Hermanus

 

Next stop Hermanus, famous for whale watching, located just east of Cape Town. This a country where you can experience four seasons in a day. We left Franschhoek in the morning as the temperature approached 28 degrees celsius without a cloud in the sky. Our route to Hermanus was via the Sir Lowry mountain pass which takes you to the coast. As you we drove higher the clouds arrived and the temperature dropped. Our first stop was Betty’s Bay, a little west of Hermanus, where there is a colony of African Penguins located near an old whaling station - Stony Point. It is a rugged coastline, where the mountains drop sharply down to the sea. It feels more like the highlands of Scotland than South Africa. Stunning views and nothing like what we had expected before the holiday.

Our drive to Hermanus was along the coast, through the various towns and past vineyards. Hermanus was originally a small fishing village and is more developed than we expected, No doubt driven by the tourist trade and the influx of people looking to retire here. There are no whales this time of year, they typically arrive around July / August and leave around November. While it currently summer, the weather is a lot colder than Franschhoek. The clouds cling to the mountains overlooking the coastline. 

We sat and ate dinner overlooking the sea as a few rain drops started to fall. The sun started to set and the whole sky line changed dramatically. The low sun shone across the coastline and reflected off the mist on the mountains. Some stunning views.

 

And then we wake to rain and clouds on the mountains. This could truly be Scotland in the summer, which we love so no complaints.  Time for another coffee before our coastline walk.