The weekend of 26-27 June it is Christmas in July in Tulbagh. Do not miss this event.. http://www.tulbaghtourism.co.za/pr/pr/christmas-in-winter-2010.html

17 & 18 July: The yearly Franschhoek Bastille Festival takes place. The accordion will roam the streets of this beautiful town with live French street music. The fastest way to get a parisien experience! http://www.franschhoek.org.za/festivals

Two days of eating, tasting good wines and meeting people from all over the world. Hectic, but nice. Luckily the weather played with and the Valley was shining in the middle of winter. Don't forget the melodius French street music arround any corner! Voila!

More photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/frieannib/   or  http://www.flickr.com/photos/franschhoek/

Then back to the long tables in the shade to enjoy the food of an exceptional five star hotel! 

Photo: Anja Friese-Cloete

See for yourself : next year you may join us.

http://www.rochelle-franschhoek.co.za

Chef – Joslin Hawker

Winemaker – Dustin Osborne

                                            GPS 34٥ 14' 16.03" S | 19٥  15' 17.47" E

http://www.gabrielskloof.co.za/main.html

I had two weeks before my next project and my brother invited me over to look after his house while he was on holiday. Playing accordion for the neighbouring town seemed so natural and soon I made a lot of new friends.

A stocky, young guy came over and told me that they (Red Pepper Films) were busy making a film of the Riebeeck valley for the American market. His assistant, blond and pretty, soon joined us. ‘You know, my grandmother had one of these’, he said, pointing at the Scandalli standing on the counter. Soon I had to explain the basic working of the accordion, particularly the bass.

How do you explain the working of an accordion bass to someone with no knowledge of music, except that he has seen an accordion before? However, I was quite hot and the beer he offered made the lecture easy. After the second beer the order came: ‘Let’s take the accordion through the streets and film some more, you do not mind, do you?’

Funnily enough, this sounded like a challenge and soon I was walking in the twilight in the main street, like the pied piper, blasting some French tune. Peter was next to me with this enormous camera on his shoulder, followed by Sonja with a battery pack on her back and a huge portable light aimed at the street before us.

‘Let’s turn left here and see what is going on at Taverna’, I said. Soon we were on the stoep of the Taverna, that was owned by Lizzie and Hilton at that stage. Three German speaking guests, two men and a woman, were trying to eat supper when their table became illuminated, music surrounded them and a camera lens focused on what was on the plates. Those must have been difficult moments for them, still trying to enjoy their meal with all this media attention with the last notes of ‘Domino’ hanging in the air.

‘Oh Eric, what wonderful shots!’, Peter said. ‘Let’s have a meal here.’

Needless to say, the ice was broken. The accordion music lasted till deep into the night. I really enjoyed the company of the friendly town-folk, the ‘Red Peppers’ and the German guests.

Little did I know that the German tour guide, Anja was later to become my wife!