Steve Berman and I started planning the itinerary for his 8 strong family about a year ago. The Plan was for Steve to rent a 10 seater bus for me to drive and guide them during the day and for Steve to drive to restaurants in the evenings. As it turned out Jerry, Steve’s dad had problems with his pace maker and Steve landed up needing his vehicle to drive his dad to hospital and the rest of the family did the day tours around Cape Town and surrounds with me and my trusty bus.
The family were staying at the Sir David Guest House in Blouberg which they thoroughly enjoyed. Steve stays there when on business here favours it over the large, impersonal and pricey hotels in near Cape Town Central Business District.
On day one Steve (Steve B’s cousin) and Nancy Podwell and Ash (Steve’s B’s daughter) enjoyed the Peninsular Tour complete with Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope, and the Penguins at Boulders.
On day two when we realised that Jerry was not feeling well enough to drive, Nancy and Steve Podwell, Florence (Jerry’s Wife) and Ash decided to do a shorter City Tour and they really enjoyed the V&A Waterfront, The Company Gardens and the Flea Market on Green Market Square. Lunch at Café Paridiso in Tamboerskloof was a total hit, quaint and vibey, just what Ash had in mind! I am so glad we managed to tempt Florence to join us as she was reluctant to leave Jerry at the Guest House.
On day Three, Steve and Nancy Podwell, and Gareth (Steve B’s son) embarked on a Wine Route that Steve had planned from the States as he is a Wine consultant back in New York. They just loved Rustenberg where the assistant wine maker, Murray took the time and to walk us through the Cellar and give them a private tasting which was really very pleasant as their wines are superb.
From there we went to Keermont where the Wine maker did the same and the wine there was great too! Lunch was great at the Bodego Restaurant at Dorneir. This was followed by a wine tasting at Raats, which they enjoyed too, it is a privilege to be treated to such personal service by the wine making personnel at Rustenberg and Keermont, the latter do not do wine tasting normally so that was a big of a treat!
On Day three, Jerry was feeling much better so, Steve Berman, Jerry, Florence, Steve and Nancy Podwell and Gareth and I set off around ten and visited the Penguins at Boulders as Steve B and Florence had not seen them, Jerry was not feeling well enough so he stayed in the bus with me. The family shopped up a storm at Seaforth and then enjoyed a bit of coffee in Simons Town before doing taking the most spectacular drive along Chapman’s Peak drive. We managed to dodge the rain which was good! Amazingly, the very next day Chappies was closed due to the rain, so we were very lucky to have been able to see it!
I was so glad that, at long last Steve Berman actually got to experience one of the tours that we planned so meticulously together some time ago and spend some quality time with his family!
It was a great pleasure sharing the Splendours of the Cape with Steve and his family, I am also very glad that the medical practitioners at Christian Barnard hospital were able to adjust Jerry’s pace maker so he was able to spend the last day touring the Cape with his family and was well enough to fly back to the States with Florence the next day! What a caring family, it was a pleasure to share the Splendours of the Cape with them.