Dagboek: Week 11
Voetspore in Suid Afrika
Die Voetsporespan is op reis – tydens ‘n wêreldwye pandemie loop ons paaie weer deur Suid-Afrika! Die week het as volg verloop:
Week 11
Dag 1
Dis ‘n koue, reënerige, trietsige dag. ‘n Ideale dag vir ‘n warm bad. Daarvoor is ons by The Baths, nie ver van Citrusdal nie.
Warm bronne is, op die beste van tye maar ‘n grillerige affêre. Mens is nie seker wat alles in die water rond dryf nie. Maar nie so by The Baths nie. Dis seker een van die mooiste, skoonste oorde wat ek in ‘n lang tyd besoek het.
Die oord word reeds vir honderde jare besoek. Sekerlik moes die San daarvan geweet het, maar die eerste melding in Westerse geskrifte vind ons in 1739.
The Baths is vandag net twee ure se ry van Kaapstad. Reeds in die tyd van die VOC aan die Kaap was die warm bron ‘n gewilde besoekplek, en is daar huisies om die warm bron opgerig.
Vyf jaar gelede het Etienne Strydom die eiendom gekoop en pragtig gerestoureer.
Verblyf by The Baths is in 16 chalets en nog 19 woonstelle. Daar is ook pragtige kampplek onder die wilde olyf en vyebome.
Die wooneenhede het elkeen meestal sy eie jacuzzi. Maar by die oord is daar ook ‘n koue swembad, ‘n warm swembad, privaat jacuzzi’s en dan oop baddens. Dis waar die Voetsporemanne hulleself gaan tuismaak het.
Dis ‘n wonderlike plek. ‘n Plek wat ons weer sal sien.
Na ‘n stewige ontbyt wat Nina voorberei het, vertrek ons, rigting Klein Tafelberg.
Op pad na Klein Tafelberg stop ons by De Tol padstal, bo aan Piekenierskloof. Ons ontmoet die Van Zyls wat onlangs die ou tol gebou omskep het in ‘n pragtige padstal met heerlike Carmien rooibostee, uitstekende Piekenierskloof wyn en beste van alles, uitstekende roosterkoek. Ons kuier sommer lekker.
Ons neem ‘n alternatiewe roete na Klein Tafelberg. Dis met die Paleisheuwel pad. Onderweg is daar ‘n snyblomme plaas. Ek stop, ontmoet die eienaar, Neil Hall, en vra of ons ‘n bossie blomme kan kry. Ons het binnekort ‘n verjaarsdag om te vier. Neil gee my toe ‘n hele boks vol blomme. Dis eintlik net vir die uitvoermark bestem.
Die Paleisheuwel pad is ‘n pragtige roete.
Dis vroegmiddag toe ons deur Redelinghuys ry en aankom by Die Klein Tafelberg 4×4 roete. Gezie en Alfie Louw, wat die plek bestuur ontvang ons. Ons ontmoet ook my vrou, Alma, wat vir ‘n dag of wat kom kuier. Dis immers môre haar verjaarsdag!
Dag 2
Vandag is dit 4×4 dag. Stephen Burger, eienaar van die plaas, en sy seun Stehann, kom ry saam met ons.
Klein Tafelberg is ‘n klompie jaar gelede aangewys as die beste 4×4 roete in die land. Dit verbaas my nie. Dis ‘n pragtige roete wat op plekke nogal uitdagend kan wees. Wat die plek meer besonders maak is die plantegroei wat veral die tyd van die jaar, in die lente, uitsonderlik is. Die Kaapse fynbos staan in blom.
Die roete is meestal sand, maar van tyd tot tyd is daar ook ‘n klipperige gedeelte.
Teen middagete stop ons by ‘n uitkykpunt, en Nina maak toebroodjies. Daarna is dit weer verder.
Teen vier uur die middag is ons terug by die kamp. Ons groet vir Stephan en Stehann. Hulle moet terug Kaap toe.
Nou is dit tyd om Alma se verjaarsdag te vier. Die kinders het vir haar allerlei geskenkies gekoop, Gideon gee ‘n pragtige bottel olyfolie en ek gee vir haar die boks vol blomme van Neil Hall se plaas. Sy het nog nooit so ‘n groot bos blomme gekry nie. Toe sy dit tel kry sy 650 stingels. Dis speldekussings, blushing bride, konfettibos en wat nog alles.
Gezie en Alfie kom maak die voorgereg – snoek en patats. Weskuskos. Absoluut fantasties. Daarna is dit ‘n skaapboud in die Cobb. Dit saam met ‘n heerlike, vars slaai. ‘n Regte verjaarsdagete.
Dag 3
Ons vertrek vroeg vanaf Klein Tafelberg. Ons ry tot by Velddrif waar ons Alma groet. Dit was wonderlik om haar verjaarsdag te kon vier.
Van Velddrif ry ons na Jacobsbaai waar ons na die perlemoen fabriek toe gaan.
By die fabriek wys Jonathan vir ons presies hoe die slakke geteel en groot gemaak word. Dit duur sowat vyf jaar voor die perlemoen ge-oes kan word, maar dan is dit nog nie geslagsryp nie. Die klein perlemoene wat deur die stropers van die rotse ge-oes word, as die nog nie tien jaar oud is nie, verwoes die bron, want hulle kon nog nie voortplant nie.
Die perlemoen mannetjie skei sperm af. Die wyfie skei eierselle af. Die bevrugting vind dan in die see plaas. Die sukses faktor is seker een uit ‘n miljoen. In die fabriek is dit bietjie hoër, aangesien dit gemanipuleer word. Tog duur dit bykans vyf jaar voor die slak ge-oes, verwerk en verkoop kan word. Dis ‘n kapitaal intensiewe bedryf.
Ons ry na Paternoster. Ons besoek die kreeffabriek vlugtig. Dit is nie regtig operasioneel nie. Daar is net ‘n klomp kreef in die tenks. Hulle verpak veel minder en voer veel minder uit as voor COVID 19. Ek koop 2 kg boks kreefsterte vir aandete.
Ons ry ook deur die strate van Paternoster. Dis werklik ‘n pragtige Weskus dorpie. Net jammer dat kriminaliteit in die onlangse verlede hier sy kop uitsteek. Mense steel vir oorlewing. Ook om ‘n tik verslawing te onderhou.
Ek ontmoet Susan Slee wat die Maneki produkte begin het. Na baie jare in Pretoria, waar sy alle profyt aan winkelsentrum eienaars oorbetaal het, het sy haar op Paternoster kom vestig. Nou, sê Susan, gaan dit baie beter. Nou kan jy ‘n inkomste verdien uit jou werk.
By die Paternoster Hotel stop ons om iets te geniet by die Panty Bar. Die plek is vir dekades lank reeds ‘n instelling aan die Weskus. Johan Carosinni is die eienaar. Hy het egter ‘n paar jaar gelede reeds afgetree en die plek oorgegee aan sy kinders. Hy woon tans op Port Owen, maar ek verstaan hy kom terug Paternoster toe. Verlang net te veel na die plek.
Ons ry verby die Kaap Columbine vuurtoring na Tietiesbaai. Ons het spesiale toestemming van die burgemeester van die groter Saldanhabaai om te kom kamp by die plek waar ek dekades gelede vir Pieter Pieterse raakgeloop het. Dis hier waar hy en die Ingelsman gebly het in hulle karavaantjie. Dis hier waar ons die inspirasie gekry het om vandag te doen wat ons doen. Dis wonderlik om vir ‘n tyd lank te loop in die voetspore van ‘n groot man.
Die aand eet ons kreefstert en perlemoen. By die perlemoen fabriek het hulle vir ons van die slakke gegee in ‘n Oosterse sous. Kan nie sê dat dit lekker was nie. Nou maak Nina dit met spek, uie, knoffel en room. Norbert bak ʼn brood. Saam met die kreef stertjies is dit heerlik.
Dag 4
Die nag is dit koud. Dit het ook begin reën. Gideon het buite geslaap onder sy Cruiser se afdak. Die wind het gedraai. Hy het nat gereën. Die res van ons, ek, Nina en Streicher in die daktente en Stefan en Norbert in die OZtent, was wel baie gemaklik en warm.
Ons slaan kamp op en ry Paternoster toe. By die Blikkie Pizzeria eet ons ontbyt. Nooit geweet pizza kan so lekker wees vir ontbyt nie!
Ons ry na Laaiplek. Die see is onstuimig. In die wintermaande gaan die trawlers maar min uit op die oop see. Maar Carel Minnie, groot baas van Eigevis, neem ons na die Atlantic Leader, een van hulle trawlers wat meer as 350 ton vis op ‘n slag kan vang. Ons verken die trawler saam met John Lekay, Jan Krohn en Jaco Eigelaar en sien hoe die manne leef en werk. Die lewe van ‘n visserman aan die weskus is nie noodwendig maklik nie, maar as jy met hulle praat vertel hulle gou dat hulle dit vir absoluut niks verruil nie.
Na die besoek aan die trawler gaan ons na die SA Maritieme museum met Felicity Ströhfeld as kurator. Dis ‘n uitstekende museum wat mens ‘n insig gee in die lewe van hulle wat ‘n bestaan maak uit die see.
Ons gaan maak ‘n draai in Bokkomlaan. Dis waar daar nog ‘n sestal fabrieke is wat bokkoms maak. ‘n Bokkom is ‘n vis biltong. Dit word gemaak van harders. Dié word gesout en gedroog. Dan skil jy hom af. Vir sommiges van ons, soos ek en Gideon, is dit koningskos. Dis werklik lekker. Maak jou ook baie dors. Daarmee kan daar nie fout wees nie.
Die fabriek wat ons besoek behoort aan Saralize Tolken. Sy vertel dat dit maar moeilik is om ‘n bestaan te maak net uit bokkoms, daarom diversifiseer hulle. Maak ‘n verskeidenheid produkte soos bokkoms in chillie en bokkombrood. Hulle het ook Coffee shop begin waar allerlei snuisterye verkoop word.
Die aand gaan eet ons by die Riviera Hotel. Die mense van die Eigevis Groep onthaal ons op ‘n vis aandete. Carel Minnie en Belinda Morkel, wat ons gehelp het met die reëlings in Velddrif en Laaiplek, is ook daar. So ook Andre Eigelaar, een van die afstammelinge van die oorspronklike Eigelaars. Hulle is legendaries in die wêreld.
Ons eet ‘n verskeidenheid seekos geregte. Rick Thiart en Gerber Basson, of te wel Bokkom en Voertsek maak die kos. Kerrievis, mosselsop, snoek lewer, snoek kuite, snoek kop, galjoen… Verlede jaar kon ons sê dat daar geen deel van ‘n skaap was wat ons nie geëet het nie. Vanjaar is dit die geval met vis. Sommige daarvan is absoluut heerlik. Ander weer net interessant. Maar die kuier saam met die mense van die Weskus word ‘n laat nag affêre.
Dag 5
Die manne staan moeilik op. Maar daar lê ‘n lang dag voor. Ons moet reg wees vir hom.
Ons begin met ‘n sterk koffie by Columbine Co in Bokkomlaan. Dit help. Toe vertrek ons en reis die binneland in. Die roete neem ons oor Hopefield en Moorreesburg na Riebeek Wes. Dis waar ons die Malans ontmoet. Dis nou Danie, sy vrou Juanita en hulle dogter Daniëlle.
Danie gaan wys ons die dorpie en vertel dat Riebeek Wes en Riebeek Kasteel as twee dorpies ontstaan het omdat daar onenigheid in die kerk was. Daar is gevolglik twee kerke gebou. Vandag nog staan die twee kerke uit in die dorpies, enkele kilometer uitmekaar.
Ons leer ook meer van die verhouding tussen die Malan en Smuts families. Jan Smuts en DF Malan is enkele kilometers uit mekaar gebore. Alhoewel huisvriende was hulle geswore politieke vyande. DF Malan het dan juis in 1948 met die Nasionale Party vir Jan Smuts by die stembus verslaan. Dit was werklik die historiese begin van die toepassing van die beleid van Apartheid.
Ons gaan maak ‘n draai by die Riebeek Valley Garden Centre. Ons ontmoet Janno Viljoen, Andre Beaurain en Corne Pretorius. Hulle het ‘n pragtige plek met ‘n kunsgalery, kwekery en koffiewinkel.
Ons besoek ook die Olive Boutique. Hier leer ons van olywe – die verskillende soorte, hoe dit gemaak word. Ook hoe olyfolie gemaak word en waarvoor wat gebruik word. Derek en Susan is ons gashere. Hulle is passievol oor die produk, en as jy eers proe, verstaan jy hoekom.
Middagete is by die Pleasant Pheasant restaurant op Allesverloren. Dis skaapboud, aartappel en rys, slaai… dis ‘n heerlike Sondagmiddag maal.
Na middagete gaan ons saam met Daniëlle en Danie na die Allesverloren kelders. Hulle bied ‘n unieke wynproe aan. In plaas daarvan dat ons net weer ruik en proe aan Danie se beste Allesverloren wyne, gee hulle vir ons ‘n uitdaging. Danie het twee versnitte die Touriga Nacional en die 1704 red. Ons word uitgedaag om ‘n soortgelyke versnit met die basis wyne te maak. Dis nie so maklik nie…
Laat middag ry ons tot aan die hoogste punt van Allesverloren vir ‘n uitsig oor die Riebeek Vallei. Dis ‘n baie spesiale plek in die Swartland. Dis uitsonderlik mooi.
Die aand kuier ons by die Malans. Dis pizza en ander eetgoedjies, natuurlik saam met van die beste wyn wat Allesverloren bied.
Dis die einde van die elfde week.
Ons praat weer.
Mooi loop.
Johan
Week 11
Day 1
It is a cold, wet, dreary day. A typical day for a hot bath. We are therefore at The Baths, close to Citrusdal.
Hot springs are usually a bit off-putting because one is never sure what floats in the water. The Baths, however are totally different. Most probably one of the neatest, cleanest resorts I have visited in a long time.
This resort has been in operation for hundreds of years. The San must have known about it, because the first recording thereof is found in Western documents of 1739.
The Baths are situated only two hours’ drive from Cape Town. It has been a popular destination since the existence of the VOC in the Cape, and small houses were erected around the thermal springs.
Five years ago, Etienne Strydom purchased the property and renovated it beautifully.
The Baths offer 16 chalets and an additional 19 flats. There is also a beautiful campsite between the olive and fig trees.
Although the living quarters are equipped with individual jacuzzies, the resort also has a hot and cold-water swimming pool, private jacuzzies and open air spring water baths. This is where the Voetspore team decide to settle in.
A wonderful destination. A place we shall definitely re-visit.
After a hearty breakfast prepared by Nina, we depart direction Klein Tafelberg.
En route to Klein Tafelberg we stop at De Tol farm deli, on the Piekenierskloof Pass. We meet the Van Zyls who recently converted the old toll building into a quaint farm stall selling delicious Carmien rooibos tea, excellent Piekenierskloof wine and best of all, first-rate roosterkoek. A truly enjoyable visit.
We take an alternative route to Klein Tafelberg along the Paleisheuwel path. En route is a cut flower farm and we stop and meet the owner, Neil Hall. We have an upcoming birthday and need a bunch of flowers. Instead, Neil gave us a box full of flowers – specially grown for export.
The Paleisheuwel path is a most scenic route.
Early afternoon we travel via Redelinghuys to the retreat of the Klein Tafelberg 4×4 route. We are met by the managers, Gezie and Alfie Louw, as well as my wife, Alma, who came for a short visit to celebrate her birthday.
Day 2
Today is 4×4 day. Stephen Burger, owner of the farm, and his son Stehann, join us.
A few years ago, Klein Tafelberg was nominated as the best 4×4 route in the country. I am not surprised. A beautiful route with a number of challenging sections. Its serene setting, midst the beauty of the endemic fynbos to this region makes it very special.
The route consists of sand as well as a rocky section.
At lunch we stop at a lookout point and Nina prepares sandwiches. Then we depart again.
At 4 o’clock we arrive back at camp. We say our goodbyes to Stephan and Stehann who have to leave for Cape Town.
Now it is time to celebrate Alma’s birthday. Our children bought her a variety of gifts. Gideon gives her a bottle of olive oil and she receives a huge bunch of Neil Hall’s flowers. The biggest bunch yet – 650 stems of pin cushion, blushing bride and confetti bush.
Gezie and Alfie prepare snoek and sweet potato for starters. West Coast delights. Absolutely delicious. Then we have leg of lamb barbequed in the Cobb, paired with a fresh salad. A real birthday feast.
Day 3
It is early when we depart from Klein Tafelberg. At Velddrif we say goodbye to Alma after an enjoyable birthday celebration.
From Velddrif we travel to Jacobsbaai where we visit an abalone factory.
At the factory Jonathan demonstrates exactly how the snails are cultivated. It takes almost five years for the abalone to be ready for harvesting. At this stage it has not reached sexual maturity yet. If these small, less than ten-year-old abalones are poached, it totally destroys the source because it is still too small to have reproduced.
Abalone sexes are separate and because the fertilization is external, the success rate is one in a million. The factory process can be manipulated and is therefore more successful. It nevertheless takes five years before it can be harvested, processed and sold which makes it a capital-intensive industry.
We leave for Paternoster and pay a short visit to a crayfish factory. Not really in operation – only a few kept in tanks. Less crayfish are packed and exported as a result of COVID 19. I purchase a 2 kg box of crayfish tails for supper.
We drive through the streets of Paternoster. It is truly a scenic West Coast town. A real pity that criminal activities flared up recently. People have to steal for survival. Also, to feed their tik addiction.
I meet with Susan Slee who started Maneki products. After many years in Pretoria, where she enriched shopping centre owners with her profits, she moved to Paternoster. She finally now runs a profitable business.
At the Paternoster Hotel we stop for a bite at the Panty Bar. For many decades this has been an institution on the West Coast. Johan Carosinni is the owner. He retired a few years ago and handed the business over to his children. He currently resides in Port Owen but is on his way back because Paternoster captured his heart.
We travel to Tieties Bay via Cape Columbine lighthouse. We were given special permission from the Mayor of the greater Saldanha Bay to camp at the place where we met Pieter Pieterse a few years ago. This is where he and the Ingelsman stayed in their caravan. He inspired us to do what we currently do. What an honour to have followed in the footsteps of such a great person for a while.
That evening we dine on crayfish tails and abalone. At the abalone factory we were given some of these snails in an Oriental sauce. Not tasteful at all. Nina prepares it now with bacon, onion, garlic and cream. Norbert bakes a bread. Deliciously paired with crayfish tails.
Day 4
That night is very cold. It starts to rain. The wind turns. Gideon sleeps outside under the Cruiser’s awning and gets soaked. The rest of us, Nina and Streicher in the roof tents, and Stefan and Norbert in the OZtent, are comfortable and warm.
We pitch camp and leave for Paternoster, where we have breakfast at the Blikkie Pizzeria. Never knew pizza can be served for breakfast!
We proceed to Laaiplek. The sea is stormy. During winter the trawlers seldom brave the seas. However, the boss of Eigevis, Carel Minnie, takes us to the Atlantic Leader, one of their trawlers that can catch up to 350 ton of fish. Together with John Lekay, Jan Krohn and Jaco Eigelaar we scout the trawler and observe how the men work and live. The life of a West Coast fisherman is not an easy one, but not to be replaced either.
After our visit to the trawler we go to the SA Maritime museum with the curator, Felicity Ströhfeld. An excellent museum portraying the life of those who make a living from the sea.
We visit Bokkom Lane. Here are six factories that still produce bokkoms. A bokkom is fish biltong – made of peeled, salted and dried springers. For Gideon and I, this is food for a king. Really delicious. It also makes you very thirsty. Nothing wrong with that!
The owner of the factory is Saralize Tolken. She confirms that it is difficult to make a living by producing bokkoms alone and has to diversify. She produces a variety of products like bokkoms in chili and bokkom bread. They also started a Coffee shop selling bric-a-bracs.
That evening we dine at the Riviera Hotel. The people of Eigevis Group entertain us with seafood. We are joined by Carel Minnie and Belinda Morkel, who assisted in arranging our visits to Velddrif and Laaiplek, as well as Andre Eigelaar, one of the descendants of the original Eigelaars. A legendary family in this region.
We are served a variety of seafood. Rick Thiart and Gerber Basson – alias Bokkom en Voertsek – prepares the food. Curried fish. Mussel soup, snoek liver, snoek roe, snoek head, galjoen … Last year we tried every single cut of a lamb, and this year likewise with fish. Some of it is absolutely delicious but other sections merely interesting. The visit with the people of the West Coast turns into a late-night affair.
Day 5
The men have difficulty rising the next morning. We have a long day ahead and must be ready.
We start off with a much-needed strong cup of coffee at Columbine Co in Bokkom Avenue. Then depart inlands. The route takes us via Hopefield and Moorreesburg to Riebeek West. Here we meet the Malans. Danie, his wife Juanita and their daughter Daniëlle.
Danie shows us the town and explains that Riebeek West and Riebeek-Kasteel developed as two separate towns as a result of discordance amongst church members. Two churches were built. Today, only a few kilometres apart, still prominent in each town.
We also learn about the relationship between the Malan and Smuts families. Jan Smuts and DF Malan were born a few kilometres apart. Although socially friendly, they were sworn political enemies. In 1948 DF Malan and his National Party, defeated Jan Smuts at the polls. This was the historical start of the implementation of the Apartheid policy.
We stop at the Riebeek Valley Garden Centre and meet Janno Viljoen, Andre Beaurain and Corne Pretorius. They own this beautiful art gallery, nursery and coffee shop.
We also visit the Olive Boutique. Here we learn all about olives – the different varieties and how it is produced. We observe how olive oil is produced and used. Derek and Susan are our hosts. They are passionate about the product, and after a tasting, we fully understand.
Lunch is at the Pleasant Pheasant restaurant at Allesverloren. Leg of lamb, potatoes, rice, salad … a proper Sunday lunch.
After lunch Daniëlle and Danie take us to the Allesverloren cellar. They offer a unique wine tasting. Instead of tasting and smelling the best Allesverloren wines, we are given a proper challenge. Danie cultivated two blends, the Touriga Nacional and the 1704 red. We have to copy a similar blend with basic wines. Not quite an easy task.
Late afternoon we drive to the highest peak of Allesverloren to have a scenic view of the Riebeek Valley. A very special place in the Swartland. Exceptionally beautiful.
That evening we visit the Malans. We dine on pizza and other delicatessens, paired with Allesverloren’s best produce.
It is the end of week eleven.
Ons praat weer.
Mooi loop.
Johan