Calitzdorp blossoms

We are privileged to live in the Garden Route, South Africa.  The wonderful Karoo is less than an hour's drive away, how lucky can one be?!

Please join my daughter and I as we discover this part of the country, often with our friends.

Spring is an amazing array of soft colours everywhere.

De Kranz at Calitzdorp opened their orchards for a spring festival end of August 2014.  You can adopt and plant a vine shoot, all proceeds go to a little school for the local community.

Costs:  R10 per shoot

Meal:  R65 per person

Cocktails:  R25 each

Flea market with several lovely goodies; croissants, almond tarts, chocolate salami, bread, olive products, herbs, jams, etc

Various bottles of wine for sale at affordable prices

Matjiesvlei

The last straw..the straw that broke the camel’s back.  I often wonder what was the final straw that made me decide to start travelling alone.  Somewhere among over reacting over a runny nose, ill-temper, ducks(!), motorbikes, disrespect, lack of future plans, laziness, lies, facebook (!!!!) and issues I will rather not mention, I’ve decided enough is enough.  G4 was replaced by a rescue dog and now we are girls travelling alone with our dog. 

One of the first places we visited was Matjiesvlei  near Calitzdorp.  There is a turnoff just outside Calitzdorp on the R62 as you travel towards Ladismith.

We stayed in Douglas House at Matjiesvlei Guest Farm.  http://www.matjiesvlei.co.za/accom.php  It sleeps 6 in 3 bedrooms.  There is one bathroom (shower only) and a lovely farm style kitchen with a huge fireplace.  Bedding and towels are provided.  There is no electricity, so nights are spend in front of the kitchen fire playing board games.They are dog friendly by prior arrangement and there is no cellphone reception..bliss!

Matjiesvlei has a rich history. Originally it belonged to Michael Le Grange. Once upon a time there were about 25 families living in Matjiesvlei.  There were two schools and a Post Office with the only phone in the area.  The Post Office building is still there today and beautifully restored.

The Old Post Office is a short walk away.  You have you own key for the Post Office making it possible to visit whenever you feel like it.  It was fun for BB to see an old phone, bed and books.

Our house was lovely..there are two “stoepe” to choose from, enabling you to follow,  or hide, from the sun.   The one had a lovely view over a stream where you can watch the baboons frolicking in the trees or mountain tortoises slowly making their way across the clearing.

The other overlooks the dirt road where tractors wind their way down to the valley.

We had a lovely stay and cannot wait to return for another weekend in paradise.

Christmas in Prins Albert

Prins Albert became even more popular after the screening of the Kokkedoor TV series.  I do not own a TV but did manage to watch a few episodes and followed

it in magazines.  This was not the reason for our decision to have our  Christmas lunch there though.  Both my mum and I have a love for Prins Albert, long before Pam Golding spotted the potential!

My great grand parents once owned the dairy.
The original house was in De Beer
street, opposite the school.  The cows grazed on the veld stretching on the
edge of the town and at milk time the cows slowly returned to the stables,
each one had her own spot and Oupa Loots milked them by hand.  There were
plenty fruit trees and fruit were exported via train.

Later years they moved to a small "dorpshuis".

During my stay in Johannesburg I often stayed overnight at Prins Albert en
route to Mossel Bay, even if it was out of the way.

I watched the town grow and "inkommers" opening guesthouses and restaurants.

Prins Albert has not lost its allure though, the "watervoor" still offers relieve from the heat and everyone still greets.


Back to Christmas 2013 though.

We decided to have Christmas lunch in Prins Albert.  It was just my mum and I this Christmas and cooking for two really is not fun.

It was hot, very hot and we had a flat tyre after crossing the mighty

Swartberg Pass.  The Swartberg Hotel offered cool relief from the dry Karoo

heat.

Tables were plain but stylishly decorated.  Individual menus were printed and

lovely presented.
The appetizers were simply gorgeous.  Stuffed mushrooms, Thai veggie

springrolls, Ostrich carpassio and blini with smoked salmon, all served at

room temperature.

Starters were prawn cocktail with lychees and avocado.

The main meal was a buffet of different meats, salads and veggies..too many to

mention.

The nice touch was that they prepared a veggie Wellington for the vegetarians.

This was delicious..a crisp, buttery crust and lovely spinach filling.

Dessert was a light lemon dessert, egg nog and brownies.

It really was a lovely meal and day..the only downside was having to drive

back!!