An interesting site I found next to the Somerset East Museum was the grave of Ouma (Grandma) Dora Dotyi Jacobs. Ouma Dora was born in May 1880 and was 122 years old when she died in January 2003. At the time she was the oldest living person in the world.She was laid to rest in a special place under the trees next to the museum. To get to her grave one has to walk down a path between the trees…
Just outside the Karoo town of Cookhouse stands a monument in remembrance of the Slachters' Nek Rebellion. The Slachter's Nek Rebellion was a Boer uprising against the British colonial power believed by them to be hostile towards the Afrikaner farmers. The rebellion came to an end on 9 March 1816 when five rebels were hanged in public at Van Aardtspos close to where the monument stands. Four of the nooses broke during the procedure, as the hangman who came to…
One of the main landmarks in Somerset East in the Karoo is the Dutch Reformed Church (NG Kerk) in the main street (Nojoli Street). The proposal of the local Heemraden to erect a Dutch Reformed Church in 1825, was accompanied by the submission of a design in which Cape Dutch and Gothic architecture were cheerfully blended. The Eastern facade had a Dutch Renaissance tower rising from an impressive thatched nave. The foundation stone was laid in 1830, but the building…
Situated just down the road from the Somerset East Museum in the Karoo town of Somerset East, one will find the Walter Battiss Art Gallery. Anybody involved in the South African art industry would know who Walter Battiss was. Walter Whall Battiss was born in Somerset East on 6 January 1906 (died 20 Aug 1982) and is generally considered as South Africa's foremost abstract painter. From 1938 Battiss paid several visits to Europe where he met various successful poets and…
Spending the weekend in Somerset East a couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to explore a town which I didn't know very well. One of the main attractions in Somerset East is the Somerset East Museum, also known as The Old Parsonage Museum. The museum is situated just outside town on the slopes of the Boschberg Mountain .Shortly after the establishment of the town of Somerset, 1825, land on the slopes of the mountain was given to the…
A weekend or two ago we spent the weekend in Somerset East at the guest house of a friend. The Angler and Antelope is situated in the heart of this quaint Karoo town and is truly worthy of its 4 star status. The property consist of a seven room guesthouse as well as a self catering unit called Fisherman's Cottage. A unique feature on the property is the St Francis Culinary Centre which acts as the guest house's lounge, dining…
Late afternoon scene on the Tsitsikamma coast..Today is the 500th post on this blog. When I started the blog it was intended to just be a place to show off my photos and the place I live in. Since then it has evolved a little bit and has also become what I would like to call an unofficial photographic guide to South Africa, it's places and nature. .Often I wonder if it is worth all the effort if I look…
Before the Port Elizabeth Harbour was built in the 1930's, boats in need of repaired were serviced at the Humewood Slipway. The boat would sail in between the pillars and then got pulled onto the slipway using a steam pulley. Today the slipway is a very popular snorkeling site and are used by scuba diving schools for their students' first shore dive. Humewood Beach right next door is the oldest Blue Flag beach in South Africa and currently one of…
The Tsitsikamma Canopy Tour in Storms River on the Garden Route is a must do for any mild to wild adventurer. It became the first canopy tour in Africa and only the second in the world after a similar experience in Costa Rica. The whole experience takes place up to 30 meters above the ground in the canopy of what includes Outeniqua Yellowwood trees of up to 700 years old. The whole experience is conducted with utmost safety in mind.…
The Oudebosch farm stall in the eastern part of the Tsitsikamma is what all farm stalls should strive to be. Dewald Niemann has developed the ideal stop for tourists and holiday makers travelling through the Tsitsikamma. The coffee shop serves the most delectable cakes and treats... ... while the shop sells everything from beaded curios to home made jams. Dewald is also involved in a local community project with ladies from the surrounding area doing embroidery. Their products are sold…