Sunday, March 22, 2015

Gamtoos to Oudtshoorn


Today doesn't look so far on the map but looks, as we have found out, can be very deceiving.  We joined the N2 west of PE and drove the N2 all the way to George which is no longer a small town by the way and then headed inland to Oudtshoorn.

We woke up late and by that I mean 07:05 and then it took us almost exactly 90 minutes to pack up, shower, have breakfast so we didn't really have an early start but not too bad.

The N2 is exceedingly picturesque driving through Tsitsikamma and over Storms River bridge where we stopped for some coffee and to have a bit of a look.  There are an amazing number of motorbikes on the road around here, it seems to be a very popular route.  We had just started again when we saw the sign to the 'big tree' which we had to stop at to compare it with the 'big tree' at Hogsback.  Tsitsikamma wins ... but not by a long way.


Caron is getting much better at standing still in photographs, I no longer have to have a high shutter speed and pan while taking a photograph with her in it.  Just near here was another huge yellowwood that they had just left as a practical demonstration of decomposition which was very interesting.


The restaurant is built in the old mill and still has the actual mill in it as a feature.  Note Caron is still in focus and I was using a slow shutter speed and natural light.


Just before supper I, without thinking about it, had some oysters on biscuits while I had some wine and read my book.  It was only afterwards that I thought that maybe that wasn't such a good idea but what is down the hatch is down so I waited ... and nothing.  How odd, now I'm not sure what it was.


After a great meal where Caron had a Kudu Fillet and I had, gasp, Ostrich.  It's just chicken and I maintain that chicken is a vegetable;  I too can have beliefs in spite of a mountain of evidence that chicken is not a vegetable.

This is the view from the patio of our room, not too shabby hey!


I wonder if, in future, it might not be a really good way to get to know the country side to set objectives in terms of time rather than destination or distance.  So instead of driving for 500km, choose to drive for 4 hours and wherever you are after 4 hours, just stop at the next accommodation.  When we have done it on this trip it has worked a treat.

1 comment:

margaret said...

This is all just fabulous. What a trip you are having.
About chicken - it is definitely a vegetable in view of the fact that chickens and ostrichs eat seeds etc which are vegetables. Maybe fish has now turned into meat as fish eat other fish? Bruce is allergic to shellfish and Jordynne is allergic to preservatives in food. What a bunch you are!!!