As Die Kapenaar kindly reposted the pictures for me. I'll make a more suitable start to the thread.


Paarl
Quick Intro

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Paarl_view.jpg/800px-Paarl_view.jpg

Population: 108,000
Founded: 1687 (Third oldest town in South Africa)

Attractions

Taal Monument and Museum (www.taalmuseum.co.za/content.html)

Wine

Fairview (http://www.fairview.co.za)
KWV (www.kwv.co.za/) -One of the top Brandy brands worldwide
Siimonsvlei (www.simonsvlei.co.za)

Top Restuarants

Bosmans (http://www.granderoche.co.za/index.php?id=15) (The Business Day Restaurant of the Year Award 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2005)

Le Quartier Francais (http://www.lequartier.co.za/) (Franschhoek) - Top 10 Restuarant in the World (Hotel Magazine USA) + many many more

Websites

http://blog.winecountry.co.za/ | www.paarlonline.com

mofo u need a spell check

^^ Don't be rude now.

mofo u need a spell check

ill never understand why people are so rude over the internet...hmmm well sorry o great one.

mofo u need a spell check

and the irony in that sentence is just hilarious.

your pics are about as visible as some people's privates...

tried clicking them or is that also too small? Actually not being sarcastic...

tried clicking them or is that also too small? Actually not being sarcastic...


Don't want to click on them... it is racist to push someone's buttons...

haha okaaay...well then dont its okay.

evil colonialist

Ladies :no:

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/9927/dsc02541ps8.jpg

http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/9374/dsc02529jo2.jpg

http://img362.imageshack.us/img362/6093/dsc02530qw1.jpg

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/7407/dsc02538rt6.jpg

^^

Thank you for that :) Was considering doing it. Had upload issues that are now resolved.

Some old news, though for anyone following golf:

Stenson and Wood join illustrious South African Open field

European Ryder Cup star Henrik Stenson and rising English golfer Chris Wood are the latest to join one of the strongest fields in South African Open Championship history at Pearl Valley Golf Estates in December.

Both players have been confirmed for the 18-21 December showpiece and will tee up alongside a trilogy of the greatest South African golfers - Masters champion Trevor Immelman, triple Major champion Ernie Els and double US Open champion Retief Goosen - defending champion James Kingston, European Tour Order of Merit winner Justin Rose, Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy.

Stenson will seek to become only the second Swedish champion of the South African Open following the triumph of Mathias Gr�nberg at Randpark Golf Club in 2000.

The powerful Swede made a significant impact on world golf in 2007, winning the Dubai Desert Classic and the World Golf Championships - Accenture Match Play to finish a career high fourth on the European Tour Order of Merit, which will be known as The Race to Dubai from next season following a partnership between The European Tour and Dubai-based Leisurecorp, owners of Pearl Valley.

This year Stenson has already achieved ten top-ten finishes on The European Tour, including tied third in the British Open and tied fourth in the US PGA Championship.

Wood joins a distinguished field as a result of having turned professional shortly after his tied fifth-place finish in the British Open at Royal Birkdale while still an amateur.

Wood will seek to join an equally illustrious list of champions who won the South African Open in their first appearance, including Vijay Singh and Bobby Locke.

David Spencer, Leisurecorp CEO-Golf, owners of Pearl Valley Golf Estates, said:

"Henrik is based in Dubai and is a good friend of ours, so I'm delighted that he has decided to play; he's one of the biggest hitters in the game and always a big draw. Chris Wood was an unknown before The Open, but his incredible performance at Birkdale, not to mention his immense frame made a few people sit up and take notice! Chris is a rising star of the game and definitely one to watch this season.

"With the course in such great condition and the world-class field among the best in the Championship's history, this year's event promises to be one of the highlights of The Race to Dubai calendar."

Admission to the South African Open will be free for anyone who pre-registers for tickets at www.southafricanopen.com from Thursday 25th September. Free tickets will also be available from the Pearl Valley Lifestyle Experience at V&A Waterfront in Cape Town from 25th September. An admission charge of R100 will be applicable for any visitors who attend the tournament without pre-registering. Anyone who has already purchased tickets for the South African Open can have the cost of their ticket fully refunded by contacting Maru Sport at 011 444 9400.

For every visitor who obtains free tickets to the South African Open, R5 will be donated to the official charity, the Pebbles Project. For more information on the Pebbles Project visit www.pebblesproject.co.za

Tourist hub planned for Boland

November 10 2008 at 08:03AM

By Anél Powell

Wide-Ranging development plans mooted for the new R1,5-billion Berg River Dam include a 2 000 metre Olympic-size rowing course, an upmarket lodge, restaurants, shops and other tourist and recreational facilities.

Consultants CNdV Africa Planning & Design and the state-owned Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) unveiled the development options for the Berg River catchment area in weekend advertisements.

In a draft report prepared for public comment, Simon Nicks and Nigel Rossouw of CNdV and TCTA respectively said all development in the dam area should be limited to tourism and recreational facilities.

There would be no residential development in the area.

Rossouw said the proposals had emerged during four years of public consultation about development possibilities for the catchment area.

However, as some parts of the catchment fell within the Cape Winelands biosphere and the Hottentots Holland nature reserve, many options could be curtailed by environmental concerns.

Although the deadline for public comment is November 28, Rossouw said it was too early for development plans to be on the table. "Our interest is in preserving the water quality of the Berg River Dam catchment area."

But he said TCTA wanted to open the area to the public.

"Most water catchment areas are closed to the public. With this (one) we are taking a different approach because Franschhoek has very little open public space."

Parcels of state land in the area have been de-proclaimed from forestry land use and released to the Department of Public Works, but the use made of them still had to be determined, the consultants said.

Rossouw said a legal entity responsible for land-use planning in the catchment area needed to be set up.

While several development options had been proposed, Rossouw said there was no guarantee any of them would be realised.

Although the report proposes land water use options for the Berg River, it restricts development on steep parts of the site.

The authors said high-lying areas of the dam could be used for low-intensity activities such as hiking and overnight tented accommodation. More intensive activities, such as mountain biking and fishing, could take place in the lower areas.

Traditional crops and flora, such as buchu, proteas, stone fruit and wine grapes could be farmed on the agricultural land on the edge of the dam. All farming should be organic.

Entertainment facilities, restaurants, a cafe, shops and and environmental educational facilities could be built on the eastern side of the dam wall.

An upmarket tourist lodge could be located at the Bells Lodge site and linked to a remote bush camp in the Assegaaibosch Valley.

"The Berg River Dam has the potential to open a new range of tourism opportunities to complement the long-established tourism activities in the Franschhoek Valley," said the report.

Possible restrictions on tourism activities could be the fluctuating water levels of the dam.

The water level is low in summer, making the area unsuitable for water activities.

The dam, which was built to address the province's water shortage, will also be used for recreational activities.

But the consultants recommended these be limited to non-motorised activities such as sailing, angling, canoeing and rowing.

There should also be an area for swimming.

A rowing and dragon boat course could be established on a 2 000 metre, eight-lane Olympic size rowing facility on the dam.

The consultants proposed several options for the management of the dam, including the establishment of a Water User Association that would collect charges from users or a Trust that would manage the dam with an operating company.

Funny that. In the beginning when this dam was completed they were very strict on saying that no recreational activity would take place. The dam is situated about 200m from my school so we went on outings during its construction a good 2 years back. Absolutely massive construction. And brilliant news with the new plans to develop it into something more. :)

^^ Never knew there was a school right there, thought the closest was Bridge House?

Tourist hub planned for Boland

November 10 2008 at 08:03AM

By Anél Powell

Wide-Ranging development plans mooted for the new R1,5-billion Berg River Dam include a 2 000 metre Olympic-size rowing course, an upmarket lodge, restaurants, shops and other tourist and recreational facilities.

Consultants CNdV Africa Planning & Design and the state-owned Trans-Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA) unveiled the development options for the Berg River catchment area in weekend advertisements.

In a draft report prepared for public comment, Simon Nicks and Nigel Rossouw of CNdV and TCTA respectively said all development in the dam area should be limited to tourism and recreational facilities.

There would be no residential development in the area.

Rossouw said the proposals had emerged during four years of public consultation about development possibilities for the catchment area.

However, as some parts of the catchment fell within the Cape Winelands biosphere and the Hottentots Holland nature reserve, many options could be curtailed by environmental concerns.

Although the deadline for public comment is November 28, Rossouw said it was too early for development plans to be on the table. "Our interest is in preserving the water quality of the Berg River Dam catchment area."

But he said TCTA wanted to open the area to the public.

"Most water catchment areas are closed to the public. With this (one) we are taking a different approach because Franschhoek has very little open public space."

Parcels of state land in the area have been de-proclaimed from forestry land use and released to the Department of Public Works, but the use made of them still had to be determined, the consultants said.

Rossouw said a legal entity responsible for land-use planning in the catchment area needed to be set up.

While several development options had been proposed, Rossouw said there was no guarantee any of them would be realised.

Although the report proposes land water use options for the Berg River, it restricts development on steep parts of the site.

The authors said high-lying areas of the dam could be used for low-intensity activities such as hiking and overnight tented accommodation. More intensive activities, such as mountain biking and fishing, could take place in the lower areas.

Traditional crops and flora, such as buchu, proteas, stone fruit and wine grapes could be farmed on the agricultural land on the edge of the dam. All farming should be organic.

Entertainment facilities, restaurants, a cafe, shops and and environmental educational facilities could be built on the eastern side of the dam wall.

An upmarket tourist lodge could be located at the Bells Lodge site and linked to a remote bush camp in the Assegaaibosch Valley.

"The Berg River Dam has the potential to open a new range of tourism opportunities to complement the long-established tourism activities in the Franschhoek Valley," said the report.

Possible restrictions on tourism activities could be the fluctuating water levels of the dam.

The water level is low in summer, making the area unsuitable for water activities.

The dam, which was built to address the province's water shortage, will also be used for recreational activities.

But the consultants recommended these be limited to non-motorised activities such as sailing, angling, canoeing and rowing.

There should also be an area for swimming.

A rowing and dragon boat course could be established on a 2 000 metre, eight-lane Olympic size rowing facility on the dam.

The consultants proposed several options for the management of the dam, including the establishment of a Water User Association that would collect charges from users or a Trust that would manage the dam with an operating company.

The Olympic Rowing Course was mooted for many many years.

Olympic Rowing Course

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/rfataar/OlympicRowing.png
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/rfataar/BergRiverRowing.jpg
http://www.tcta.co.za/images/follow-pic17.jpg

Haha... only noticed now... the introductory pic on this thread is my upload to Wikipedia from a geological trip up to Paarl Rock from 2001! :colgate:

Nice pics of the Berg River Dam Mo, really wanted to see what it looked like.

^^ Never knew there was a school right there, thought the closest was Bridge House?

That is it :). My school. Well in Grade 12 now. It is very very close. Recent news from the school is they have signed a deal with the Berg River Dam project to receive the ground that they have dug up. Reason is that Bridge House is on terribly clay, and they have been looking at expanding their sports fields. So we have a whole heap underground land that has been deposited there now where they are to be built.

Maybe it is more like 500m-1km. 2min drive anyway.

http://www.bridgehouse.org.za/image.php?img=uploaded/2008/7/28/5.jpg&max_area=90000

where exactly ids this dam as on googler I can see a biggish dam but its closer to Franchoek than Paarl and close to Pearl Valley (behind and in the mountains)

I think you're seeing Wemmershoek Dam, just to the north of Franschhoek within the Klein Drakenstein Mountains. The Berg River Dam, as far as I know, is not on GoogleEarth yet, as it's brand new. It is on the Berg River itself just south-west of Franschhoek and south-east of Simondium, within the foothills of the Great Drakenstein Mountains.

http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/6881/bbdnj7.png

That is roughly where it is. Those blocks on google earth indicated it was there. But still under construction.

ahh other side of the Franchhoeck valley from the Wemmershoek Dam
cool getting to know my new neighbourhood

wasnt there a proposal to refurb that 9F gold glass building in the centre of town into a resi or something?

"The Tower" ? Yes and it was completed from my knowledge. Has some other shops at the bottom. Nothing to get excited about though. Cell C moved in, Curves gym is on the 1st floor I think, and a few randoms that have been there for a long time are around the corner and didn't change.
There was a lot more excited caused than what acually happened. The sign at the top that use to say BOE is just empty now and nothing really on the outside got done up.

ahh other side of the Franchhoeck valley from the Wemmershoek Dam
cool getting to know my new neighbourhood

Your new neighborhood?

That is it :). My school. Well in Grade 12 now. It is very very close. Recent news from the school is they have signed a deal with the Berg River Dam project to receive the ground that they have dug up. Reason is that Bridge House is on terribly clay, and they have been looking at expanding their sports fields. So we have a whole heap underground land that has been deposited there now where they are to be built.

Maybe it is more like 500m-1km. 2min drive anyway.

http://www.bridgehouse.org.za/image.php?img=uploaded/2008/7/28/5.jpg&max_area=90000

When I was at school, many years ago, :) I attended the Reddam House version of Bridge House in Tokai.

There is no link between the schools though.

But I have and do have friends who have been to Reddam Tokai. Only heard good about that place. Isn't reddam like crawford in that it is a company like run school?

A friend of mine goes to Reddam House :)

There is no link between the schools though.

But I have and do have friends who have been to Reddam Tokai. Only heard good about that place. Isn't reddam like crawford in that it is a company like run school?

yip. but better.

no official link but reddam used a lot bridge house type architecture, courtyards, arches, wooden doors etc.

Oh okay. Never visited the school. Bridge House has done very well. Reaching 700 pupils. Two boarding houses. Grade 00 to Matric. That is over I think since 13 years ago. Really good going for a school in such a location.

Oh okay. Never visited the school. Bridge House has done very well. Reaching 700 pupils. Two boarding houses. Grade 00 to Matric. That is over I think since 13 years ago. Really good going for a school in such a location.

Since Reddam was not in a rural area :) They had Pre 3 to Grade 12 from day 1 in 2000.

There are new Reddams in Green Point, Johannesburg and Sydney, Australia.

Even Aus..yo that is impressive. Rate a school thread could be cool to have. Like for inter-school rugby, brags, news and so on. Good idea?

Even Aus..yo that is impressive. Rate a school thread could be cool to have. Like for inter-school rugby, brags, news and so on. Good idea?

maybe maybe

Guess no one here is still in school. Anyway back to Paarl.

http://www.property24.com/Property24/img/P24HeaderImages/logo_property.png

CT's Paarl gets transformed
2008/11/13

The Winelands town of Paarl has reported a surge in interest in buying historic buildings and transforming them.

Savvy property buyers are helping to re-invigorate the Winelands town of Paarl, by snapping up some of its older buildings and transforming them into character-filled modern structures. The local Pam Golding office reports that there has been a surge in interest in some of the town's older houses, especially those with interesting historical background, and says renovators are turning the dull and dowdy into charming family dwellings and small shops.

The change is nowhere more evident that on the town's Main Road, says PGP area manager Surina du Toit. "Main Road has always had a few small businesses and motor dealerships, typical of a rural town, but in the last few years we have seen it undergo a complete transformation. It is now a bustling, trendy spot, full of beautifully renovated buildings, coffee shops, boutiques and restaurants. One of the biggest success stories has been number 279 Main Road, which we sold to developers two years ago. They have taken the old collection of drab offices and flats, and created modern apartments as well as vibey commercial spaces including a deli, restaurant and boutique. The vibe is not unlike St George's Mall in Cape Town, with lots of pedestrian traffic and outdoor activity, flanked by beautiful old buildings. It is also becoming a draw-card for tourists, who find it is a great place to spend an afternoon, wandering through small shops and enjoying fantastic local food."

http://www.property24.com/Property24/Articles/ArticleImages/paarl-red.gif

Tourists are not the only ones to enjoy this breath of fresh air in the town. Says PGP's MD for the Boland and Overberg, Annien, Borg: "The property market in Paarl remains buoyant despite the overall tougher trading conditions we are experiencing at present. We are seeing ongoing interest from a wide variety of buyers, including businesspeople working in Cape Town's Northern Suburbs, for whom it is only a 25 minute drive to work. There are also plenty of queries from upcountry residents looking for a less stressful and more secure place in which to raise their families, close to excellent schools and sporting facilities, with a stunning mountain and vineyard setting and a more tranquil, neighbourly lifestyle. There is particular demand for homes in the various security and golf estates such as Pearl Valley, Boschenmeer, Val de Vie and Winelands Estate."

The agency has a wide selection of homes for sale in Paarl, with prices starting at around R440 000 for apartments, and small homes coming in at around R1 million. There is a variety of larger family homes, smallholdings and farms, ranging up to a large wine and port farm with a traditional Cape Dutch homestead, on the market at R33 million. "One can still buy a sizeable house here for R1.5 million," adds du Toit, "and enjoy all the benefits of living in the Winelands and enjoying a rural lifestyle, while still being only 45 minutes away from the Cape Town International Airport."

(Drakenstein) Municipality helps poor and elderly cut costs
2008-12-04
http://www.paarlpost.com/cgib/article?newsid=13459

THE Drakenstein Municipality has approved increases to the indigent subsidy scheme to save poor communities and the elderly millions of rands annually in a bid to ease the burden of the current financial crisis.

Not only will the poor pay even less for services, but the beneficiaries in the scheme will also increase from the current 8 000 to 16 000.

The current criterion for qualification in reduced municipal fees is an income of less than R1 880 per household per month. Under the new approach, the minimum income qualification will increase by 30% to R2 444.

The Municipality will also engage in a drive to encourage individuals in poor communities to register with the Municipality in order to benefit.

Farm workers have also been targeted, through savings in their employers’ contribution payment for services.

It is estimated that the subsidy granted for one year will amount to about R48 million.

“The Municipality has taken into account the burden the poor face in these difficult times,” says Executive Mayor Charmaine Manuel.

“Although the current financial burden is not of our making, we believe that the Municipality should help the poor save money for key commodities such as food and clothing.”

The savings, which came into effect on December 1, cover water, electricity, refuse removal, sewerage services and property rates.

The grant will increase from R203,34 to R278,44. In the case of unemployed individuals the grant is R304,94.

Municipal staff would have to work overtime to capture details of the beneficiaries, with possible help from unemployed individuals.

The practical implications for poor households are as follows:

• Free electricity to increase from 50kw to 100kw, including the unemployed

• Free electricity of 100kw to households on local farms, for the first 5 000 applicants

• The R55 sewerage subsidy to increase to R75

• The R55 refuse removal subsidy to increase to R75

• Free water of 6kl will now increase to 10kl

• Residents of old age homes to be subsidised by R150 per month per couple on refuse collection and sewerage services

• All registered poor households to be exempted from interest on arrear accounts

The Mayor further encouraged all affected individuals to register at their nearest municipal office.

http://www.paarlpost.com/templates/logo.jpg

Grande Roche Hotel

2009-02-26

A NEW management and marketing contract for the prestigious Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl, a member of Relais & Chateaux, has recently been facilitated by Pam Golding Hotels, a member of Pam Golding Hospitality (PGH).

This transaction resulted in that the Shamwari Group, with partner Dubai World Africa, being awarded the contract.

Joop Demes, CEO of Pam Golding Hospitality, said ,“The directors of The Grande Roche consulted us with a view to increasing brand awareness in an increasingly competitive market and also alleviating pressure in terms of day-to-day operations.

“Having introduced Adrian Gardiner, chairman of the Shamwari Mantis Group to the directors of the Grande Roche, we were then commissioned by both parties to facilitate the negotiations,”

The Grande Roche Hotel is considered the most well-known boutique hotel in the Cape Winelands, being particularly popular among a repeat clientele from Germany and the UK.

With Mantis Collection, Gardiner has built up an exceptional collection of unique, upmarket and boutique hotels and game lodge establishments in Africa, England, Scotland and Europe.

“Pam Golding Hospitality has a long history with Adrian Gardiner who has utilised our services extensively for consultations and facilitations for many well known properties such as The Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg, Shamwari Game Reserve in the Eastern Cape, Sanbona Wildlife Reserve in the Western Cape, Steenberg Hotel in Cape Town and the Draycott Hotel in London.

“His keen eye in partnering with unique properties dovetails perfectly with the Grande Roche to benefit both parties,” he says. Currently PGH is involved in nine other operator facilitation processes for hotels in SA.

http://www.paarlpost.com/templates/logo.jpg

Possible base camp at Santé

2009-02-26

WITH less that 500 days left for Africa’s first soccer world cup event, all possibilities for international teams to set up base camp in Paarl are under investigation.

The latest on the list is the Santé Winelands Hotel between Paarl and Klapmuts. This hotel closed down two years ago after the owner, the fallen asset management company Fidentia, ran into difficulties.

On the official Paarl 2010 website, the four possible venues for team accommodation are listed as Santé, Diemersdal farm near Wellington, the Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl, and Pearl Valley.

The Paarl Waterfront development is not mentioned on the website, although consultation with stakeholders regarding this development is in progress.

Arthob Petersen, councillor of Drakenstein municipality and chairperson for Paarl 2010, told the mayoral meeting last week that Santé was also in the running to have their facilities ready for a presentation to Fifa, the international football governing body.

Fifa will make the final decision on where these base camps will be, in December. All base camps must conform to Fifa requirements.

“It will cost the hotel R16 million to upgrade their facilities. They have to get playing fields to accommodate the players,” said Petersen.

The hotel was recently purchased by British business man Chris Wishlade of SafCap Investments for an undisclosed sum and is currently being refurbished. It is due to open in May.

The hotel was closed for more than two years and this week the new owners were busy removing the current furniture from the hotel.

* The Grande Roche Hotel has also indicated that they will undertake to build an additional six suites in order to qualify for a base camp team hotel.

“Upgrades to the Dal Josaphat Stadium have started and we are waiting on the final specifications for the pitch and the base camp stadium guidelines,” Petersen said.

Anyone have any updates on how the Paarl Waterfront is coming along?

reoppening this hotel is a must as its spectacular and was my favourite hotel in CT, good to see some GBP being invested.

Would love to know what he paid for the hotel?

http://www.paarlpost.com/templates/logo.jpg

Possible base camp at Santé

2009-02-26

WITH less that 500 days left for Africa’s first soccer world cup event, all possibilities for international teams to set up base camp in Paarl are under investigation.

The latest on the list is the Santé Winelands Hotel between Paarl and Klapmuts. This hotel closed down two years ago after the owner, the fallen asset management company Fidentia, ran into difficulties.

On the official Paarl 2010 website, the four possible venues for team accommodation are listed as Santé, Diemersdal farm near Wellington, the Grande Roche Hotel in Paarl, and Pearl Valley.

The Paarl Waterfront development is not mentioned on the website, although consultation with stakeholders regarding this development is in progress.

Arthob Petersen, councillor of Drakenstein municipality and chairperson for Paarl 2010, told the mayoral meeting last week that Santé was also in the running to have their facilities ready for a presentation to Fifa, the international football governing body.

Fifa will make the final decision on where these base camps will be, in December. All base camps must conform to Fifa requirements.

“It will cost the hotel R16 million to upgrade their facilities. They have to get playing fields to accommodate the players,” said Petersen.

The hotel was recently purchased by British business man Chris Wishlade of SafCap Investments for an undisclosed sum and is currently being refurbished. It is due to open in May.

The hotel was closed for more than two years and this week the new owners were busy removing the current furniture from the hotel.

* The Grande Roche Hotel has also indicated that they will undertake to build an additional six suites in order to qualify for a base camp team hotel.

“Upgrades to the Dal Josaphat Stadium have started and we are waiting on the final specifications for the pitch and the base camp stadium guidelines,” Petersen said.

reoppening this hotel is a must as its spectacular and was my favourite hotel in CT, good to see some GBP being invested.

Would love to know what he paid for the hotel?

I suspect that since it was part of Fidentia and the depressed market conditions that he got it at rock bottom prices as this was a distressed auction sale.

http://www.paarlpost.com/templates/logo.jpg

Exclusive hotel opens on estate

2009-03-05

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/2692/w5business.jpg

NEW. The L’ermitage Franschhoek Chateau & Villas has been in operation since the beginning of the year. Pic: Sieb Sieberhagen


THE L’ermitage Franschhoek Chateau & Villas, a newly built exclusive hotel set within the secure grounds of the prestigious Fransche Hoek Estate, is now in operation.

Guests can stay in the stately five-star château or in one of the charming one, two and three bedroom private villas.

Construction of this Provençal-inspired hotel started in June 2008 and late in December last year it was handed over to owner Dawie du Preez, a resident of Franschhoek.

The château, with six superior bedrooms, each luxuriously furnished and all with views of the majestic Franschhoek Mountain, are furnished with king-size beds, en-suite bathrooms, air conditioning, satellite TV, DVD players and even small kitchenettes.

This hotel also offers “fractional ownership” to members of the Private Residence Club with four luxury two-bedroomed villas managed by L’ermitage.

A total of 26 spacious villas line the cobbled streets – all luxuriously furnished with the finest finishing touches and a fully equipped designer-kitchen.

The fine-dining restaurant, with Reuben Riffel contracted as consulting chef, offers gourmet eating at its best.

L’ermitage also has its own deli-cum-grocer, called the Epicerie. It is stocked with imported cheeses and meats, breads and speciality products. Also on site are a wedding chapel, conference facilities and wellness centre.

For more information, visit www.lermitage.co.za.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Nice find!

I took some pix of the new Berg River Dam a few months ago:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_No8r2V6Gk24/SiEAV-3cQlI/AAAAAAAAB0w/VGtHh1-KZXM/s640/SP_A1652.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_No8r2V6Gk24/SiEAWbooHII/AAAAAAAAB00/eeEqTnjwS20/s640/SP_A1653.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_No8r2V6Gk24/SiEAXPXRkAI/AAAAAAAAB04/YVovLXhrSPw/s800/SP_A1649.jpg

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_No8r2V6Gk24/SiEAXiTx2BI/AAAAAAAAB08/rBOEteu-u-w/s640/SP_A1645.jpg

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_No8r2V6Gk24/SiEAYUX-1HI/AAAAAAAAB1A/WHueye7G_dQ/s800/SP_A1646.jpg

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_No8r2V6Gk24/SiEAY63UZRI/AAAAAAAAB1E/P6wSdWuHwO0/s640/SP_A1647.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_No8r2V6Gk24/SiEAZdYc6yI/AAAAAAAAB1I/X8IiX-zm08A/s640/SP_A1643.jpg

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_No8r2V6Gk24/SiEAaNrQ0lI/AAAAAAAAB1M/QNIBupeGKhg/s640/SP_A1644.jpg

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_No8r2V6Gk24/SiEAarUtONI/AAAAAAAAB1Q/hRIfYs_RiGM/s800/SP_A1641.jpg

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_No8r2V6Gk24/SiEAbe0Jw5I/AAAAAAAAB1U/ybCLWiartNY/s640/SP_A1642.jpg

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_No8r2V6Gk24/SiEAb76XqcI/AAAAAAAAB1c/4jqh-7F0Zkg/s800/SP_A1639.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_No8r2V6Gk24/SiEAcajUc2I/AAAAAAAAB1g/sHaOOUQ4EKw/s640/SP_A1640.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_No8r2V6Gk24/SiEAcwXKbZI/AAAAAAAAB1k/FvnlUtaxbNY/s640/SP_A1636.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_No8r2V6Gk24/SiEAdbEc2DI/AAAAAAAAB1o/jCTcen9DJPM/s640/SP_A1637.jpg

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_No8r2V6Gk24/SiEAeCyzwZI/AAAAAAAAB1s/UIX7HEeLkqU/s800/SP_A1638.jpg

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_No8r2V6Gk24/SiEAeqivwSI/AAAAAAAAB1w/gbWO-haOQXI/s800/SP_A1635.jpg

Very nice.

Some pictures of the venue for The Killers and Elton John. Parking was horrific, but a spectacular setting for a brilliant concert. It was held on Val De Vie polo estate outside Paarl.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_AWbD7X_tqUY/Sx0j1CwycyI/AAAAAAAADSQ/URzbs8SBpno/s640/DSC03648.JPG

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_AWbD7X_tqUY/Sx0kGQNplSI/AAAAAAAADS4/C9BeW7df828/s800/DSC03658.JPG

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_AWbD7X_tqUY/Sx0oo9tu4VI/AAAAAAAADWY/4SbULgGgsmU/s800/DSC03713.JPG

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_AWbD7X_tqUY/Sx0o88gQckI/AAAAAAAADXI/zcYAcVpVsHg/s800/DSC03724.JPG

Some pictures of the venue for The Killers and Elton John. Parking was horrific, but a spectacular setting for a brilliant concert. It was held on Val De Vie polo estate outside Paarl.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_AWbD7X_tqUY/Sx0j1CwycyI/AAAAAAAADSQ/URzbs8SBpno/s640/DSC03648.JPG

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_AWbD7X_tqUY/Sx0kGQNplSI/AAAAAAAADS4/C9BeW7df828/s800/DSC03658.JPG

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_AWbD7X_tqUY/Sx0oo9tu4VI/AAAAAAAADWY/4SbULgGgsmU/s800/DSC03713.JPG

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_AWbD7X_tqUY/Sx0o88gQckI/AAAAAAAADXI/zcYAcVpVsHg/s800/DSC03724.JPG

Here in São Paulo they held in an awful place and rained a lot.. but the show was perfect!!

Paarl 2008

Part 1:

In the train Cape Town-Paarl:
1.
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/7913/2008013020080130001241.jpg (http://img24.imageshack.us/i/2008013020080130001241.jpg/)

2.
http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/2760/2008013020080130001242.jpg (http://img210.imageshack.us/i/2008013020080130001242.jpg/)

3.
http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/4570/2008013020080130001245.jpg (http://img266.imageshack.us/i/2008013020080130001245.jpg/)

4.
http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/9664/2008013020080130001246.jpg (http://img715.imageshack.us/i/2008013020080130001246.jpg/)

5.
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/1365/2008013020080130001249.jpg (http://img267.imageshack.us/i/2008013020080130001249.jpg/)

6.
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/1530/2008013020080130001250.jpg (http://img444.imageshack.us/i/2008013020080130001250.jpg/)

7.
http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/7456/2008013020080130001251.jpg (http://img101.imageshack.us/i/2008013020080130001251.jpg/)

8.
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/4070/2008013020080130001252.jpg (http://img23.imageshack.us/i/2008013020080130001252.jpg/)

Thank you for those. Another perspective :)

Thank you, Cape Guy! I had a very interesting day in Paarl.

Paarl 2008

Part 2:

Still in the train:
9.
http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/3682/2008013020080130001253.jpg (http://img534.imageshack.us/i/2008013020080130001253.jpg/)

10.
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/8982/2008013020080130001254.jpg (http://img405.imageshack.us/i/2008013020080130001254.jpg/)

11.
http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/4908/2008013020080130001255.jpg (http://img706.imageshack.us/i/2008013020080130001255.jpg/)

12.
http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/1320/2008013020080130001256.jpg (http://img411.imageshack.us/i/2008013020080130001256.jpg/)

13.
http://img691.imageshack.us/img691/2774/2008013020080130001257.jpg (http://img691.imageshack.us/i/2008013020080130001257.jpg/)

14.
http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/2200/2008013020080130001258.jpg (http://img697.imageshack.us/i/2008013020080130001258.jpg/)

15.
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/5150/2008013020080130001259.jpg (http://img143.imageshack.us/i/2008013020080130001259.jpg/)

I scanned in some old postcards.

This is one of Paarl (circa 1964, apparently):

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_No8r2V6Gk24/TFheNGkwxdI/AAAAAAAAD9s/Qx6rrnOAYUw/s800/Paarl.jpg

I got to visit Paarl 2 weeks ago. Here are some photos:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/5967532337_ec61374f04_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6020/5967530907_739fc79565_z.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6006/5968090396_f099209b07_z.jpg