Paul Theroux, one of the planet’s preeminent travel writers “with the disposition of a Hobbit”
and dad to Louis has fallen in love again. In public. With Cape
Town. His “best discovery of 2012” in the Weekend Financial Times
is the Mother City which he claims is “the only city in Africa with
a claim to grandeur.” Sounding like a PR from Cape Town Tourism he
continues “I discovered it to be a city of great hotels and superb
restaurants.”

The Cape Grace is called “a destination for gourmets and
drinkers” while the Taj is “elegant, with the best Indian
restaurant in town, the Bombay Brasserie.” Hotels in Stellenbosch,
Franschhoek and Paarl are called “world class.”

A good weekend then for the Winelands with Jancis Robinson fingering Meerlust 2009
Chardonnay as the only SA white in her 25 blanc beauties laundry
list. A wine unfairly overlooked by the Platter sighted wine guide
for five star glory back in 2010 with the tasting note
“misleadingly unassuming.” Indeed! What a pity Platter does not
relook at wines as Jancis notes this one is “much more open,
approachable and lively than many a 2009 white burgundy at this
price.”