Hermanus - South Africa - our favorite holiday destination.

Picture courtesy of Google images
Hermanus is within reach of Cape Town International Airport and renowned for its champagne air,long stretches of beach, mild climate, rich floral kingdom and friendly environment.
"Hermanus, also described as the Riviera of the South, offers the best shore-based whalewatching in the world. Nature lovers from all over the world visit Hermanus to view these magnificent creatures from the beaches and the cliffs.


Every year around July, locals eagerly await the arrival of special guests of honour, the Southern Right Whales. These visitors are an endless source of delight as they gambol in Walker Bay, in easy view of the cliff paths. They favour the relatively shallow waters of the bay for breeding and mating.


During the summer months the white sandy beaches are filled with holiday makers enjoying the sunny weather and excellent swimming in the sea. Hermanus is the ideal overwintering resort for visitors who wish to escape the cold Northern Hemisphere."
This picturesque town is no longer a small village and during summer holidays it is a favorite destination for many South Africans and during our winter the town is packed with visitors from abroad. Hermanus has many things to offer such as excellent wine routes, nature reserves, markets, diving with sharks and excellent accommodation in hotels and guest houses.

My family has been going to Hermanus every year now for the last 20 years and I hope this tradition will live on for many years to come. We have a wonderful home in a little village just outside ( 5 km) Hermanus, called Onrus. My children associate Onrus with Ouma and Oupa(Gran and Grandpa), tins and tins of Christmas cookies, potjiekos, braaivleis(barbeque) and lots of love and laughter. This year has been no exception to the rule and we had a glorious time with friends and family. The focus of course is always on the food and in the next few posts, I will share with you some of the delicious meals we had.
Before I share today's recipe with you however, I want to wish you all an eventful 2009. I trust that you will all be blessed with good health and that you will have the strength to handle whatever life throws at you. God bless you all in 2009!

Now for today's recipe. We are a meat-lovin' family and when we are at our holiday home we over-indulge hopelessly on meat such as lamb, beef and pork, so normally after a December vacation we go on a meat fast for a month or so just to recuperate. I found some Swordfish fillets in the fridge that our holiday tenants left and that was ideal for tonight's supper. I simply cut the fillets in portions, seasoned it with salt and pepper and pan-fried them in some olive oil. I made a delicious and light Basil and Buttermilk Mayo to go with the fish.

Basil Mayo

1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 handful of basil leaves
black pepper
zest and juice of a lemon

Blend together and pour over fish. Serve with fresh, boiled potatoes and a light green salad.