Looking at this scene with the Xhosa shepherd hut surrounded by flowering aloes one could easily think that the picture was taken somewhere in the heart of the former Transkei or the Wild Coast. In actual fact it was taken at the Cuyler Manor Museum just outside Uitenhage.
One of the wine estates in the Western Cape I've always wanted to visit but never had the opportunity before was Vergelegen in Somerset West. Earlier in the year I was in the area and pinched off an hour of my time to pop in for a look a this historic estate established by Governor Willem Adriaan van der Stel in 1700. I'll do another post about the estate in general, but wanted to show off these two pictures of the old Cape Dutch…
Die Weskaap is wêreldwyd bekend vir sy wynplase, party van hulle wat soveel as drie eeue terugdateer. Een van die oudste wynplase in die Kaap is Vergelegen in Somerset-Wes. Willem Adriaan van der Stel het sy pa, Simon van der Stel, in 1700 opgevolg as goeweneur van die Kaap. Kort voor lank het hy 'n groot stuk grond aan die voet van die Hottentots Hollandberge vir homself geeien net soos sy pa met Constantia, die oudste wynplaas in die Kaap, gedoen het. Dit het drie…
Hydrangeas (or Christmas Roses as we also call them) at the Noordhoek Farm Village during our Cape visit in January.
Wild flowers growing on top of Table Mountain with the mountain's restaurant building in the background.
The Montagu Tractor Trip, one of the premier activities to do when visiting the Klein Karoo town of Montagu, takes place on a farm called Protea Farm about 35 km out of town. When we arrived at the farm I didn't really notice any proteas, but as we travelled up the mountain they started to appear in the surrounding vegetation. The surrounding mountains and valley made for some excellent backgrounds to photographing these proteas.
Roses outside the Montagu Museum housed in the old Mission Church built in 1907
This time of the year most people head down to the beach during the holidays, but what if you're not into crowds, screaming kids, girls in bikini's who will never go in the water and are just there to catch the boys' eyes or just sand between your toes? Why not do one of the many short hiking trails that can be found around the city? The Lower Guinea Fowl Trail is one of the main very good trail there is to…