Things change when you travel with a baby. For one, babies come with clobber. Lots of it. I remember years ago looking on in amazement as new parents boarded a plane with mountains of baby gear. Was it all really necessary, I wondered.
Now I'm one of them. And yes - I've since realised babies do need a lot of stuff. You can try your best to cut down a bit, but the maxim of "travel light" doesn't hold much water when you've got a four-month-old.
A further consideration is that you have to thoughtfully plan your destination. Not too close to home because then you feel you haven't really gone away. Not too far because no one wants to be stuck in a confined vehicle with a crabby baby for hours on end.
And the choice of accommodation is also important. Going budget and camping, for example, is difficult when you're not breastfeeding. In the end, we decided on St James, a 30-minute drive from central Cape Town with wonderful views of False Bay.
When we arrived, the sun had started to peek out from behind a canopy of grey clouds. We took a chance and headed towards the beach for a stroll along the coastal walkway.
St James is most popularly known for the colourful beach huts which serve as changing rooms in summer. The area's development began when a small church was built in 1858 to provide a place of worship for the Catholic fisherfolk living there. They were Filipino and survivors of a shipwreck. The church was named after James, one of Jesus' first apostles, who was also a fisherman.
The original church was demolished to make way for the railway station and a new sandstone church built along with a convent school at the turn of the century. These still remain and can be seen from the Main Road.
Having reached the end of the cement pathway, we turned back. A cup of tea was beckoning at Rodwell House where we would be spending the night. As with many buildings in the area, its history stretches back to the 1930s, when it was owned by mining magnate JB Taylor.
Taylor was a pivotal figure during the gold rush era and was the spokesman for the mining houses to president Paul Kruger.
The house has lovingly been restored by its current owner, Robin von Holdt, who bought the property in 2005. Von Holdt left a career in financial services in London to pursue his dream of combining his love for food, wine and art. Rodwell House, a five-star boutique hotel, is the result.
The first thing that strikes you as you enter the grounds of the hotel is the extensive garden. It is lush and overflowing with growth. "About 15 000 litres of water flows into it every day from an underground tank fed by a mountain stream,' Robin explained when we inquired how he managed to maintain such an immaculate garden.
"It was only established two and a half years ago. Imagine what it will look like in a few years' time."
The number 15 000 is also how many bottles of wine Robin has stashed away in the hotel's cellar. Although the focus is on local cultivars, there are also selected wines imported from France, Italy and Australia.
We retired to our room to have a cuppa and give Daniel his feed. We were impressed that the hotel had provided us with a cot and offered us the use of their baby monitors.
Gareth, who is sensitive to buzzing noises, was also quite taken with the silent fridge which was soon packed to the hilt with baby bottles.
Thankfully it wasn't long before he nodded off, and Gareth and I went downstairs for dinner in the library.
A fireplace warmed the room, which is crammed full of paintings by famous South African artists, including Irma Stern, Pierneef and Cecil Higgs.
We paged through some books on Pieter van der Westhuizen and Cézanne, feeling terribly cultured, while we nibbled on crispy ciabatta slices with snoek pâté.
Chris Weston, Rodwell House's general manager, kept us company during the four-course meal. He shared our sentiment that winter in the Cape is largely under-rated.
"Most hotels drop their rates drastically during the cold months of the year, making a getaway at a usually pricey guesthouse affordable," he commented.
I like the fact that there are fewer tourists around and, thankfully, despite the rain, there is often a liberal sprinkling of sunny days in between, making a walk on the beach, a hike in the mountains, a boat cruise or a trip to nearby vineyards quite possible.
The following day we were in for a rude awakening - an early morning wake-up at 4.30am courtesy of Daniel. Gareth did his best to console him, but finally caved in and gave him his bottle. Needless to say we weren't late for breakfast at 9am.
Robin was in an animated mood and showed us around the property afterwards.
He explained that the San motif which appears throughout the hotel was taken from rock art at a cave near the Doring River, not far from Cape Town.
"The female figure is holding up what appears to be a wine glass," he said, which clearly appealed to him and inspired the Rodwell House logo.
Robin has plans to launch a restaurant which will soon be open to the public and market the hotel as a venue for intimate functions. His artist's eye is evident in his bold use of colour and his attention to detail, such as the Moroccan-inspired courtyard with a mosaic fountain.
We reluctantly left Rodwell House to venture out a bit. Nearby Kalk Bay is a treasure trove of bric-a-brac shops. It's easy to while away an afternoon browsing there.
If it's good food you're after, you're spoilt for choice. The Brass Bell is an evergreen favourite because of its sea views and pleasant ambience, or you can go for a more upmarket eatery like the Harbour House.
Gareth almost crashed into oncoming traffic as he gazed longingly at the waves. "The swell is great," he mused. "Pity I left my board at home." It got left behind when we were trying to squeeze in the pram.
Oh well, c'est la vie, as the French say. Welcome to the reality of travelling with a baby.
Phone 021 787 9880, email [email protected] or visit Rodwell House