Our cats speak English. Either that or they have a sixth sense that says “Uh oh. Road-trip!” followed by a smoothly-executed, vanishing act. Our plan was to leave at 6am sharp, so we had strategically locked Jango and Hobie in a bedroom, but our brand new, 4 month-old kitten, Inky, (who is ALWAYS underfoot) was …
What? A road-trip without the furries… whatever next! Does it even meet the definition of a road trip?. Not sure who felt more dismayed – us or them? Wednesday Darcy watched disapprovingly as we packed our luggage into the narrow (but deeper than you think) boot, and into every other crevice we could find without …
“Fun is Back” : Our MG Roadtrip from Joburg to Cape Town Read More »
Arguably one of South Africa’s best roadtrip routes, is Route 62. Route 62 meanders from Oudtshoorn to Cape Town along scenic roads that are less travelled than its more famous coastal cousin, the adjacent “Garden Route”. Not too far from Uniondale, we passed a road sign that said Kykoe. The lush valley and forested land …
We left the town of Middleburg without thinking too clearly. Our hearts were heavy with unshed tears and we tried to talk ourselves out of dwelling on Jango’s whereabouts, what Jango could possibly be thinking (is it even possible to think like a cat?), what might happen to him. In this state of general unease, …
The sun eases into the shimmering horizon. The wood smoke from our braai mingles with the fragrance of the shrubs and grasses. The ice in our glasses tinkles as we toast our incredible good fortune to be in such a panoramic spot. The immense silence is overwhelming and a sense of peace prevails as the …
D’Arcy woke us nice and early in our Sutherland cottage by throwing up some disgusting old bones that she’d scrounged the night before. Day 8:We made egg mayonnaise sarms for breakfast on the go and a flask of condensed milk coffee. It was very chilly and the car registered zero degrees! We headed towards Calvinia, …
Northern Cape Roadtrip: Part 2 – The Groen Kalahari Read More »
There’s a chilly katabatic wind blowing unchecked across the desolate Karoo escarpment when we stop at the settlement that was once the proud village of Putsonderwater. I’m a little in awe of finally being in Putsonderwater. The name is frequently used as a metaphor to indicate a faraway, remote never-land, like Timbuktu. I reflect on …
Putsonderwater, Northern Cape: Gone, but not forgotten Read More »
Sutherland and stars are synonymous. B&B’s named after planets, crisp, clear winter nights, observatories and telescopes, and people – warm and knowledgeable – eager to share their passion. We have always been intrigued by the Universe, but our visit to Sutherland awoke a new interest and we realised how little we actually knew…… The speed of …
After a long days travel on our Northern Cape road trip we arrived at our corbelled house as the sun was setting. It was cold and we wanted comfort food. We had both fantasised about spaghetti carbonara but our bodies were saying vegetables. So apologies to all purists but with a nod to all peasant …
The sun slowly crests the low hill and the silent shadows retreat revealing the Karoo valley in all its ochre beauty, the golden light softening the rocky landscape. Steam rises in the crisp air from our condensed milk coffee as we sit on the stoep savouring the extraordinary quiet. We are staying at the corbelled …
Corbelled House of Stuurmansfontein – A step back in time Read More »
In our family it’s a rule that you can’t break out the padkos until you have left town. “Out of town” has been further defined as being on the major highway leading to your next stop. Fortunately from where we live it’s a mere 5-minute drive before we hit the N1 . Our go-to snack …
Northern Cape Roadtrip: Part 1 – Karoo Highlands Read More »
Les saveurs de la vie is a blog about lifestyle, travel, food, photography and other musings. We are Nikki and Geoff, married since 1995 and based in Johannesburg, South Africa 🇿🇦.