot Glass (glass gallery)
- Spice Route Wines
- Wilderer Distillery (on-site distillery of the finest grappa, gin and schnaps)
- Pilates for Life (Pilates training facility)
Green lawns at Spice Route
You can buy a Spice Route Destination passport at the cost of R260 (€13) per person and enjoy 5 different tastings:
- Spice Route Wine
- Jewell’s Charcuterie pairing (6 wines paired with 6 Jewell’s cured meats)
- CBC Premium beer (4 beers)
- De Villiers chocolate
- Wilderer Spirits (3 spirits)
Beer tasting
I don’t know about you, but after today’s throwback, I’m ready to revisit Spice Route soon!
Wet and Dusty Roads 
I can certainly see why you’re ready to return to Spice Route; it looks incredible. The goat tower is genius! They look so happily climbing around on it. Great TBT!
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Berto’s parents had a farm with, among other things, goats. And he always says a goat literally climbs on anything. So why wouldn’t these goats at Spice Route make use of the lovely stairs at the Goat Tower 🙂. Thanks Tricia, it’s definitely one of our favourite places to relax on a weekend when we’re near Cape Town.
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That goat toweer 😀 is ocatted in scenery
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Yes, the goat tower is pretty special (and certainly unique too) … the goats seem to love climbing up and down those stairs.
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My my, the amount of mistakes in my spelling, the keyboard ⌨️ has caused me so much trouble lately…
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Haha 😄, don’t worry about that Ritva. I’m reading between the lines 😉.
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I would go back just to see the goats! What a clever invention for them and yes, magnificent horns. I remember taking my mum on a bus trip that went through Paarl. It is such a lovely landscape.
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This is usually the first thing we do when we get to Spice Route – we go to see the goats at the Goat Tower 🙂. Paarl is a beautiful town – it originated in the 1600s and has so much history. Another place we love to visit.
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You are fortunate to live in an area with amazing wineries and beautiful scenery. A winery or two will definitely be on the list if I get back to Cape Town. That goat tower is…unusual!😄
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You are right John. Cape Town and surroundings are truly beautiful … especially if you visit the various wineries. On our short holiday in December we visited two wine farms and each time it was an absolute treat. And every wine farm has its own unique feature – like the Goat Tower at Spice Route 😉.
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The gardens are beautiful but I probably wouldn’t leave the goats!! Their horns are fabulous!Maggie
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Just love the goats! During the month of September one can also be lucky to meet the baby goats at the Goat Tower … I think we should plan our next trip in September 😃.
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I’ll come too!!
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That goat tower – absolutely amazingggg, I love it 🙂
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Love it too! The Goat Tower is always our first stop when we visit the Spice Route … only then do we go to the wine/beer/chocolate tastings 😄.
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The gardens and indeed the Winelands look so picturesque and quaint, Corna. The Goat’s Tower made me laugh. I was wondering what the deal was with Swiss goats being brought over? How curious. Those horns are indeed not to be messed with!!! The craft beer looks great and I’m sure we would not miss out on the Chocolate House.
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Leighton, that part of the world is picturesque indeed. I think the reason why the goats were brought over to SA is because their milk is perfect for cheese making. And the bonus, they are beautiful to look at 🙂. Oh, their chocolate is incredible. It’s made directly from the cocoa bean and has a very unique flavour. Of course, I don’t need to confirm that the beer and wine are good … it’s definitely a place not to be missed!
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Og, ons sal die kaasplaas vir laaste moet los want as ons eers daar is gaan ons niks verder kom nie. Ons is mal oor Fairview se kasies.
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Haha 😄. Berto gee my altyd ‘n begroting wanneer ons Fairview besoek, want ek’s net so lief vir Fairview se verskillende kase. Dis weereens ‘n geval van, jy loop beslis nie met lee hande (of honger) weg van Spice Route nie!
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That goat tower is super adorable. I’m glad you were able to capture a few pictures with the goats actually using it. The gardens at Spice Route look very beautiful. You definitely sold me on Spice Route!
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Yes, you don’t always see the goats on the tower, but our timing was perfect on this day! Spice Route has so much to offer – wine, beer or chocolate … or all three! It’s definitely a good place to visit.
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The Spice Route sounds so fun! I would love to see the goat tower and of course the goats. I’ve always wanted a goat. Any anywhere that you can get good chocolate on a road trip worth the trip. Thanks for sharing this with us.
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As a little girl my favourite TV show was ‘Heidi’ (I don’t know if you know it) but she lived with her grandfather in the mountains and they had goats … I also really wanted my own goat then 😉. Yes, Spice Route has it all – when we were done visiting there, we usually popped into the chocolate shop to buy their specialty chocolates … the perfect end to an enjoyable day!
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I remember Heidi, but I don’t remember much about the show. I don’t know when I started wanting a goat, but it seems like forever ago. I doubt my neighbors would appreciate me having one in my backyard though!
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Your throwback, for sure encouraging me to visit Spice Route, stunning!
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Spice Route is definitely worth a visit! We’ve been there a few times and I wouldn’t mind popping in again!
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Ek kyk so na jou mooi fotos en lees oor die plekke, dan besef ek ek gaan dit dalk nooit self sien nie. Gelukkig kan ek dit deur jou oë beleef, Corna.
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Maar jy was dan self al by so baie mooi plekke waarvan ek net kan droom! Ons sal nooit al die pragtige plekke kan sien nie, ek “reis” graag deur ander se oe en kameras. Maar ek sal darem nog graag eendag regtig-egtig by jou mooi plek daar in Mosambiek wil uitkom!
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Dan het ons nou ñ amptelike afspraak, Corn. Ek sal geduldig vir julle wag.
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🙏🏻❤️
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