HAZY DAY

Last Thursday, 23 July, was a balmy hazy day.

Having packed our coffee basket, we drove over the Franschhoek Pass to arrive at Theewaterkloof Dam just in time to catch the last of the mist still lingering over the water. We were pleasantly surprised to see how the level of this Dam had risen since our last visit a month ago in June which made me dig in my files and find the vista, including the same trees, I took in February 2018, at the peak of the drought we were experiencing in the Western Cape at the time. What a relief to see this encouraging sight and know we will not add a struggle with shortage of water to the current Corona Pandemic this coming Summer.

The first view we got towards Worcester was multi-layers of blue mountains dissolving into the sky faraway in the distance where the highest peaks were still capped with a little snow.

The luscious winter grass was impossibly green making such a strong contrast with the hazy blues as we progressed on roads we had never travelled on, taking lesser known passes to eventually reach the Hex River. From the top of the Burger Pass, the view of the narrow valley was the perfect stop for lunch.

23 July 2020

19 June 2020

2 February 2018

CERES IN THE SNOW

A brutal cold front caused freezing weather and snow across parts of South Africa last week. Sleet, hail and heavy rains fell across the Western Cape for four days and as soon as the storm subsided, we drove to Ceres to see the surrounding mountains covered in snow.

It was a very cold day, crisp and so clear with a blue sky stretching for ever without a cloud in sight. Our picnic basket was packed with warm coffee and soup to keep the cold at bay while Guy who knows the area drove us around the magnificent views. My favourite spot was a stretch of water on both sides of the road, so calm that the snow covered mountains reflected unblemished, long enough for me to photograph them before a little wind got up and the perfectly sharp scenes dissolved into ripples. The Gydo Pass was spectacular and we had a marvelous day enjoying these unusual “postcard perfect” views of the region in its glamorous winter attire.