Helleborus - the exquisite beauty that blooms in my garden at the end of winter when nothing else does

Breakfast in the Cape Winelands at Twist some More - country restaurant, Wellington, South Africa

Twist some More, a wonderful cozy country restaurant, on a farm, nestled in a barn and sprawling out onto a patio with views of the surrounding hills and mountains.  In winter time, a crackling fire indoors beckons you to sip local wines at the bar in the barn, in summertime, stretch out under the oak trees and soak up the view.  With a blackboard menu, selections change regularly depending on freshly available local produce.  I recently visited with my mom and sister for a delicious breakfast in a gorgeous setting.

Enter the barn through large corrugated red and wine striped barn doors to the country restaurant

Sitting out under the old oak trees, gorgeous views over the valley, delicious breakfasts

Outdoor dining

Views from the paved patio - out over the fields to the mountains which add a spectacular backdrop

Inside the barn

Blackboards provide the delicious food of the day

Centerpieces on every table are simple and elegant, chives, poppyseed heads, asparagus, roses, onion blooms, artichokes

Lovely old wooden farm tables and mismatched chairs, rustic shelving with books and magazines, things you would find in an old farmhouse, make for a cozy welcome into this homelike setting.  And then there is the amazing home-cooked food.

Bottles of jams and pickles, cheeses, home baked goods are also for sale in a small deli area

My sister walking through the bar in the barn

I love the decorative cut log wall and huge fireplace in the background

Just like being at home with old antiques and cottage furniture, I love the scabiosa flower arrangement in the bright pottery vase

The bar in the barn serving local wines from the surrounding area.  Wellington is an area with award winning wines and an array of locally produced vegetables and fruits, sitting in the middle of lush farmlands

Some local pride.........

Amazing arrangements everywhere, this one with freshly picked artichokes, onion flowers

Sitting atop a bright red old General Electric fridge, a vase of fairy daisies, yellow indigenous pincushion proteas and a few onion flowers make a spectacular statement

LA MOTTE - WINE ESTATE IN FRANSCHHOEK, SOUTH AFRICA

La Motte winery, nestled in the picturesque Franschhoek Valley in the Cape Winelands of South Africa, offers world-class wines in their tasting room, top notch restaurants serving delicious cuisine, exquisite gardens to stroll, a wonderful farm shop with gifts galore, or simply sit out under the trees and sip and glass of their best.  Like I did recently with my mom and sister.

Entrance to La Motte, off the main road as it goes into the village of Franschhoek, just a few doors down from where my mom lives.

Mountains and valleys surrounding Franschhoek are said to date back 250 millions years - majestic!!!  As always, when I go back, I drive around in awe of how spectacular, how magnificent, how majestic the surrounding mountains are - rugged, soaring and a backdrop like no other.  What a better setting in the foreground than vineyards and roses.

At the top of the drive as you approach is an exquisite 13 foot bronze sculpture of a woman bearing an overflowing glass of wine, rising out of the vineyards, against a sheer mountain backdrop.  An exquisite sight.

Entrance gardens with indigenous aloes, strelitzia and fever trees.

Relax under the old oaks, looking across to the wine tasting area

La Motte farm shop

My absolute favorite collection of proteas (national flower of South Africa) and pincushions, few bright orange roses

Inside the farm shop, everything from fresh organic farm eggs, wine, proteas and gorgeous gifts

Bakery selection of delicious goodies

Proteas

Walk across the bridge to the wine tasting area

Inside the wine tasting area

Sipping wine with mom

The tables have spectacular hand blown glass vases with a pincushion in each one, and handblown glass olive oil and balsamic vinegar bottles with glass stoppers - love them.

Inside Pierneef a la Motte restaurant, the bar area

More handblown glass - a piece of art with a protea

Pierneef a la Motte restaurant - named after the famous South African landscape painter, Jacob Hendrik Pierneef.

Inside Pierneef a la Motte, incredible pieces of art, porcelain chandeliers

Flower arrangements everywhere using indigenous flowers and fynbos

Inside the restaurant, a photograph of Pierneef, the famous artist after who the restaurant was named.  A museum on the grounds holds a collection of his artwork.

An exquisite setting from La Motte, overlooking vineyards, gardens to the majestic mountains