Starting at 5pm, March 23rd, we in Louisiana were added to the list of communities being told to shelter in place. So, what does that even mean? It means stay the fuck at home for most of us. My daughter still sees her Pop pop across the fence but hasn’t seen her Gram and fam around the way for almost two weeks. This article will give you a rough idea about how things are going here. A couple of highlights include:
“It seems the virus was there when crowds were around for Mardi Gras and it may have turned into a super-spreader event,” he (Gary Wagner, a professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette) said. “You can see what’s happening in Italy and Spain, and there is every reason to think the same events are going to happen here.”
And
“The speed at which the patients deteriorate is the scariest thing, they (the nurses interviewed) said.
“People are going from, ‘Yeah, I don’t really feel well. I think I’m sick,’” the second nurse said. “And a matter of hours later, they are intubated and in renal failure. It’s terrifying.’”
So, yeah. Fear, anxiety, too many people not taking this nearly seriously enough. Like the neighbor boy who keeps dropping by to ask my daughter to go bike riding. One, where are his parents? Two, she’s 4. Three, where are his parents?
Our time in Copenhagen doesn’t even seem real anymore and the Trip is aglow with nostalgia. Speaking of the Trip, our second wine trip was out to Franschhoek via the wine tram. This was discounted for us due to the type of City Pass we purchased. The Franschhoek Wine Tram includes transport back and forth to Cape Town by a bus that is equiped with wifi. Once you get to Franschhoek half the trip from winery to winery is done by tram bus and the other by rail tram. On the tram you will be given a taste of local wine but the cost of breakfast, lunch, and/or wine tastings at the wineries is on you.
Once you arrive in Franschhoek you get to pick from two lines that cover, at this time, the following wineries: La Brie, Holden Manz, La Bourgogne, Glenwood, La Couronne, Grande Provence, Rickety Bridge, Franschhoek Cellar, Maison, Mont Rochelle, Chamonix, and Dieu Donne. Holden Manz, Grande Provence, Rickety Bridge, Franschhoek Cellar are all on both lines.
The wineries on the tour change. Our favorite from our tour, Boschendal, is not currently on the line up. Not that it matters as the tour and all of the wineries are shuttered during the current pandemic. The food and wine at Boschendal were excellent but that is par for the course in Franschhoek. We enjoyed Boschendal most mainly because LB loved the playground.
Since the wineries available to anyone reading this may be different from our own experience, I’ll just give a couple of tips on how to maximize the experience. First, don’t do as we did and have breakfast and lunch on the tour. Many of the restaurants take reservations and some may be reservation only. But we had no problems accessing meals without one. Most wineries offer some sort of charcuterie board or small plates. We had a light repast at Boschendal and a hearty breakfast at Grande Provence which ate up quite a bit of time. Instead eat at least one meal before or on the bus as it takes a while to get to Franschhoek from Cape Town. Bring snacks, water, and all the other things usually needed on a daytrip with a little.
Every winery in Franschhoek seemed to have something to entertain the kids but some offer quite a bit more than others. Talk to your guide. For example, one of the wineries we were interested in had a farm area with animals for the children to pet but it was closed at the time of our trip. Something we only learned by asking our guide. Also, some wineries reserve certain activities only for overnight guests while others allow restaurant patrons to join in on the fun. Our guide was the one who recommended Boschendal. Your guide will know which ones are a match for your kid’s age and what is accessible.
Another reason to talk to your guide is you’ll probably only hit three, maybe four wineries. Do your own research once you know which estates are on your tour then let your guides know which ones you are interested in and why. They know the wineries and their information is more up to date even than what you are given by the tour company. The guide may be able to steer you in a better direction. Then relax and enjoy.
Hopefully, things will be back to normal for all of us soon. Stay home and be well.