Midterm Break: Kleinmond

Two weekends ago, after a long day of helping at the Gartenfest (see previous posts), I had dinner with Gerhard before heading back home. We both had a university holiday (August 31 - September 9th) and I asked Gerhard when we could go to Baviaanspoort - a city near Johannesburg where the British interned my great-grandfather during World War II (he was a German veteran of WWI). A joke was made that after going to Baviaanspoort, we should "just go to Kleinmond" (a sleepy village about an hour away from Cape Town where my great-uncle has a home on the ocean - a 14 hour drive from Johannesburg). This exaggerated joke became a reality when Gerhard responded saying, "…well, why not? Let’s go." By the next evening a plan was hatched, with Gerhard, Maike (Gerhard's eldest) and I driving down on Tuesday, with Marlize and Tasmin (Gerhard's youngest) flying in on Thursday evening. We would surprise my great-uncle and great-aunt and have dinner with them in Cape Town too! 

… Tuesday rolled around and we left at 3:27am, ready for the 14-hour trek in front of us. Gerhard and I rotated driving every two hours or so and we made it to Kleinmond by 6:45pm after a few breaks along the way. Exhausted from being the in car for such a long time, we picked up pizza, unpacked, and crashed. It was refreshing to be near the ocean, to hear the waves outside of my bedroom window, and wake up to the sun rising over the mountains behind the sea. Kleinmond is a beautiful little village, east of Cape Town and is a wonderful "get-away" from city life. My great-uncle purchased property there in the 1960s. He and his two sons (Gerhard and Walter) built a home over the course of five or so years - and have been enjoying the family vacation home since.  It's a beautiful home and location, with the large front windows looking out to the sea and across the street, a nature reserve with jagged rock and crashing waves below. The main drag of the town is a kilometer away and in the opposite direction, one kilometer away is a beautiful beach.

The Free State - beautifully boring

Kleinmond!

After a deep sleep, we slowly woke up and made a plan for the day. We walked to the beach and did exercises in a park overlooking the ocean. Afterward, we walked along the beach, soaking up the atmosphere and enjoying the freedom from the city. As we walked back toward the house, Maike spotted a Cape Fur Seal swimming close to the shore, just past the breaking waves. We followed the seal and I decided to go for a swim in the frigid water ("when in Rome…"). When I jumped in, I was within a few meters and he took off toward the deep water. The water was freezing, as expected, but I quickly ran out of the water to dry off. Enjoying the beautiful day and the unseasonably warm weather, we went to a coffee shop/restaurant on the beach to have some coffee. As we drank coffee, Gerhard spotted a humpback whale in the distance ("tis' the season"). When we arrived back at the house, we went to work on the house - we washed the windows and then I mowed the lawn while Gerhard and Maike worked on edging. It was much overdue and we felt a sense of accomplishment after finishing. To reward ourselves later in the day, we walked to the harbor and had fish and chips for dinner. It was a beautiful evening and we took the scenic route home, walking through the bushes near the jagged rocks, watching the sunset over the mountain… stunning and a perfect way to end the day.

Doing our exercises! 

A Seal!

Brrr! It's cold!

Getting fish n' chips in Kleinmond

On Thursday, Gerhard, Maike and I woke up, ate breakfast and went back to the beach to do our exercises. In the late morning we went to the grocery store to pick up food for dinner and then drove along the coast to Cape Town. The drive from Kleinmond to Cape Town (along the ocean) is stunning; the contrast between the mountains and the sea, the winding roads, the sharp turns, and the beautiful bays … some of the most beautiful scenery. We took our time getting to Cape Town, stopping at scenic points to take pictures and just soak up the atmosphere. When we got to Gordon Bay, we stopped to watch three humpback whales that were swimming just below a cliff that overlooked the bay. Continuing on, we arrived in Cape Town and went to the University of Cape Town (UCT) to drive through the campus. It's a stunning campus, situated at the base of a mountain that overlooks the Cape Flats. Moreover, it feels like a "real" campus compared to Wits with old, ivy-covered buildings. Our next stop was the Rhodes Memorial, which is near UCT, also situated at the base of the mountain overlooking the Cape Flats. Although the memorial itself is very underwhelming and faux-ancient the view is stunning. We walked around the monument and soaked up the perfect weather (it was 75 degrees and not a cloud in the sky). After the memorial, we went to have lunch with Walter, Gerhard's younger brother in Milnerton, just north of Cape Town. It was really nice to meet him and spend the afternoon together. We went to the beach after lunch to see a Turkish ship that beached itself north of Milnerton. Oddly enough, it didn't have the required insurance and a storm caused it to start leaking some of its oil in the bay (after first being on fire). Aside from the wreck, the beach is beautiful, with views of the downtown and Robben Island. For dinner, we went to see Onkel Theo and Tante Magdalena. Gerhard surprised Magdalena, calling the night before to ask if she would like to have dinner tomorrow (Thursday) night. She didn't know that we were in Kleinmond or that Marlize and Tasmin where flying in that evening and would be there for dinner too. We brought ready-made lasagnas, a pasta, and pudding and had a lovely dinner together. It was wonderful to see Theo and Magdalena - and I'll see them in a few weeks when we have Magalena's family reunion in Limpopo. After a "lekker" dinner, we cleaned up, and drove back to Kleinmond (about 75 minutes)… crashing after the long, but enjoyable day.

Gerhard (yoga master!)

Mr. Cool

Maike and Gerhard

Humpback Whale

Spectators

University of Cape Town 

Rhodes Memorial

View of the Cape Flats

Walter and I 

Milnerton Beach (looking at Table Mountain and downtown Cape Town)

Dinner with Onkel Theo and Tante Magdalena 

We slowly woke up on Friday and had a omelets before going to the beach for our morning exercises (very disciplined, we are). After our morning exercises on the beach, we crossed the lagoon to head toward the beach to go for a walk (see pictures). Crossing the lagoon rapids as it fed into the ocean, we decided to build a dam to increase the pressure of the rapids. We loaded the sand and built a few walls to block off the water, embracing the "kid" in us. Afterward, we went for a walk on the beach, playing on the dunes, picking up shells, and I went for another swim (not as cold!). As we meandered back to the house, the weather started changing, with the wind picking up and the warm weather disappearing. We decided to have a braai for a late lunch and stayed inside, socializing, while the weather (wind) passed. Walter's two daughters and Heidi came to visit as well - I appreciated spending more time with them, as I've only briefly met them before. After a lazy afternoon, we walked along the trails near the rocks, playing in the pools formed by the high tide (and now, low tide). Deciding to have an "aperitivo", we stopped at the restaurant on the beach. As we enjoyed our drinks, a whale started jumping out of the water in the distance… a sight to be seen!

Walking to the beach

Schwar family lunges :) 

Building our dam

Successful engineers!

Playing on the dunes

Another whale!

Saturday, our last day, came too quickly. After breakfast, we walked around the harbor at Kleinmond which is full of little shops - touristy gifts, a pottery store, cafes, et cetera. We then spent the late morning/early afternoon on the beach, soaking up the sun, reading, and playing paddleball. Although the weather was warm (I was in my "costume" - bathing suit), there was still a slight chill in the air, not fully yet summer. We went back to the house, slightly sun burnt, had lunch and then went to Hermanus (Her-mahn-us, not "Herman-us"). Hermanus is a posh little city about thirty minutes from Kleinmond, full of restaurants and hotels. Kleinmond's charm is it's laid back and relaxing atmosphere; it's not overrun with tourists nor has it fallen prey to large commercial developments. Above all, however, Hermanus is known for whales. The city sits at a point in the bay, which is a great vantage point for whale watchers. We arrived in Hermanus and almost immediately spotted whales. Sitting on the rocks overlooking the bay, we saw a pod of dolphins that numbered in the hundreds, humpback whales, sharks, and seals, all of which were feeding on a large school of fish. It was a breathtaking scene: the wildlife, the cloudless sky, the mountains and the city in the backdrop, waves crashing over the jagged rock, all of which seen from the harbor. After watching the whales for a while, we wandered to a nearby restaurant for a drink before dinner. We then had to face the inevitable, cleaning the house and packing for our 14-hour journey back to Johannesburg.

Kleinmond fishermen 

Enjoying the new memories from the trip!

It was a wonderful trip - to think that nearly two weeks ago, we jokingly said that we should go to Kleinmond. The fifteen-hour drive(s) have been well worth their stresses. The weather has been ideal, sunny and warm, making the experience even more meaningful (and fun!). I've really appreciated spending more time with the family… and getting away from Jo'burg for a few days. Another great memory!

A HUGE thanks to Gerhard and Marlize! :)