Farewell to the Kammanassie and 2015!

It is not only the end of one of the most amazing and unexpected seasons ever in our lives, but also the end of 2015!! Tomorrow we are leaving St. Ancothesa farm and the stunning Kammanassie valley behind, with sadness but also peace of heart, knowing it is time to move on and that there is much still to come.

We love this place, and we love the people too - thanks and thoughts to all the neighbors; the Burgers, the Keysers, Hannes and his mom, the Esterhuizens, and the Minnies, de Jagers and Van Roon-Giffords in George as well as Apools and co.

Places in the valley...

Driving to Uniondale. 

Sunrise on our 'stoep'....

....and the view. 

The swimming spring dam. 

We took so many pictures when going on walks...

Uniondale's unique liquor store. 

Goodbye Kammanassie, and happy New Year!!

Friends and Explorations

We've had a lovely time recently as we had visitors - old friends from Potchefstroom stayed with us on the farm for a few days, and we showed them the Garden Route, with relaxed days on the farm in between.

The day after they arrived, we went to Victoria Bay - me and my friend got fried while swimming and were bonded by mutual redness the remainder of their stay. It was a proper hot beach day though, ice cream included. On the way back via Montagu Pass, we stopped for a relieving cold swim in the spring dam and a group photo. 

The Outeniqua Mountains. 

Cool off. 

A background doesn't get better. 

We showed them the little town of Uniondale, and visited people living on a very isolated farm near Haarlem. We also drove Prince Alfred Pass in the mist, and through the stunning Knysna Forest (we did this once before). 

Uniondale's church. 

Prince Alfred Pass in the mist.

Excellent marketing through curiosity. 

Pit stop. 

Symmetry.

We stopped at the 'Dal van Varings' (Valley of Ferns) and two big yellowwood trees. Cool, wet, misty and mysterious, the Peterse loved the forest.

Ferns. 

An Outsider and Exhibition Concerning Light

On the way to and in Potchefstroom (for a two week stay during which a lot is happening), we've recently had some interesting and quite beautiful experiences connecting light and the nearing festive season in an unique way. 

The first was at the Owl House by Helen Elizabeth Martins in Nieu-Bethesda (a quaint little village lost in time, near Graaff Reinet). Helen Martins is what's called an outsider artist, as her artwork does not conform to any normal art standards or categories. The story goes that one day, sick, old and alone in bed, watching the moon through the grayness, she decided she'd had enough of her boring life. So started a personal obsession with light and color that inspired Miss Helen to recreate her entire house and garden into one vastly different-from-the-norm work of art. It is now a museum and unique in style and atmosphere. 

She loved owls (thus the name Owl House), and beautiful colored-glass owls were everywhere. Helen grounded glass in a coffee grinder, washed and sorted it, and stored it in bottles in her pantry. She splattered sun faces, owls, stars and moons with the glass on ceilings, doors and walls. 

Inside the house - abstract colors and mirrors placed strategically around the house create light effects. At night she lit many candles and lamps, whose light then reflected on the mirrors and glass. 

In the yard (named the Camel Yard) there were strange little 'hideaways' made from bottles and cement... 

....as well as many statues. 

I was taller than (some of) the giraffes (ha). 

Mom outside the yard at the supposed (but rather dangerous) welcome arc. The reason we're all wearing winter jackets is because on the way to the Owl House we drove through rain and snow (in November). So much for summer. 

Pulling back time...

The second event was in Potch itself – a Christmas Light Festival ('Liggie Fees') hosted by the Abraham Kriel Children's Home. They really put in a lot of effort and the result was worth a look. 

Trees, and statues and structures made from wire were decorated. 

We went with 'ouma' and 'oupa' Kruger. Photo booth!

Celebrations and Festivities

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!! We did something really cool for Christmas this year, and had some unexpected adventures as well. Here’s what happened...

For Christmas Eve, we had a very idyllic evening in mind. Our hosts on St. Ancothesa had told us about a stone cottage up in the mountains where they sometimes went for an exciting sleepover; we had no idea how exciting they meant until late that afternoon when we followed the instructions (and map) and arrived at about 6pm. It was not a cottage. It was a ruin; no windows, no doors, floor covered in cow dung. Oops. We hadn’t packed in our 2 hiking tents, so it was either driving back, or sleeping outside (dad suggested making a broom and sweeping but was quickly overruled). The adventurous side in my parents won and we decided to sleep outside in the open.

What a place to sleep.

We had an absolutely beautiful view; the clouds were ‘flowing’ over the Outeniqua mountains like a giant tsunami; the pure size and majesty couldn’t be captured on camera (I tried). 

Clouds. 

Sunset.

Beverages.