Western Cape Archives - Page 6 of 7

THAT FIRST RIDE OF SUMMER

Finally summer has arrived in our part of the world. It was time to get the dust off the bike and out of the garage after the long and wet winter months. The weather was perfect for a ride out with hubby as my usual riding buddy. Just to get the bum and hands in condition again we took a leisurely drive mainly on tar roads today and made some stops to log a cache or two. The camaraderie on the road by fellow riders, extending a nod in recognition no matter what the steed, always gives a warm feeling to my heart and just makes the ride more worth while. Everybody is enjoying the sun, the smells and the wide open roads our country has on offer and unlike a car you get to experience all the smells along the road which varies from the aromatic veld to the… Read more >

BLUE SHED ROASTERY, MOSSEL BAY

Chocolate cake for breakfast! That sounds good to me, but not what my mom will regard as healthy. After all it is Sunday morning so anything is allowed for breakfast. We opted for the Blue Shed roastery, with a view over the harbour, in Bland Street, Mossel Bay which sells and serves a wide range of coffee varieties from countries such as Indonesia, Uganda and Ethiopia (the origin of coffee) to name but a few. You will even find a coffee liqueur neatly packed on the small counter. Not too shabby for this part of the world on the African continent! Without doubt this is where I will get my next quality brew for a cuppa or two. With the laughter of kids in the background enjoying themselves in the small play park my option this morning fell on a moist but very delicious chocolate cake for breakfast and hubby… Read more >

ST ANDREWS CHURCH, PLETTENBERG BAY

The story of St Andrews begins with the Newdigate family who lived in Piesang Valley and owned a couple of farms in the area. In 1851 William Newdigate realized the need, of his family and farm workers, to enrich their lives with the Gospel and constructed St Andrews of broad yellowwood boards, which was freely available in those years, and a thatch roof. The thatch roof was later replaced by the red tin roof as it stands today. The church served 17 people of the Newdigate family and their labourers during those early years. With its red tin roof and simple white cross at the top and setting amongst the lush green bushes of the valley it creates quite a romantic atmosphere. Today the church is still used for country weddings, baptisms and church services for the descendants of the original congregants. In the little graveyard on the grounds you… Read more >

THE LITTLE CHURCH IN THE WOODS, KNYSNA

San Ambrosio Church is tucked away in the green heart of the Knysna forest. It is not glamorous or architecturally impressive, but rather tells the story of 32 pioneering Italian families that were brought to the forest to start up a silk farming industry, but then suffered unexpected hardships. In May 1881 the Italians were brought to Gouna with the intention and under the impression that there were an abundance of mulberry trees in the forest. They were to start up a silk industry on the African continent. It turned out that the mulberry trees that the woodcutters referred to were not related by any means to the real mulberry at all. After the project failed the families were abandoned by the government and had to make a living out of agriculture, cattle farming and some also became woodcutters. Thus in 1891 the small San Ambrosio Church was built to… Read more >

CHRIST CHURCH, BEAUFORT WEST

I have driven past this little stone church situated in Donkin Street probably hundreds of times and never noticed it until I stumbled upon Sophy Gray and started tracing her footsteps throughout South Africa. This is another one of the famous Bishop Gray’s churches dotted all over South Africa, but it seems according to the records that the Bishop was not that happy with the building process – goes to show that even in those early days architects were hard to please. 🙂 Building work started in 1851 and lasted until 1854. It is recorded that the church was not built in accordance with the approved plans as provided by the Bishop and his wife. The cause of the dismay was apparently that the roof was lowered and the length of the church was decreased and some other nitty gritty stuff. According to the Bishop this resulted that the Christ… Read more >

DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH, GEORGE

Situated in the main road of my home town a visit to the church is a relaxing and peaceful outing and is open to visitors, but take cognizance that it still is an active church so be respectful, please. Here you can witness the incredible history, architecture and craftsmanship that are present at this stately building which is also declared a National Heritage site. The church’s story starts a decade or so before it was inaugurated. On 14 April 1832 Rev Ballot laid the first cornerstone of the building, but because of financial problems the building took twelve years to complete. But then the church suffered the unwelcome event on 13 September 1905 when the steeple collapsed after 10 inches (+- 250 mm) of rain fell in three days. The congregation bravely started with reconstruction work and the present bell was bought at the time. The London firm, Philipson and Stow, presented… Read more >

FORESTS, FERNS AND FUNGI

We spent the weekend at Forest Edge chalets on the edge of the magical Knysna forest in the Rheenendal area. These cottages are located just a couple of minutes’ drive from the memorial of Dalene Matthee, a renowned South African writer, at Krisjan-se-Nek. This was her favorite spot in the Knysna Forest. Through Dalene Matthee’s books, the stories of the Knysna forest took on a new life. We followed Saul Barnard and Old Foot on the forest footpaths in Circles in a Forest. We got to know the people of the forest in Fiela’s Child and the Mulberry Forest. And we got a glimpse of the magic of the forest through Karoliena Kapp in Dream Forest. En excerpt from : www.dalenematthee.co.za It was a weekend filled with the happy chirping of birds in the morning when the sun rises, the… Read more >

Tag Archive: Western Cape