“Summer time...and the living is easy...” In our valley summer indeed means lazy days of relaxing,  long hours of daylight, perfect weather for lounging by the pool or picnicking by the dam, long glasses of cold white wine, and hours spent on the veranda as the sunset slowly changes into cool evenings.
 

At Gooding’s Groves the summer also means visitors flock to Franschhoek to enjoy all that this unique valley has to offer. Our guest house fills up with patrons, many new visitors and holiday makers from far afield. Our GG team loves the busyness of running, hosting, serving and the buzz of high season and the constant flow of guests.
 

With Christmas less than two weeks away, you can find Gooding’s Groves at the Methodist Church Saturday market in Franschhoek where our olives and olive oil as well as the Wonderbags are on sale. Visitors to our stall can enjoy a taste of dishes we prepared in the Wonderbag and hear all about this energy-saving cooking device. In fact, it is the ideal Christmas gift – saving someone special electricity, time and money. Plus, by buying or investing in a Wonderbag you contribute to a worthy charity and help decrease our carbon footprint.
 

Gooding’s Groves recently hosted Scarlet Nguni, a contributor to the Getaway blog, (http://blog.getaway.co.za/travel-ideas/tapas-wine-weekend-franschhoek/). Here is what she had to say about Gooding’s Groves: “We booked into Gooding’s Groves, a fully functional olive farm on the outskirts of Franschhoek. The romantic Tuscan farmhouse feel lends a certain Stealing Beauty charm and the manageress, Mareaze, is an absolute star. Their breakfasts (which are open to the public so you can indulge even if you’re staying elsewhere) are the proverbial cherry, making any stay memorable – I’m still craving those fluffy omelettes and delicious homemade muesli.”
 

And about Franschhoek she wrote: “Franschhoek is the perfect place to eat… and drink! Day one saw us meandering through the quaint village, stopping regularly for coffee, chocolates, cheese and wine – before returning to sit beside the pool, sipping long glasses of chilled Plaisir de Merle Chardonnay while we read and the sun set. Life’s tough in the country. The weather turned on day two so we ditched our hiking and biking plans in favour of the car’s secure warmth and drove over the mountain to soak up the magnificent scenery. Glancing up at the brooding clouds indicated an afternoon road trip into the Overberg was in order. And I had just the place for in mind a long, languid lunch…”

On this high note, the GG team wishes you all a wonderful and blessed festive season and we trust that you will be able to enjoy a taste of our valley and its offerings in the year ahead!

More information and bookings:
Email: mareaze@goodingsgroves.co.za | Tel: 021 876 2158 
www.goodingsgroves.co.za