Khotso

I love walking, but I am not that keen on carrying a backpack – especially up a mountain. My lovely friend Christeen Grant convinced me that I simply had to join her for an adventure in the Drakensberg Wilderness this summer.  Oh my! It was Wonderland and definitely worth the trek. We had our passports…

Cave Women

Late last summer, I went hiking with two wonderful women and slept in a cave for the first time ever. Christeen Grant is a seasoned hiker and guides small groups of fortunate people to explore the Drakensberg, often. Carol Segal is all round happiness.  How lucky was I to have these lovely creatures for company?…

Eataly

My favourite new Italian word is chiocciola.  Snail.  The symbol of Slow Food and, this year, recreated in giant recycled plastic by Cracking Art to decorate the paths, walls and streets of Turin during the Slow Food Terra Madre Salone del Gusto (SFTM) event. Once I had accepted the invitation to attend, I was determined…

Camping with Lipstick

tent self inflating mattress vacuum packed ready meals sunscreen tutu, headdress, wings, goggles lipstick Camping kit sorted.  Ok, I am clearly not a regular camper. The only reason to camp is if there is no other accommodation available and the destination is exceptional. Aaah, Afrika Burn. Of course. I reckon camping won’t be so bad…

It’s A Girl

Feeling old, uninspired or just plain tired? Forget about a few days at the spa. A trip to Jozi is just what you need. From the Midlands, Johannesburg looks terrifying.  The gated estates with gigantic houses, the endless traffic, and piles of broken concrete are most unappealing. Head to  the inner city however and the energy…

Sweet Potatoes and Soweto Pepsi

“This mining thing – it’s like someone giving you a plate of food. You eat all the food and then you have to give the plate back,” our taxi driver, Chris, explains earnestly. “It will be a short time of mining, some people will get money and then we will be left with nothing.” Pondoland…

Three Trees and a Thousand Aloes

Apparently, at the time Voortrekkers lived in this valley more than a century ago, there were three trees atop the koppie. Now there are thousands of thorn trees covering the grassy slopes. There were probably plenty of aloes in the grassland back then – there certainly are thousands of aloes surrounding Three Tree Hill Lodge…

Mountain Wheat and Other Wonders

My friend Christeen spends a lot of time in Lesotho.  Recently, she brought me a little packet of wheat grown in the mountains  by one of the women she knows there. Clever Christeen knows exactly the sort of gift I treasure – I was utterly delighted. Lesotho is a completely magical place I think. It has…

East Coast Abundance – Figs, Flowers and Footprints

There is a fabulous fig growing in the garden of the cottage in Fig Tree Lane.  Over the years, we have watched it consume the original tree (probably a Milkwood).   Figs are fabulous wildlife trees, providing food for a myriad of species including  butterflies, birds, buck, bats and of course,  monkeys. We were well entertained by…

East Coast Abundance – Food

We needed to defrost our bones, so headed for the seaside. We relaxed so much, we even got our dogs some bones of indeterminate origin (likely unhappy) from the local butcher. Although I accept that finding the kind of food I’d like to on holiday is unlikely, I still try. We stopped at a roadside stall….