Okovango

I leave tomorrow afternoon to meet Viki in Joberg and on Friday morning we fly to Vic Falls until Sunday, then fly onto Gabarone in Botswana, then by four seater to Baines Camp in the Okavango Delta.
 We are staying on one of the archipeligo of islands there for a few days, and are looking forward to this new experience very much.
I shall return with a full camera , I have no doubt.

We fly back to the Upington and the farm on the 4th November, [Big will actually be on the same flight from his month long trip to Europe and USA], and plan to hole up here for the weekend before driving down to Cape Town for a meandering week of touring in "The shiny One".

Jessie and I were discussing the Botswana trip and I was forced to accuse Jessie if "ageism", when she blurted out, "That is the sort of thing that I should be doing." Exploring Africa is giving me a great deal of joy, I wish that Big had the same interest in it as me, but it does mean that I get to do these trails with family and friends.

Recreate

When Jessie and I were in one of the Franschoek galleries we saw these amazing chairs and tea cake stands, and we fell in love with them, after a great deal of sifting,I managed to remember the name of the artist who created them and found her web site.

This is just the type of quirky stuff that I LOVE..and it appears that my daughter shares the same passion. Do take a look at her fantatstic web site
http://www.recreate.za.net/

Rocket departs

I woke up this morning and as is my practice, went and checked on Rocket, but her cage door was open and there was no sign of her anywhere, the dogs and I have checked in all the places where she normally hides, but nope, she has gone. I have left her cage on the floor of the braai room, just in case she decides that it is safer than the big world outside, but am not holding out much hope.
I had noticed how much weight she had put on, and how loose the cage door was, but didnt think she had the muscle to open it...clearly I was wrong.
Although I am sad, there is a part of me, that thinks that if she was that desperate to escape then good luck to her..I know that she had a very full tummy as I watched her tuck into a full corn on the cob yesterday, and she can certainly scuttle about with no trouble from her injured leg anymore...so she has a fighting chance.

Dearest Pam

While I have been holidaying with the children there have been several people who have been particuarly in my thoughts.
My dear friend Pam, who is undergoing a second hit of radio for her cancer. She is the most amazing lady and needs healing thoughts from everyone right now. It doesnt matter if you dont know her, trust me she is a fantastic lady.
Kisses and much love to you Pam.XXXX

HAPPY BITHDAY FINN

Happy Birthday for the 18th October Finn, Kisses and loads of love from us all in deepest darkest.Sorry I couldnt be with you this year but looking forward to a Christmas catch up.

Stellanbosch, Cape Town and Quading.

Our house was also surrounded by these amazing an very ancient milkwood trees

Jessie: a reflective moment on Walkers beach

On Friday morning Jessie and I departed for Cape Town to collect Little for the weekend. He finished at 1.15 on a Friday.

We wanted to stop in Stellenbosch, reputedly a lovely town. By 11.30 we were approaching Stellenbosh, but through its business park areas, not very attractive and we were both beginning to get pretty disappointed until we spotted some galleries on the map.

Jessie directed me in to the centre of town, indeed it was beautiful, a University town with a great deal of history. Sadly we didn’t have enough time to really explore it, but did manage to find a spectacular coffee shop, next to which a great old fashioned junk shop.

We couldn’t NOT go in, and came back to the car armed with a selection of lovely glass medical bottles for Jell, I found a beautiful small enamelled blue jug and three locomotive blue enamelled signs.[ small]. Also three old silver plated cups, which were so tarnished and world worn and ridiculously inexpensive, that I thought they would make great flower containers with their bluish black tarnish. Sadly Regina got to them, while I was oversleeping on Wednesday and polished them to within an inch of their lives!!!! Hey ho!

Definitely a place to explore more of when I have time.

WE managed to get to Little’s school in Rondebosch by 1.15 and decided to hurtle back in the direction of Hermanus [the next biggish town near Stanford] for a late lunch and to get fresh fish for a braai in the chalet

.

Uggg..It seems that in view of the fantastic weather, the entire population of Cape Town were heading for the south coast. We became stuck in awful traffic and only made Hermanus for 4.00. Just time to grab a large pack of FROZEN tiger prawns, and a piece of fresh Kingklip. Hermanus is very touristy indeed. They even have their own whale watcher, [much like a town cryer] he alerts the town to whale sightings by blowing on a large vuvuzela

While walking around we did see, many more whales breaching and leaping in the bay.

Home for a fish BBQ/braai and all three of us squeezed in the King sized bed to watch a movie on my computer.

Little trying to scare Jessie and I, he has sneaked onto the mezzanine balcony in the dark and was looking down into the lounge at us..I actually like the picture very much..arty!

Once again an early rise as we had an appointment with Craig to go on a quad bike tour through the thousand acres of Fynbos, that makes up the Mosaic Farm estate. It was fantastic, sunny yet not too hot, hurtling around of the pale sandy tracks and stopping occasionally to see the many different varieties of protea, we quaded up as close as we could get to the highest point on the estate and dismounted, marching up on foot. to see a 360 degree view that was stunning.

The biggest fear of the estate owners on the coast is fire, which would rip through the area in no time, they have a very strict policy of cutting breaks into the heath like flora, which we could see very clearly from this height.

Craig took us back to our temporary home, via the lagoon and certainly Jell and I were amazed to see the amount of birds in the wetlands. Little was vie ing for top spot on the leadership staked with Craig,

A quick ride into De Cellders near Gaains Baii, as we had the tip off from the lovely lady in the antique shop that all “Stanfordians” go for lunch at a place called Coffee on the rocks. WE sat on the balcony here, overlooking and azure blue bay watching the whales leaping and eating the most delicious lunch. Both Jell and I felt that Little may get an opportunity to see a few whales and he did.

I rather stupidly agreed that I would join Jell and Little kayaking on the lake later in the afternoon.

Strangely I seemed to be the only one who was drenched during the experience, but much fun and high jinks had by all.

We decided to take little on a sun downer, amazing pictures, I know that they are a little clichéd but neither Jell nor I could resist trying to capture the moment.

Little..a reflective moment on the dunes

 

 

Last supper at the Lodge and the three of us up and early away to get into Cape Town in time to visit a shopping centre that Little said we would both love..WE DID! Its called the Cape Quarters and full of lots of quirky/trendy shops. Little wanted us to go to a gallery where he has seen an amazing car painting...Only 900 pound sterling...Ouch. WE enjoyed viewing it but walked out empty handed! On the way into the underground parking, Little directed us to “The best car wash” in Western Cape. I left them with a FILTHY car, packed full of our luggage and the key, and pottered off with Jell and Little. When we returned a new car was waiting for us..Amazing, so Little has renamed it “The shiny One” which he insists we say in a Gollum like accent..he was so proud of it and even took a picture and sent it to his father...Bigs texted response  “ I see your mother is spending the family fortune!”  [what family fortune????]

A trip to Cape Town International and sad farewells to Jelly, who looked very sun kissed and a million more times relaxed and rested than when she had arrived. After a tearful farewell, I dropped Little off at school and headed to the Winchester Mansions for an early night and early departure the next morning for the farm.

I have to say; as I was on my own I pushed “the shiny one” to its limits and did a record time from Winchester Mansions to the farm in six and half hours. The dogs were very happy to see me, as was Rocket and Mama geese and her 6 babies..Sadly we are one down as Bongo stood on one in my absence!

Despite the serious number of beds in our chalet, Jessie decided that she HAD to join me in the huge King sized bed in the main suite..It was fine as it was so vast,and we both woke when the light poured in through our window and couldn’t wait to see where we were.

What a treat.

The view from our house across the lagoon

 

 

The Lodge behind the central Milk wood tree

WE had to be back at the Lodge for 8.30 as our whale watching excursion began at 9.00 ,so we followed the Lodge mini bus in “The Shiny One” [re named Tuareg..explanations later, as the car was most definitely not “shiny” at this point]

I’m just going to post a load of pictures now, the whale watching expedition was one of the most amazing experiences that I have ever had. Jessie and I just smiled and smiled for the entire 2 hour trip.

After getting back to dry land we did a pit stop in the local [and incredibly well stocked supermarket] as we had planned on making Thai green curry that night. On our way through Stanford we stopped and pottered through the quaint shops,and I found and purchased a pair of lovely brass ashtrays for a ridiculously small amount of money. They seemed very topical and I was amused to see “MADE IN SCOTLAND” impressed upon the reverse. David are they art noveaux?

There were some very lovely antique and junk shops and we decided that I really ought to bring a lorry next time I come down.

Back to Mosaic farm, and we were called upon by the Lodge guests to see if we wanted to join them for a sun downer on the beach...Never ones to miss such an offer, we abandoned our shopping and jumped in the safari vehicle. “0 minutes of driving through the dunes covered in Fynbos and we stopped as there was a Carycle standing on the sand track. I had never heard let alone seen one of these creatures before, sandy in colour and the size of a medium sized dog they are stunning members of the cat family. Almost hunted to extinction because of their habit of eating lambs, serious meat eaters!

Then we saw a rare Black Harrier.

Some photos of the amazing beach at Walkers bay

.

Jessie and I returned at 7.00 and rustled up a fantastic Thai green curry and went to bed exhausted and very happy indeed..

Franschoek, Stanford and Mosaic Farm

We arrived at the lovely little town of Franschoek at around 12.30, in time for lunch and to see that National exhibition of Ceramics that was being held at Cape Provence vineyards. Finn had found this fantastic place during his visit here, and it has some of the most contemporary displays of art it its gallery that I have seen here in ZA.

Jessie and I were not disappointed.





We pottered in the fantastic shops where Jessie bought me a fantastic canvas shopping bag, and we both indulged ourselves with a few new holiday clothes! We visited another couple of galleries and then had to tear ourselves away as it was getting very late and we still had a road trip to get to Stanford and Mosaic Farm, on the southern coast.

We exited Franschoek by travelling through a steep and hair pinned series of mountain roads..NOT for the faint hearted! I couldn’t look, and winced as Jessie “Ooohed and Ahhed” and shrieked “Look at that”...I didn’t!

Over a huge bridge and suddenly the sat nav directed us off road. After about 10 kilometres on a mud road, I started to feel a little nervous, the sat nav told me that we were heading for Stanford, but we appeared to be doing it “Off Road”. To our great delight we came to a tar road. But after only 5 minutes we were once again directed off road. [Feeling slightly uncomfortable] but the rolling farm land either side of us was majestic. [Jessie’s photos!], once again we joined up with a tar road, and yet again we were directed off, this carried on another 5 times.

Blue Cranes [very protected here in ZA]





As the light was starting to fail, the people at Mosaic Farm called to see if we were still coming. “Yes” we shrieked,

“Where are you?” they asked.

“We don’t know as we are off road, but the sat nav sais we have 30 miles to go.”

“Okay .” They replied, “we shall book you into the lodge for supper as you will probably be quite hungry when you arrive.”

Eventually we reached Stanford a beautifully old fashioned village on the south coast..sighs of relief , until the sat nav directed us off road once again, for 20 kilometres we travelled through fynbos on dirt roads initially but then on white sand tracks. WE arrived in twig light and really couldn’t even guess at the terrain around us.

WE were shown to a fantastic self catering chalet, like no other I have ever stayed in before, with a huge open lounge and wood burning stove, a great kitchen, two double bedrooms downstairs and 3 bathrooms and a mezzanine floor with huge windows that had 6 single beds.

The girl who checked us in, said that we should be at the Lodge for 7.00 and that it was a 10 kilometre drive through the sandy tracks..”Just follow the signs”

I was aware that we were travelling on a sandy track and there were lights in the distance after about 8 kilometres, we simply headed for them. Eventually we pulled up on a patch of gravel when the sand track petered out.

There was a huge copse of dark trees, and raised pontoons with tiny lights glowing, encouraging us to walk under the trees that formed a canopy over the lighted decking. The two of us crept along the dark pathway, until we came to what was the centre of the copse. Here behind a huge milk wood tree was a thatched lodge. The boughs of other Milk wood trees had been used to for the structure of the lodge, and it were utterly fairytale like. Inside was a warm fire and a table laid for supper. Jessie and I could just make out 6 smaller thatched buildings, through the copse, these were individual suites for Lodge guests.

Fantastic supper and a bottle of very drinkable wine, soon relieved Jell and I [mostly me] of the tension of off-road travelling in a foreign country, and we managed the return trip to our S/C chalet remarkably quickly and with no difficulty!