From the moment my daughter and I are shown to one of the deluxe suites that overlook the rolling hills of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, I feel the deepest sense of inner peace. I haven’t felt so relaxed since being at the Buddhist Retreat Centre in Ixopo years ago.
Inner peace isn’t exactly what I’d expected to find at a newly-revamped boutique hotel. Luxury, yes, but the peacefulness surprises me. Perhaps it’s the sound of the river burbling gently just below the wooden deck outside our suite.
Perhaps it’s the wood-burning stove in front of two deeply comfortable wing-backed armchairs.
Perhaps it’s the misty countryside view where horses gallop in the distance. Or perhaps it’s a combination of all of the above.
Attention to detail is paramount. My daughter and I marvel at the fragrant roses decorating towels and pillows. Even the lemon-scented soap is imbedded with a semi-precious gem pendant. Luxurious robes and slippers drape each bed. We feel like royalty.
Within minutes my daughter and I sink into a deep state of rest, soothed by the crisp cotton of the bedding and the excellence of the room-service lunch, with delicious hot chocolate to warm us. We are almost asleep when we’re called for our visit to the spa.
We’re greeted by Kirsten who invites us to the massage room. Once we are pounded into a deep state of relaxation, she returns to give me a sublime facial. Blissed out, we return to our suite.
There’s just enough time to make the most of our enormous bath and shower in the luxury en-suite bathroom before dressing for a special dinner.
Granny Mouse’s Country House has just undergone an enormous upgrade in all aspects of its facilities and services.
Our revamped suite was just one of the changes to the site, which has been a favourite on the Midlands Meander Route for many years.
Owners Gill Bowmaker and Mark Wood gave up lucrative business careers in Joburg and Pretoria to embark on making Granny Mouse a destination for fine dining, fine wine and even fine whisky, resulting in a Diners Club Diamond Award for the current wine list in 2010. Building and rebranding every aspect of the property from the bistro to the spa over the past year has been worth it.
To celebrate the launch of the new Granny Mouse Bistro, an evening of Liquid Luxury was planned, which happened to coincide with our stay.
That evening, we step out of our suite into the dripping night sheltered by umbrellas, thoughtfully provided in each room. Walking along paved pathways, we enter the glowing hotel lobby with its rich Christmas decorations. We feel as if we’re in a warm corner of an old England hostelry.
We’re greeted with a flute of fine champagne and then escorted to the Mouse & Lion Bar for sushi canapés before dinner. The pub is buzzing with wood fires blazing and conversation flowing. The night’s event is booked out – surprising for a Tuesday night, two weeks before Christmas.
The Liquid Luxury evening offers a three-course menu paired with wine, especially chosen from Weltevrede, Sumaridge, Luddite and The Post House Wine Estates. The food is prepared by Granny Mouse’s renowned and newly upgraded kitchen, and is hosted by Jan Nico Coetzee, a well-known wine connoisseur.
I drink the wine with a novice’s appreciation and am delighted at how delicious they seem to me.
Each wine is served with a particular course. For starters, we have chilli-salted squid served with mint baby salad leaves, Nouc cham dressing and lime aioli, paired with a delightfully light chilled white wine from Sumaridge. Jan Nico gives us the details of each wine before we eat a course.
The second course of pan-seared loin lamb chops served with garlic potato bake, baby vegetables and a bordelaise sauce is paired with the most exquisite red wine I’ve yet tasted from the Luddite cellars.
Finally, the dessert of bananas flambéed in oranjie whisky, served with home-made vanilla pod ice-cream is served with a sweet dessert wine from The Post House. My daughter and I agree that it’s one of the best nights we’ve had in years.
In the morning, after a superb English breakfast in the Bistro, we stroll through the exquisite grounds accompanied by Gill’s mother, Granny Cat as she is known.
She is the unofficial head gardener and has achieved wonders landscaping the substantial area around the hotel. She shows us the chapel, which has the best view I’ve yet seen. I badly want someone I know to be married here just to be part of the beauty of the venue when it’s in wedding-mode.
Gill also shows me The Eaves restaurant which is quaintly situated in an attic-like venue under the roof of the hotel. This is the centre of the fine dining experience Granny Mouse has become famous for. It is open for dinner every night. I also peep in at Cigar, the single malt premium whisky bar, which boasts one of the best whisky lists in KZN.
Reluctantly, my daughter and I take our leave and drive very slowly away along the Midlands Meander Route.
I know I’ll be coming back sometime soon. Perhaps with my mother for a special Mother’s Day treat. Perhaps with my daughter again as it’s the perfect place for mothers and daughters to take time out. Or maybe I’ll even return for a second honeymoon. All I know is that I, like Arnie S, will be back.
l Phone 033 234 4071, e-mail [email protected] or go to the website http://www. grannymouse.co.za - Sunday Independent