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Lara and her family recently stayed at D.V. Engelhijs in Paternoster. They had a wonderful stay at this gem on the West Coast.
After a hectic Cape Town week, we could hardly wait to get started on our trip up the West Coast. After fighting our way through some peak hour traffic, we loaded our suitcases in the car and we were off!
With the kids appreciating the view from the rear windows, we made our way up the stark yet beautiful R27, arriving in beautiful Paternoster just as twilight settled over the sleepy town.
We found D.V. Engelhijs with ease and our host, Jax, greeted us warmly on arrival, familiarised us with the house and appliances and left us to settle in.
D.V. Engelhijs is cuttingly modern in every sense, yet furnished in an artistic, luxurious and comfortable manner. Every need is catered for, from the fully equipped kitchen to the wide variety of magazines, extensive novel collection, and plenty of CD's to enjoy.
The downstairs lounge enjoys luxurious leather sofas and allows access to both the front garden as well as the charming rear courtyard, each offering a built-n braai.
After settling the kids on the comfy sofa, snuggled under the wonderful warmth of the many soft blankets available and enjoying the full DSTV bouquet, we proceeded to explore the rest of what was to be our home for the next two nights.
The two bedrooms are spacious and furnished in the owner's creative and contemporary manner, and each enjoy its own bathroom, again with modern facilities.
An expansive living area is located on the first floor, offering access to the balcony with stunning sea views, as well as views over the town itself. Also located on the first floor is the kitchen, fitted with a dishwasher, microwave, fridge and stove and equipped to cater for every requirement.
Once we had unpacked and had some supper, it was time to snuggle down in the luxurious bed linen (essential for those cold West Coast evenings) and gently sink into dreamland with the sound of the crashing waves to lull us to sleep.
Waking up just before dawn on Saturday (the joys of holidaying with a 3 year old!), we stumbled upstairs to get breakfast started. The kids snuggled down in front of the gas fireplace, enjoying the warmth and glow of the fire, while we began whipping up a full English breakfast in the state of the art kitchen.
After breakfast, we ambled down to the beach to search for sea treasures. Any West Coast beach is a sight to behold, but Paternoster surely wears the crown - it's stunningly simple beauty takes your breath away.
With freezing feet, we headed back to our little part of paradise to thaw out in front of the fire and further explore our temporary base. The owner has furnished the house with countless little treasures, allowing you to constantly enjoy new discoveries. From the interesting artwork to the little sea treasures transformed into artistic masterpieces, there is something interesting at every turn.
Later, we decided to explore the town and enjoyed visiting the colourful little harbour, seeing the numerous restaurants on offer, as well as discovering gems offered by the various gift and curio shops.
Lunchtime arrived and we decided to braai on the upstairs balcony which offers a large built in braai. With the perfect weather and winter sunshine, and with the azure ocean sparkling in the distance-it was a long and lazy lunch to remember.
As the weather cooled, we decided to take another short stroll to the beach and play in the shallow waves for a while. After an hour, and with the kids soaking wet and chilled to the bone, we headed back for them to laze in the spacious claw foot tub, while we warmed up in the double size shower.
On our last night, we alternated between watching the sunset over Paternoster and once again basking in front of the fire, enjoying a game of Monopoly - another well thought out provision graciously provided by the owner.
After the winter sunshine and beach activities, we were all ready for an early night and eagerly prepared ourselves for another night of cozy slumber in our beautifully furnished bedrooms.
On our last morning, we once again woke before dawn and ushered the day in with breakfast on the balcony, while watching dawn break over the sleepy town.
With such a fabulously designed home, enjoying such well thought out functionality, there was not that much to do before we left, except stack the dishwasher and enjoy another cup of coffee while we readied ourselves for the drive home.
D.V. Engelhijs was an incredible experience for us, and the house itself holds so many treasures that one could easily spend a week there, while getting to know the town or simply lazing inside, reading, listening to music and just relaxing in the beautiful surroundings.
An accommodating and thoughtful host, combined with a beautiful home in a picturesque and friendly town makes for a lovely escape from reality, ensuring that you will most certainly want to visit again!
To find out more about D.V.Engelhijs and to book a weekend away in Paternoster, click here.
