One of life’s inevitable truths is that you can’t fully appreciate simple pleasures without experiencing their opposite as well. Sunshine feels most miraculous when preceded by drenching rain, warmth most comforting when preceded by cold, and a beautiful view most inspiring when it has required great effort. It’s of course totally unnecessary for us to travel by bike, slowly and sometimes in discomfort, but it’s what makes all the difference.

We started the day in Stellenbosch, having gotten a lift out of Cape Town to avoid riding through the notoriously unsafe Cape Flats. The driving rain made it a challenge, but we are used to it and the picturesque vineyards with their Cape Dutch architecture made it enjoyable, especially after learning to look beyond the high voltage electric security fences that seem to surround most of them. Franschhoek Pass was a long and beautiful climb into fierce winds, which made the descent a bit terrifying for Allegra, with winds whipping up the valley and blowing us sideways.

Eventually we hit a long stretch of gravel road through farmland and along a beautiful wetland, teeming with birds. Bumping along on our touring bikes, it felt remote and adventurous.