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The name, Shades of Provence, has got many shades: The Riebeek Valley with its olives, vineyards, good food and good wine, le bon vivre, good quality life style and tranquility is a shade of the well-known French province, La Provence. Even Van Gogh's golden wheat fields are repeated, surrounding the Riebeek Valley. Shades of purple is as prominent in the Riebeek Valley as it is in Provence. Just think of Provence's lavender fields, the wine red purple of the grape and the light purple, eggplant purple and black purple of the olives. In the Riebeek Valley we have got the dark Mission Olives and Shiraz wine, the blue purple of the wisteria and the light purple of the little wild flowers. Shades also mean "the cover or shelter provided by interception by an object of the sun or its rays". The Riebeek Valley can get extremely hot and "shade" is therefore just important in as in the hot Provence. The French have mastered the art of providing shade in their beautiful but hot province. You will hardly find anyone on the streets in a Provincial town between 12h30 -15h00. The reason? Everyone is busy with their favourite pasttime activity at the local bistro with the most shade. In Riebeek Kasteel you will find the locals gathered at Kasteelberg Bistro, The Barn, Café oppie Stoep, Café Felix and over a weekend at Shades of Provence. In the Riebeek Valley reeds are used to create the most wonderful dappled shade. Our three colours represent the following: • Dark purple: grapes and olives • light purple: wisteria, lavender and wild flowers • Golden yellow: wheat fields 
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