Departure Pain from South Africa

It has become quite cold here with you! We hope that you won't let the gray get you down. We speak from experience, as we have recently returned to our office in Schondorf and are trying to adjust to the lower temperatures. Once back, the daily grind quickly catches up with you. But the farewell – especially the days leading up to it – is always difficult for us.

Do you know the feeling? When a loved one is about to depart or when you have to say goodbye to something close to your heart? Perhaps a place or feeling that just feels "right," even though it isn’t permanently viable? This is how we feel about South Africa.

A certain sadness grips us every time, growing stronger until we find ourselves sitting at dinner on our last evening with tears close to the surface. Perhaps there is also a hint of anxiety – who knows when it will be next or whether this is a farewell for good.

For all those who understand such feelings, we'd like to convey a glimpse of what captivates us every time through a few collages:

Collaboration with our Wine Partners

Professionally, personal contact with our partners at the Cape is a central part of our work. How could we share the stories of these wineries without knowing the farms, the people behind them, and the ideas that drive their winemaking? Of course, you don't harmonize with every winemaker, but many share a common passion. This often leads to valuable encounters – both professionally and personally. Some of our partners have become good friends over the years. And yes, we miss them dearly.

The Joyful Children

We don't have children ourselves, but we spend ample time sharing our best moments with the children we meet through our work with "Lebenslinien." Their laughter and the feeling of sustainably supporting their journey are incredibly enriching – and addictive. These moments are worth every effort.

The Breathtaking Nature

The nature at the Cape is simply unique. On the smallest area, a diversity like no other: the sea, the beaches, the mountains, the parks – and the fascinating fauna and flora. This interplay makes the region the most beautiful travel destination in the world for us.

The Animals in the Garden and at the Birdfeeder

Even in our own garden, there is much to delight in every day. Although sometimes we are woken by the "Hadidas" loudly flying in to pull the poor worms out of the ground.

From our office, we also observe animals we can hardly bear to leave behind. And then there’s our "Birdfeeder": a simple bottle filled with sugar water that – if hung correctly – quickly attracts the most colorful sugarbirds and hummingbirds. It's a pleasure to watch them drink or squabble for the best spots in line. And keeping our "Birdfeeder" full is a given.

Then there’s our “Gini family,” as we call them. The Ginis are "Guinea Fowls," which sleep in large numbers in the trees before our property and love to raise their flightless young in the safety of our garden. Even though they reliably devastate the flowerbeds, we wouldn’t want to miss them.

The Weather and Quality of Life

We don’t need to show you the weather, do we? The incredible quality of life – humanly, culinarily, or viticulturally – only adds to the difficulty of saying goodbye.

What's Next?

We don’t know when you’ll pack your "package of departure pain" at the Cape again. For our part, we are already counting the bottles of Cape wine we can still enjoy before it’s time to head back at the end of the month – to the best Cape in the world.

Wishing you a beautiful Advent season and, as always, the perfect glass of wine in hand!