The word graffiti has its origins in both Greek and Italian. Graphein is Greek for 'scratch', 'carve' or 'write' while graffiato in Italian means 'scratched'. Although there have been different forms of graffiti (before it became an official term) since earliest civilisation, it became a pervasive element in the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in large…
Time to Meet the Elephants
Barrelled along by a hot-oven-breath wind that raised the day's temperature to 41°C (this as we're approaching autumn!), we arrived at Nyathi Camp in Addo Elephant National Park later than expected. Lethal sharp stones from our Mountain Zebra 4x4 trails had sliced open one of Keith's tyres. He was rewarded with a spectacular puncture on…
An Eagle’s Perspective
We have just found our newest favouritest (I know, not a word, but now it is) cottage in the SANParks fold and sort-of-close-to-home. Called the Rock Chalets, there are only two of them but they feel super-exclusive, perched as they are like a Black Eagle's eyrie (okay, Verreaux's … black sounds more poetic) on the…
Back to Nature
In anticipation of our next journey into the wondrous wilds … Mountain Zebra NP and Addo Elephant NP (we loved the empty spaces of the Karoo so much we got home and immediately booked the next trip) I've gone back to Nature. It also helps that we've had a few spectacular sunrises recently in Knysna.…
Exploring Your Own Backyard
Before Lockdown and the sneaky self-replicating virus called Covid, many South Africans were guilty of ignoring the flagrant beauty in their own country, choosing to cross borders into Namibia or Botswana, or to go skiing in Italy, Switzerland or France. Well, that's changed! Closed borders and flying restrictions (and intense housebound cabin fever) have forced…
March Wordplay
I know, I know, it isn't March yet … but, honestly, we're nearly there! 2021, however hideous with its Covid revival, is flying. My "March" train of thought was stimulated by the sudden appearance, out of nowhere, of our March lilies. These gorgeous Amaryllis belladonnas are so called because that's when they push through the…
Sea Fountains at Fountain Shack
It struck me with the force of a newly-mutated-Covid-19 lockdown that we keep on forgetting what bee-oo-ti-ful natural spaces we have, to disappear into, right on our doorstep. Case in point: a little (biggish, actually) shack perched at the edge of a wild, tumbling, booming ocean. There are a few people who're going to hate…
Colour, Lightness & Warhol
I've decided it's time for something flagrantly cheerful to brighten up our week. For me, that's Andy Warhol's Pop-Art. Vivid stabs of colour, painted gashes for lips and eyes. South Africans (and, of course, many other countries around the world) are hampered by curfews morning and night, we're still not allowed to drink wine with…
Medicals & a Country Village
It feels like a huge weight has lifted off my shoulders. Every day I wake up and there is a new lightness of spirit. Over the last three days we have just driven the five and a bit hours to Cape Town (and back) to spend a day having our medical examinations done at the…
To a Kick-Ass 2021
Hello 2021, goodbye and good riddance 2020! Things can only go up from here… Our nod to a fresh new year bursting with potential was spent in a perfect bubble, utterly disconnected from the real world. A place of remoteness dropped into the middle of noisy, partying humanity (yes, You, holidaymakers from all around the…
