A Rather Delightful Interlude and Something for Garden Lovers Everywhere!

Sign pointing to the duckpond ("eendedam") at Grietjiesdrif Guesthouse, near Rawsonville, in the Breedekloof (Breede River Valley) Wine Region.

There is nothing quite like a short break from ones daily routine to reignite a lackluster frame of mind. I enjoyed just such a change in pace and perspective this week, when I accompanied my daughter, Linda, on an overnight trip to Rawsonville, a small, wine farming community situated in the picturesque Breede River Valley. The quaint town of Rawsonville is the central hub of this lively agricultural community and well-worth a visit!


To continue reading this post, please click the Read more button below...

 

We were booked into Grietjiesdrif Guesthouse, and arrived late in the afternoon. It had been a particularly cold, wet, blustery day both in Cape Town and en route to our destination and we arrived between showers. I took this picture on the morning we checked out. The sun was shining beautifully and Linda was gesturing, "Well, aren't we leaving, then?" while I was hastily snapping a few last pictures of the pretty garden.

View from outside the door to our room (we were in the last room, No 4) looking down the passageway towards the exit to the dining room which was upstairs at the other end of this wing. The guest quarters were constructed in an old, existing wine cellar.

 What a delightful scene awaited us on the afternoon we arrived at Grietjiesdrif! Mist-covered mountains enveloped the property providing a theatrical backdrop to the deep green, sheep dotted paddock which our cosy en suite room faced. Although the wind was biting (we discovered the reason for this the following morning, when snow-capped peaks revealed themselves!), I grabbed at the opportunity to snap a few pictures lest we were destined to wake up to another day of rain next morning.

The in-residence managing owners of this enchantingly whimsical guesthouse, are devoted animal lovers.

Apart from their beautiful, seven year old, long-haired, male German Shepherd, Troy, they keep a number of happy, freely roaming hens, a few sheep (of which three are young lambkins!), a couple of calves, two horses and two rescue donkeys.

What a gift! A sunny morning greeted us after the cold and rainy day before!

Apart from having enjoyed an excellent four course dinner in the evening at a local restaurant, followed by a restful night's sleep, we awoke to the sound of vocal sheep and donkeys being given their early morning breakfast. Once up and dressed for the day, we were fed a top-notch breakfast in the lovely dining room ourselves. The roaring fire that welcomed us to breakfast added the perfect touch! Linda and I agreed that the really fresh fruit compote, served with muesli and thick yoghurt, was of the best we'd ever eaten, away from home! The eggs to order were cooked perfectly and served with crispy bacon, cocktail sausages and grilled tomato on attractive, handpainted platters. Freshly squeezed orange juice was served from a jug at our table. The toast was hot and delicious, buttered and topped with homemade, chunky marmalade served from a pretty jam jar. To round it all off superbly, the large bodum of coffee was HOT and very good! Our host and hostess were both cook and waitron. A charming touch to the over all experience of a visit to Grietjiesdrif, one which I can confidently recommend.

Not much cloud left over from the day before.

The two selfcatering cottages at Grietjiesdrif Guesthouse, separate from the Bed and Breakfast en suite rooms where we stayed.

Quirky stoep (verandah) with built-in braai (barbeque) for one of the two selfcatering cottages.

Wishing-well water feature in the garden at Grietjiesdrif Guesthouse

Do you want to make a wish?

Lichen growing on one of the wooden disks that acted as a pathway to reach the wishing-well.

The cast cement tables and chairs in the garden were decorated with inlaid pieces of chipped tile and pottery fragments, creating a delightfully novel effect.

None of Johan and Louella's animals (all are given full pet status!) is destined to end up on their dinner table! All are offered a lifetime of full board and lodging for the nominal fee of...

•  acting as Chief Guard Dog, but Troy is so friendly, his role is more in line with that of a concierge!
•  providing a daily supply of freshly laid, delicious eggs (hens)
•  full-time lawn mowing services (sheep, calves, horses)
•  fullcream milk bottling services (milk cows-in-training)
•  early morning alarm clock duties (donkeys, rooster, sheep)

"We spend our days grazing (mowing the lawn), resting in the sun or beneath the shade of trees, chatting politely to each other about our respective lambkins."

"I'm the proud, dehorned Dad Ram around here and I'm rather partial to a tickle on the head. Would you mind obliging?"

"Oh, Blackie! Haven't I told you before that it's impolite to pee in front of the guests?"  "No, Maaa! I'm only a week old!"

The two rescued donkeys have been adopted in accordance with the vision ascribed by the Donkey Sanctuary in Mc Gregor, namely " to provide abused, neglected and elderly donkeys with the opportunity to live out their lives with respect and dignity, surrounded by their own kind, in a protective and natural environment."

 

"We are ever so grateful to Johan and Louella for having taken pity on us!"

"Yes, when we arrived two months ago, we were so afraid of humans, no one was able to approach us. Now we readily trot over to say hello, thanks to the lovely, safe home we have been given here. Thank you, Johan and Louella! And, thank you, Desiree, for giving us the opportunity to share our good news with the world through your blog."

A farm further along the road from Grietjiesdrif Guesthouse has a zebra living with their resident donkeys!

It was lovely to see snow on the surrounding mountain peaks and it certainly explained why the weather was so nippy!

We'd checked out right after breakfast and had driven into the little town of Rawsonville (a mere 8km away from Grietjiesdrif).

A cottage in Rawsonville being given a "makeover!" This is becoming a popular trend in many of the smaller villages, where old houses are readily snapped up by city folk and turned into lovingly restored holiday homes, easy to access for a weekend escape from the stresses of city living.

Knowing how much pleasure I derive from seeing gardens different to my own, Linda had decided to cater to this idiosyncracy of mine before we returned home. There is something so enjoyable about driving around, and peeking into, the gardens of little towns and villages one doesn't normally have reason to visit.  The following pictures were taken of the unfenced pavement, or fenced, streetside gardens of various homes in Rawsonville. It was especially heartening to me to see how much pride many of the local residents take in creating their own beautiful landscapes. They put many of the gardeners, in the far bigger town where I live, to shame! I hope you enjoy peeking with me...  

The resident dog at this property gave me permission to lean over the low front fence in order to take clearer pictures!

This was such a lovely garden that in my enthusiasm to take lots of pictures from different angles, I took a few liberties and stepped into the spaces to get a closer look.

This perspective was achieved by stepping on to the driveway where the garage was situated. I was so pleased I had!

The next series of pictures show the creative use of gravel, stones, rocks and waterwise plants.

I was so impressed with how attractively this owner had landscaped what was a relatively narrow space right to the kerb of the street.

These gardens were already so colourful and this before our annual show of spring glory! I would have loved to have seen these gardens a few weeks from now!