Of the benefits of being self-employed, the one that tops the list is being able to down tools, close laptop and disappear into the wilderness of the Karoo at the drop of a paint brush. (Granted you have very understanding clients who are willing to work with your flexibilities…)
Late last year, we filled the vehicle with petrol and faith, and flung ourselves over the Swartberg Pass. Why faith? Because this vehicle is prone to temper tantrums and testing our physical and mental strength.
No planning. No booking. Just get up and go.
This was my third time over the Swartberg Pass; Ferdo’s first, so we stopped at every possible lookout point to take photos. My prediction is that many future paintings will have echoes of these beautiful mountains…
[Fair warning: This post is mostly pictorial]
Life’s little coincidences…
That was a long, slow, careful drive…
We should have noticed the clouds sailing past, congregating at the top of the mountain…
… but maybe we were just glad to be there ❤
Views forever…
The weather had been sweltering down below on the platteland, but the higher we drove – navigating over rocks and around tricky bends – the more the clouds closed in around us. The fumes of faith began emanating from the exhaust pipe…
At the highest point on the Swartberg Pass, I’d wanted to show Ferdo the magnificent views of the crags and the deep, rocky lacerations that are very visible from the top of the pass. Maybe even a head or two of wildlife.
What did we get instead?
Howling winds and almost zero visibility.
Fortunately on the Prince Albert side of the Swartberg Pass, the roads have been better maintained than on the Oudtshoorn side, and the descent felt like a breeze compared to the up-drive. As we popped out of the other side of the clouds, we were treated to a feast for the eyes, and this part of the drive was a little less daunting.
We pulled into Prince Albert at 18:05, only to find everything shut tight. No SPAR, no tourism office. It was the proverbial tumbleweed moment.
Our spontaneity meant shelling out for a decadent night at the Swartberg Hotel, but… worth it.
Sizable hospitable room
Time to chill
The most pertinent question of the evening after this very long day was: what time is dinner??
We ambled around in the hotel’s foyer, lounge and reading room. There was plenty to see in terms of art and decor.
So much to read! 😉
Such inspiring colour!
The hotel’s restaurant is a real treat. Inside the menu is the history of the paintings hanging on the walls, and creepy talk of ghosts and a red tinge to the stream. Apparently by the light of the fire in winter it’s possible to see strange apparitions and nuances to the otherwise peaceful landscape…
However, the only red tinge I was interested in at that point was the deep velvet hue of my Weltevrede CherryChoc Merlot, which perfectly complemented the shade of ostrich carpaccio in this delectable blue cheese and fig preserve salad!
The wonderful ambience of the restaurant gave us a much needed evening breather after the bumpy gravel road that kept me on edge all afternoon.
Karoo Hospitality at Wolvekraal
I’d heard about Wolvekraal Guest Farm just outside Prince Albert, so the next day, when the kind ladies at the tourism office recommended Wolvekraal (with a ‘v’) for all its silence and natural surroundings, I knew it was meant to be. This working Dorper sheep farm is as quiet and peaceful as they come…
It’s so quiet out here that you can hear the sheep baa-aa-ing away to each other just over the sounds of the exhaling mountains. And a detail that couldn’t be ignored was how dry it was in this drought-stricken region. Those may look like promising clouds, but such was the mirage of hope that remained lingering at the top of the Swartberg range and didn’t come any closer.
As hot as it was outside, the inside of Soetdoring Cottage was cool and breezy, and we were given strict instructions on how to keep it that way. The tricks of surviving in the Groot Karoo must not be taken lightly!
Wonderfully spacious, rustically appointed and customarily decorated, this cozy farm cottage felt just like home for a couple of days.
The cool tones in the decor and the cement screed floor all helped to keep us comfortable and relaxed.
Loving the rustic details!
Every day at 17:15, there are some baby lambs that need to be bottle fed, and this is one of the unique activities to do on the farm. Don’t let the sweet faces fool you… those woolly little bodies house some ferocious appetites!
I had to maintain a firm grip on that bottle to not have it ripped right out of my hand. Each little lamb gets his or her fair share, and trying to stop the fed lambs from interrupting the feeding lambs was a task unto its own!
Ferdo was brave enough to feed two babies at once!
Later on the first evening, when the sun had retreated somewhat and the day’s breeze had turned into a substantial draught blowing the hot air away from these planes, we decided to go for a walk.
Again, the clouds atop the mountains served no purpose on the farm other than to torment one’s hope for the cool respite after some afternoon rain 😦 The wind was blowing through the valley, barrelling parallel along the mountain range and holding the clouds hostage…
The wind was, however, good for drawing precious water reserves from below the rocky soil, but the sheer silent persistence of this endeavour had an almost hopeless feel to it. They need so much water here.
The next day, we contemplated going into town for some sight-seeing and photographing, but by 10AM it was already too hot to commit too seriously to productivity. As holidays go, we spent the day reading, drinking coffee, observing the sheep, napping and braaiing.
Ah, bliss.
“Contemplation: Farm life”
Only the hardiest survive the hot, dry relentlessness.
When the opportunity did arise, we went into the gloriously quaint and beautifully maintained Prince Albert. Ferdo took hundreds of klein dorpie reference photos – some of which were quickly transformed into paintings (just have a look here and browse the page for more!) – while I just hung back in the shade…
Beautifully restored Victorian style homes are an abundant sight in Prince Albert!
This quaint antiques shop (The Olde Shop) is well worth the visit!
After even just a morning of winding our way through the intensely bright streets of Prince Albert, some refreshments were in order. We found the greenest oasis on the edges of town and sat down for a shady lunch of pizzas and ice-cold drinks at The Bush Pub.
When the early evening’s shadows drew long and cool, we returned for some truly breathtaking scenes. Ferdo assures me that this is the best time to take reference photos – when the elongated shadows tell their stories of the day and we can bask in the undertones of the first hints of evening.
Isn’t this the cutest office you’ve ever seen?
Extending our stay at Wolvekraal
There’s a lot to be said for long, near-silent days in the Karoo. The change of scenery was a tonic for the soul, so we decided to stay an extra day at Wolvekraal (there’s no use driving home with half-empty egg boxes and whiskey bottles, you know). We were moved from the popular Soetdoring Cottage into Spekboom Cottage – another cozy abode.
I’d love to come back in wintertime to use that fireplace!
Mosquito net and corner fan: standard procedure in the Karoo
There are remnants of history dotted around the farm – from this old wagon wheel that has certainly stood the test of time, to the rusty oldsmobiles and wagons that complete the ambience of Wolvekraal… and shade the sheep in the mornings and afternoons.
How does one write about a mini breakaway where the point of the exercise is to do nothing?
Rhetorical.
Our next road trip is just around the corner, so sign up to stay tuned…
Artists on the Go 
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