We were sad to leave De Hoop but at the same time looked forward to experiencing the R62. We were previously unable to stop at all the interesting places along the route due to time commitments, so Barrydale would now be the main focus for the next leg of our journey.
One is completely cut off from the outside world due to lack of cell phone reception while at De Hoop, and the first news we got once we had comms again was the outcome of the US elections. That was certainly enough to change our mood. But enough said about that…
The next news was of the storms in and around Johannesburg. What unbelievable destruction! And then the realisation that the beautiful ‘cloud burst’ seen from Ponti was actually directly over our house! We decided not to panic and after a phone call or two decided there was nothing we could do anyway so best we put it out of our minds. As it turned out some of our neighbours had significant damage but our unit was fine.
First stop on our route was the Malgas Pont across the Breede River, famous for the fact that it is the last ‘hand-drawn’ pontoon in South Africa. We had taken Ufudu on it before so it was not new to us, but it remains interesting.
The next stretch of road was really badly corrugated and very slow going. Our bird sightings more than made up for it though.
We stopped at the Paradise Organic Restaurant in Suurbraak for lunch. It was delicious and well worth the time spent. Somehow the experience is so much more when a restaurant’s owners are there, interested and chatting; and you can actually look out at their veggie patch and herb garden, knowing that everything is as fresh as it gets. As always, we envy the lifestyle. They have managed to escape the rat-race and are doing what they love, while at the same time contributing to the community by providing employment and upliftment. Their home is right next door to the restaurant, overlooking the mountains…
We stopped at the lookout points along the Tradouw pass, just taking our time and enjoying the scenery and eventually arrived in Barrydale in the mid-afternoon.
Barrydale does not have a caravan park but after making enquiries at The Hub we were directed to the Rooi Kombuis. This is what we love about the small towns in our country: the folk are friendly and only too eager to accommodate. In no time Toitnette had a power cable out, the ablution facility was opened and set up for us, and we could choose where we wanted to park!
After we settled in we went exploring. On foot, of course, because we did not have Suzi with us this time.
Our first stop was the quirky Karoo Art Hotel. Each suite is decorated in a unique style/theme and the facility is open to the public for viewing. Art in all the public spaces is for sale. It is an amazing place and well worth a visit. But then again, anyone who knows me also knows that I cannot resist anything ‘art’!
Something we found extremely interesting is the agreement between local restaurant owners of who will be open on which night of the week. This spreads the income and affords the restaurant owners and staff welcome evenings off! On the night we were in town Clarke of the Karoo was the restaurant to go to. And it was well worth it. The long walk back to Ufudu was probably a good thing; it gave us time to work off some of the excesses…
Breakfast was at the Rooi Kombuis, renowned for their unusual menu items. It was good but in my opinion did not live up to the hype. Perhaps we have become spoilt?
Before leaving town we paid a visit to the Magpie Art and Design Studio. We had a fascinating time chatting to Shane, one of the 4 founder members of the concept. Magpie is world-renown for their art, created from recycled items. Barack Obama even has one of their chandeliers in his private collection. I was enthralled. You can read more about them at http://www.magpieartcollective.com/
After a tour through their garden we eventually, and reluctantly, left with some freshly cut artichokes in hand.
Our next stop was at the Barrydale Wine Cellar. Good wine at really affordable prices. We later regretted not buying more. But it is always a trade-off between what is available here and now and what possibly still lies ahead. One never knows, and then we may have run out of space!
Next was Diesel and Crème for a mid-morning snack. It came highly recommended and did not disappoint. An American diner/roadhouse style restaurant that serves the most amazing milkshakes, and everything else.
We eventually headed out of town and about half an hour down the road stopped at Ronnie’s Sex Shop for lunch. Again, the place was more interesting than the food, which was not bad, just ordinary!
