Donkey refuge with hearty meals
A cosy country kitchen has opened at Eseltjiesrus Donkey Sanctuary, a delightful destination for a family outing in McGregor in the Robertson Wine Valley.
We had lunch at an authentic country kitchen at the Eseltjiesrus Donkey Sanctuary in McGregor.
Breaking bread with donkeys on a Sunday was a biblical experience. The donkeys brayed, hens clucked and geese hissed in a country symphony with more ambience than any canned soundtrack. A cluster of rustic tables scattered in a farmyard among old whitewashed farm cottages, wetland reeds and vineyards completed the idyllic country scene.
On the farm stoep, I read that evocative ode to the donkey by poet GK Chesterton:
With monstrous head and sickening cry and ears like errant wings, The devil's walking parody on all four-footed things. Fools! For I also had my hour; one far fierce hour and sweet: there was a shout about my ears, and palms before my feet.
The image of Jesus entering Jerusalem on the humble donkey somehow evokes the spirit of Eseltjiesrus.
"Donkeys teach us humility. You have to go down on your knees to look into their beautiful eyes," says Annemarie van Zijl, co-founder of the donkey sanctuary with her husband Johan. On retiring to McGregor they opened what they describe as a retirement home for destitute donkeys - and rescued 20 farm "esels" from a life of cruel abuse.
Eseltjiesrus is a popular destination for a family daytrip. While the adults enjoyed a glass of wine, we watched children playing in a sandpit and exploring the garden paths in the farmyard. Accompanied children can take a short walk to the donkey camp and help brush, feed or pat the donkeys. With names such as Bella, Coco, Dowwe Dolla and Eeyore, these donkeys with shaggy fringes and deep brown eyes are simply adorable - Vlekkie bonded with me from the first scratch behind her big blonde ears.
Chef-patron Debbie Hall-Reace tempts visitors with hearty, wholesome fare from her country kitchen - lamb shank pie, oxtail ragout, lamb curry (served with McGregor Muscadel) and coq au vin. The generous plates come with all the trimmings - salads, pickles and preserves. Vegetarians have a choice of spinach and blue cheese pie, vegetarian lasagne, and a lentil nut roast with vegetables on the day we visited - with a homemade hamburger and chips or toasted sandwiches for children and lighter appetites.
While the donkeys grazed in the paddock, we grazed on a piquant starter of goat's cheese and cranberry phyllo parcels - with a glass of Rooiberg's African Dawn Sauvignon Blanc from an organic vineyard in McGregor.
Waddling by our table, Dodi and Di, a gander and his goose, flirted with their tail-feathers on a romantic Sunday stroll in the sun. I moved on to a delicious seven-hour roast leg of Karoo lamb with baked stuffed potato, green beans with roasted almond butter and balsamic cherry tomatoes. You sure eat well out in the country.
Leave space for the baked cheesecake, waffles, scones and muffins on the sweet menu - or the amazing basil crème brulée.
David Kramer is the patron of Eseltjiesrus. Over lunch, we learned about the plight of donkeys.
"A culture of caring" is the mission of the sanctuary, which is a registered charity committed to preventing cruelty and relieving the suffering of donkeys through advocacy and education programmes.
Most of the donkeys retired here after 20 years of hard work, drawing carts or ploughs in heavy harnesses or spending their lives blindfolded, turning the wheel of a mill in an endless circle at brickworks.
Well-treated donkeys can live up to a ripe old age of 50 - but often end up abandoned on farms, or as lion food at game reserves. According to Dr Johan van Zijl, a retired psychologist, these hardworking beasts of burden enjoy a complex relationship with humans and are extremely loyal.
- Eseltjiesrus Country Kitchen is licensed and open for lunch and tea. Call 082 443 9024. Entry to Eseltjierus Donkey Sanctuary is free, or by donation. Call 023 625 1593. For more information, or to adopt a donkey, see www.donkeysanctuary.co.za