Segways through the vineyard

This afternoon we had a blast.  We rented segways and toured the vineyard.  The Spier vineyard dates from 1692 and is 400 hectares in total, so a lot of room to tour through.  Using a Segway is actually pretty user intuitive.  To go faster you lean forward, to go slower you lean backwards.  They are very responsive in turning, with about a 1 meter turning radius.  We started out with lessons, and it became clear rather quickly that Caroline, despite being 8, was a bit of a pro on the Segway.  She quickly mastered the flats (an old parking lot) and then the obstacle course.  Then we were all off for the tour, following Prince, our guide.

The route was very scenic. The farm is rolling hills, with rugged mountains in the background.  The geography is very reminiscent of Napa and Sonoma in the U.S. Along the route we crossed paths with a Secretary bird. Unfortunately a Segway is not photo friendly and trying to frame a shot while keeping your balance and lurching forward is easier said then done. Thanks to the power of the Internet however, we can give you an example of what it looked like. With a mighty beat of its wings it quickly became airborne and vanished towards the sun.

We finished the afternoon with a bottle of a Spier Creative Block 5 Cabernet blend, and a mean game of checkers while figuring out where to go for dinner. While Cameron was editing the blog, making it far too verbose, we caught some candid father daughter bonding. 

Perhaps this is the best representation of our vacation so far.