ensuitepilgrim's Blog

Well, had one of those ” your stats are booming” type messages from WordPress this morning, which, occurring on 1st March and my first walk with fully laden rucksack, as preparation for next month’s Camino, prompted me in to writing this Post.

I shall not try to be too rigorous in relating events ( such as they were ) , too chronologically , but focus on themes of Family, Camino and anything that strikes me, as I go.

Perhaps, most topically, is Cameron’s decision to call a Referendum, in June, on the UK’s place ( or not ), in Europe. I believe it would be disastrous for us, as a liberal democracy to leave Europe; economic reasons apart, it would allow the Tories un restrained abuse of powers, concerning our civil liberties. I have to include a cartoon from The Observer, as it brilliantly captures the Brexit ” raison d’etre”; must omit mention of their back-up crew of Farage and Galloway….GHU. And as for Trump!

No more politics, till the next time. Great distraction and pleasure, in being with the grandchildren, both here and in Berkhamsted. Vickee, who returns to work, later this month , at the end of her maternity leave, bemoaned how quickly Martha was growing and demonstrating her own , endearing personality traits. Who would not miss her?

Lots of great times with her brother, Jude and cousins, Tom and Jake.

Have joined a couple of informative, Facebook groups to do with my old grammar school, St Phillip’s and a Motorhome travel group. A problem I find with these pages and which never ceases to irritate, is sloppy spelling and grammar. I even had a “post” pulled because I pointed out an a use of the apostrophe ….

Found Facebook to be of great help in spreading the word about the fund-raiding evening, I am organising at the Spotted Dog, Alcester St, Digbeth,on Saturday, 9th April; it is for Cancer Research and features a presentation on what a Camino is, or could be, followed by music and chaos!

It has astonished me and also made me envious, of how many motorhomers are over- wintering in Spain & Portugal; Blue skies and sea views. Notwithstanding that, I took St David’s Day as my starting point to take Camino preparation to the next level. I have been walking fairly regularly, including South Africa, since December. But March 1st meant carrying the rucksack , with 10kg weights, for the first time in five months. I  aim to get at least a 100 miles done, albeit in 6 – 8 mile bursts, before we leave for Madrid and Caceres on April 17 th. Feel fine after today’s 7 miles. Am reminded that one of the weights in the rucksack, literally, is a set of Small Dumbbells, still boxed; anyone wanting these? Small donation to my JustGiving Page ! You can still donate and not have them! The total donated so far is £ 536.71 and I am really grateful to everyone for their support, so far; I am aiming for £ 1000.00 by April 9th .

Finally, I received a request from Holy Family Catholic Primary School, ( my last headship ), to take part in their Vocations Week, in June. My vocation as a teacher ; it has got me pondering, I can tell you. Not about taking part, of course, I was flattered and pleased to do that, but recalling those critical decisions , nearly fifty years on…..

This is the largest , private reserve in the WesternCape – 2200 ha.in the hills above the garden route. We enjoyed the diversity of biomes, Fynbos, the views and forests . Over 35 species of game, a large variety of Antelope and over 101 bird species,recorded.Including this amazing Yellow Bishop,that we were fortunate to spot, by the Crocodile enclosure. Speaking of Crocs…..See above.

We were driven in a four wheel drive Land Rover, to a number of habitats,two of which, the African Wild Dog ( endangered species ) and the Lions, were in electronically fenced enclosures.

We were able to get close by Wildebeest, Antelope, including the beautiful Springbok.

Herds of Zebra wandered nonchalantly , though wary of the unpredictable White Rhino.

Two other highlights were getting close to a Giraffe and a sighting of some Blue Cranes. See above.

A quiet drive back to Fynbos Ridge, for our final evening in South Africa; picnic on the patio.

Fynbos Ridge is situated in its own,private Nature Reserve, about 3 miles West of Plettenberg. A lovely , secluded oasis; the only noise being birdsong, or the pig we saw, snoring, on a blanket , in the owner’s office. Plett is an underwhelming town of shopping malls and restaurants, but the Bay and surrounding countryside are the real attractions. Glorious beaches and the Indian Ocean.

The lodges are spacious and ours had its own patio and ” Braii” – BB Q, which we made use of; after all the fine meals out, it was great to cook outside, simply and the idea of a Braii, in January, is irresistible.

We went to an Elephant Sanctuary, where we went walking and feeding with the elephants, under expert guidance. Thoroughly enjoyable and informative. The afternoon was spent , in Hannah’s case lying on the beach, in our case , a long walk on the sands, where I found some remarkable shells; rainbow coloured for a Rainbow Nation.. On returning to our starting point, the need to quench our thirsts was met by large glasses of Castle Beer.

Never tasted better ; a terrific day.

National Park, “Wilderness”,in which there are several walks, all associated with varieties of Woodpecker, that populate the boards of the river Touws. Having paid a relatively expensive ” tourist ” rate to enter , there was a large campsite, carefully arranged along the river bank.It was well populated and is especially popular  Dec – Jan holidays.As veteran campers, we were impressed with the facilities and the location!

This walk was along the river, occasionally climbing the edges of the increasingly higher sides, by a wooden Boardwalk. Soon enough a crossing of the river had to be made , by a hand pulled Pontoon – great fun – except for canoeists, who had to paddle and lift the ropes, without garrotting themselves.The Walk up the river gorge got higher and higher, occasional use of staircases was necessary. Glimpses of the river, now much narrowed, could be made, through the trees , which provided a welcome canopy of shade from the sun. Eventually the waterfall was reached, above an array of long fallen, massive boulders. It cascaded down amongst some happy swimmers, then coursed along into a small pool, where the less adventurous also enjoyed a swim, in the ochre coloured water.

Rested and watered  ourselves, we made our way back; at a quicker pace, being downhill. We had enjoyed the ” Half – Collared Kingfisher Walk”, the small creeks, marshy areas, tangled tree roots, reed beds and hardwood trees, gave us an enjoyable insight into this part of The Garden Route National Park.

A short but interesting drive along Route 62, taking us over the Outeniqua Pass, around the town of George and past Victoria Bay, to Wilderness Retreat – an arrangement of thatched bungalows, interspersed with a great variety of tropical vegetation and a splash pool.After  a walk around the Lagoon and along the Beach ( now the Indian Ocean ), a shower was needed and the opportunity to wear a little, fluffy, white number! ” The Girls” restaurant was recommended and lived up to expectations ; its seafood platter was ” estupendo”, accompanied by a really dry Riesling, from Stellenbosch. South Africa is the eighth,biggest producer wine, world wide,1000 000 000 litres, and South Africans account for 53% of it; unsurprisingly, every restaurant, humble, or grand, has an extensive wine list, with tasting notes.

Another walk in the Wilderness National Park, planned for tomorrow, but mustn’t ” go jumping waterfalls ” – a line from a little celebrated McCartney song, comes to mind.

It’s along drive from Stellenbosch to Mooiplaas Guest House and we took the Mountain route, via Worcester. It was two hours befor we foojnd a truck stop and farm shop, for coffee.The scenery was fascinating…for the passengers and driving conditions were good; Lorry  and slower  vehicles, pulled over to the left, to allow you to overtake. Some of the place names reminded you of the British rule, Wellington, Robertson,Prince Albert Road.At Laingsburg, we turned off the N 1 and following a dusty, gravel road, through the Towerkop Nature Reserve ( stunning canyons ),over the Huis River and after a few ” diversions”, made it to Mooiplaas.

We were greeted at the entrance by an indignant Ostrich; there were a few about, but the other birdlife, in the grounds was more varied and entertaining to observe, from our patio, in this scenically appointed guest house. A wide ranging vista stretched across the horizon, and it was enough to relax by their pool, before….Homemade soup and BBQ’D Ostrich steak, for dinner. A bottle of Pinotage, from the Mandela Estate,followed  by complimentary glasses of Port.They make Brandy  and Port in this far , eastern edge of the wine country. Another excellent stopover, for one night, before an hour or so’s fried, to ” Wilderness”;now that does sound enticing…

There could not be a greater contrast to CapeTown; this university town, with its archetypal Cape residences, many restored after devastating fires , over the centuries,and nothing above two stories.

The second oldest European colonised city, after Cape Town.Famous, too, for the number of Oak trees , lining its streets.

A number of churches, too, Dutch Reformed, including one set up for slave children, after emancipation.

Eerily quiet, even the traffics seems noiseless. An informative Tourist Office provided a walking guide, with 72 buildings and sites of interest. All doable in a couple of hours. The final buildings we saw were over the river, cottages built by Cecil Rhodes, for workers; now a riverside restaurant.But opposite on some sweeping , playing fields, backdropped by mountains, were two games of cricket, taking place, senior and junior. All taken very seriously and the players resplendent in whites.

Back to Spier for dinner in the Eight Restaurant; a South African version of Tapas ! We could only manage three – Succulent slices of Rump steak, huge nuggets of beer batter fried Hake, accompanied by imaginative salads – we were satiated. Returning to the room, I took a photo of a sculpture, pixelated to represent a dying slave: a dramatic finale and a poignant reminder.

Arrived here after an easy drive from Cape Town, for a two night stay, with the intention of some wine-tasting and a visit to Stellenbosch. We were impressed by the landscaped entrance, lake and welcome – a glass of wine. All the walls of the main building were hung with works of art by African artists;I was particularly taken by a striking, mosaic – like piece, near to the Loos! Depicting miners’ wives, bringing up their children alone. There is a choice of restaurants and we had lunch on the Terrace – the main impression is one of peaceful, tree surrounded spaces – all the rooms around a grassy quad, with shared splash pool; there is a bigger pool, too.We took advantage of a 5 km walk, available on a map, from Reception – still managed to take a wrong turning and add a further 3 km! Rounded the evening off with a ” Farmers’ Buffet”; great choice and value; very satisfying bottle of Pinotage, too, from Spier’s , of course.

It was inevitable that this wonderful place would be on the itinerary. Apart from being on the “top ten” places to visit, in Cape Town, it pandered to two of my great interests – horticulture and history.

Oldest, largest and most exquisite botanical garden, it said,  in the Focus South Africa Guide, 13 km south of the city,stretching up the slope of Table Mountain.History – Cecil Rhodes bought it as a farm, in 1895, to prevent the encroachment from the city. He gave it to the people of South Africa and since then, under the guidance and imagination of people like Professor Harold Pearson, whose grave is there, marked with a Celitc Cross ; his epitaph states , ” If you seek his monument, look around you”. Followed by Professor Compton, who cared for the gardens for 34 years. His herbarium alone harbours 250 000 specimens ! There are a variety of themes and the access to all of them is brilliantly, but not obtrusively achieved. Of especial delight was the Treetop Canopy Walk. Fascinating and informative, but it is at its most “floral” from August to October.Taxi and train back to the city – travelling independently always throws you on to your own resources. Not a problem. Another fascinating day.

By taxi to the cable car terminus; looking at the queue for tickets, I was glad I had pre-booked, online.Being there at 7.30 a m,meant a short wait, until the ascents began at 8 am.Very hot even at this hour. We soon boarded the car, which carries 65 passengers at a time. An innovation was the internal, revolving platform, which guaranteed everyone a great view.

It is a brilliant piece of engineering and even the brickwork of the two stations, fits in to the granite face of the mountain.Wandering about on the top was energising and despite being busy, there was plenty of room. Coffee was most welcome by now and taken with one of the greatest panoramas at hand. Splashed out in the gift shop, for my ” Proteas” button badge, now adorning my hat.

Downwards and onwards to Mounts Bay, by the hotel’s courtesy bus, for an afternoon on the beach. The Atlantic  crashed on to this popular stretch of pristine sand; I went so far to immerse myself up to my ankles at which point the freeze factor kicked in.Only Hannah was brave enough to face the waves, from which she emerged breathless but exhilarated. Of course, the backdrop of the mountains adds to the beauty of this bay, which, else wise , has the usual seaside facilities. A group of township children performed a song and dance on the perimeter of the beach, which we caught, on leaving.Their joy and enthusiasm reflected that of all the children enjoying the seaside. We returned by the same way; the luxuries ( to us simple folk ), of a first class hotel.At this point, I should praise the hotel and its staff , who were consistently courteous, friendly, helpful and engaging; I hope the management of the PepperClubHotel treat them as well as their staff treat their clientele; even the ignorant Americanfamily , who at breakfast were overheard rejecting lemon slices, with their fruit and demanding wedges! The stupid…….