Page 160 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2019 PORTUGAL

persecuted French Huguenots at the end of the
17th century. Given small free plots in Fran-
schhoek, which means French Corner in
Dutch, these newcomers drew on their farming
experience to grow grapes, olives, and more.
Their love of food and art also reverberates to
this day.
The town of Franschhoek - population
20,000 - is a patchwork of galleries, antique
stores, and better souvenir shops that fill in
around tourist shops, gourmet grocers, and
sundry stores that cater to locals. Cafes and
restaurants enliven the main street and its
many courtyards filled with umbrella-shaded
tables. During our stay we enjoyed delicious
pasta alle vongole at Allora and passable Mex-
ican “with a twist” at Tuk Tuk Microbrewery -
all savored outside on balmy evenings before
leisurely strolls back to Plumwood.
Our innkeepers Roel and Lucienne Rutten
served cooked-to-order breakfasts with fresh
pastries and fruit salads on a patio overlook-
ing the pool. Throughout the day, guests used
an honor system for cocktails and South
African wines along with happy-hour snacks.
Roel and Lucienne also were expert guides to
the region, as were many of our fellow guests
who had come to Plumwood annually for years
to escape Europe’s winters.
They, like us, took advantage of Fran-
schhoek’s central location to explore wineries
and restaurants, including many in Stellen-
bosch, a 40-minute Uber ride away. This uni-
versity town and environs are home to more
than 150,000. Its bustling downtown is easily
walkable and alive with shops, galleries and
bars, many geared to 30,000 students in resi-
dence.
During our first visit, several streets were
blocked and black smoke billowed into the air
as taxi drivers protested tickets for speeding
and parking violations. We were turned back
and learned from fuming shopkeepers that
these disruptive incidents occur all too fre-
quently. Though our second visit to Stellen-

160 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE WINTER/SPRING 2024