Cheers Lizziluv

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It occurred to me when we woke up this morning facing a trip to George Airport that perhaps someone might see that as a trip in the travelblog sense of the word; and that it would be another good practise run before our travels DownUnder kick in again in June. I am really trying to get the hang of matching photographs to the best spots in the narration. I must say it would be so much easier if one could do the whole thing on Publisher and then paste it into the blogpost.



It’s back to Singapore and Djakarta time for Lizziluv. Was great having her here for just over a week and we more than usual spent some really quality time together. It’s a 200km schlep to the George Airport but I still say I’d rather do that than have the run to Oliver Tambo Airport that we had when we still lived in Northcliff, besides here we have rolling farmlands, majestic mountains and well-mannered drivers en route. Depending on the time of year the farmlands are luscious green or golden with canola harvest and the mountains vary; like today the peaks were sharp and clear; Sleeping Beauty, the peak in the Langeberg range overlooking Riversdale one on the towns we drive through was at her best and clearest. On other winter days; she and all of the range might be sprinkled or blanketed in snow as the case may be.



It’s a34 km drive inland along the R322 from Witsand before we join the N2, the national highway running through the Western Cape. 4 kms later we stopped off at Heidelberg, Jurie to have two new tyres fitted to the Merc and us girls (Lize and Numi who happened to be in town too) to cross the road to Spensjolyt for coffee and a sort of a brekkie. That means Lizzi has one of every savoury thingie on offer and the rest of us pick at a bacon cheese thingie in anticipation of a proper brunch at the airport later.



The next town is Riversdale, then Albertinia, home to the aloe industry, then came Mossel Bay, home to ….. and then George. We were lucky at the 2 Stop-Go controls both ways. Sometimes the wait can be interminably long. After brekkie at the airport, we booked our own flights to Joburg for June to catch our flights to Singapore and booked a car to collect two days before we leave so we do not have to leave our car at the airport for 7 weeks. We whizzed through George for shopping and managed to be home as the sun was setting. Fusion’s howling announcement of our arrival to the entire village had us laughing and feeling welcome in a house now devoid of visitors for the first time in weeks and weeks.



Some educational stuff:



Heidelberg: located 274 km east of Cape Town along N2 halfway between Cape Town and Knysna. Its beginnings go back to 1716 when Louis Fourie obtained grazing rights from Governor Simon van der Stel to the banks of the Duivenhoks River that now runs through the town.



Riversdale: nestles at the foot of the Sleeping Beauty and has earned the name of Floral Paradise of the Garden Route. The fynbos in September is really spectacular. It also boast a number of historical landmarks.



Albertinia:is a really tiny town, thriving aloe industry and named after the first Dutch Reformed minister to serve the community in the mid-1800’s.



Mosselbay: is a harbour town, has natural offshore gas fields and is steeped in some very interesting history

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Photos

Spensjolyt
Translated I suppose that means Pantry Treats