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Fisher’s building

Fischer's Jewellers in Port Elizabeth are one of those businesses that has been around for just about forever.  In 1858 Edward Preiss from London advertised in the "Eastern Province Herald" that he has taken premises next door to the newspaper's office in Main Street and started business as a watchmaker and jeweller.  In 1859 Alwin Fischer and his brother Theodore, both watchmakers, came to the Cape Colony from Saxony.  Theodore opened a business in Cradock while Alwin came to Port Elizabeth and started to…

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23/03/2012
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Groendal reflection

The residents of Nelson Mandela Bay is very fortunate to have a place like the Groendal Wilderness Area right outside our "back door".  (Hopefully I don't insult any of Uitenhage's residents by saying it that way)  The 30 000 hectare Groendal Wilderness Area protects the water catchment area of the Swartkops River with the Groendal Dam in its centre.  All of this falls within the Groot Winterhoek Mountain range and these days form part of the Greater Baviaanskloof Wilderness area.  Groendal's rugged terrain…

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22/03/2012
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Human Rights Day, but don’t forget the animals

Today is Human Rights Day in South Africa.  A day for us to remember all the wrongs of the past and to celebrate setting it on the right course into the future.  Note how I'm not just saying setting it right as this country still has a very long way to go before it will be right.  At least we are heading in the right direction.  But as we celebrate Human Rights Day we also shouldn't forget the animals.  I'm…

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21/03/2012
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Frieze around the Campanile

One of the new art pieces that has been installed on Route 67 is a freeze by artist Mpumzeni Ezra Gwazela.  The freeze represents the proud history of creativity in Nelson Mandela Bay and the Eastern Cape and is located just outside the entrance of the Campanile which is also the start of Route 67.

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20/03/2012
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Sunfish on the beach

Taking a walk along Noordhoek Beach in the Cape I stumbled on a dead sunfish.  This was only a baby, but still something very unusual to see washed up.  Sunfishes are so called because of their habit of drifting at the surface as if basking in the sun.  There are two species of sunfishes found in the waters surrounding Cape Town, the Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola) and the Sharptail Sunfish (Masturus lanceolatus).  Now I'm no sunfish expert so I'm not going…

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19/03/2012
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St Mary’s Cemetery gate

The entrance into the historic St Mary's Cemetery at the bottom of Valley Road.  I love wandering through St Mary's and discovering all the old graves, some belonging to original 1820 British Settlers.

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18/03/2012
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Take aways in the township

In the township it isn't necessary for a eatery to have menus to hand out to patron.  This take away joint has their menu painted on the outside wall to attract clients.  Orders are put through the window in the middle and I assume the lady hanging on the gate will then prepare your meal for you to take away.  Or eat just there leaning on the window sill like the guy in the middle of the pic.

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17/03/2012
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Noordhoek beach

Cape Town, the second largest city in South Africa, has a rural backyard.  "Huh?" you ask.  The Noordhoek area on the Cape Peninsula is about 30 minutes from the city centre, yet it has a country town feeling to it with farms, small holdings, charming little shops, restaurants and bars as well as lots of open spaces.  The showcase of Noordhoek is the 8 km long unspoiled strip of sandy beach stretching from the foot of Chapmans Peak all the way to Kommetjie. …

3 Comments
16/03/2012