On 6 April, Family Day, after a weekend of admin and more admin, Deon and I decided to hit the road. A drive through the beautiful Western Cape country side is always refreshing and if you could include a lunch at a new restaurant, and it is a lovely reward after all the hard work.

We decided to have lunch at Backsberg Estate, set in the foothills of the Simonsberg Mountains just outside Paarl. It was a perfect autumn day and the mountains were an intense blue. Again we realized how privileged we are to live in the beautiful Western Cape.

We did not book a table (we should have known) and therefore could not sit outside on the lawn under the huge trees for lunch, but we were seated inside at a table next to a window with a beautiful view. The choice was between lamb on the spit with a buffet of vegetables and potatoes, which was very popular with the many people who came for lunch.

Deon and I decided to order from the menu. He ordered slices of lamb served on ciabatta and served with a fresh mint sauce, roast potatoes and a garden salad. I ordered a gourmet burger with Camembert and tomato relish. We were very happy with our meals and were totally blown away with the dessert – a quartet of desserts which we shared.

After a lovely, relaxed afternoon, we went home, but we will certainly be back – next time we will book a table under the trees and dine al fresco.