Follow Me: A long weekend - Part 2

Friday, 10 August 2018

The fog was the consistency of milk soup this morning. I would say denser than yesterday's even.

Driving in the fog

We went to the Wheelbarrow for breakfast this morning. Amazingly enough, I remembered this place from way before. It has a lovely nursery, and the gardens give you a tropical forest feel when you walk through the gardens. They have all these nooks and crannies which are lovely, and secretive(?), to explore.

Do you know what these blue flowers are called? Please leave your answer in the comments, since I have never seen anything like it before and am curious to know.

At least the waiter knew what an Americano was. If memory serves, we still had to explain that style of coffee the last time we were here. But the breakfast was nice, and the coffee good too.

Now we are off to our next adventure, and I am grateful that the sun came out to burn away the fog. We saw too many drivers being irresponsible in the almost zero visibility conditions on the road.

It is 12h27, and we are having lunch at the Eatery in Haenertsburg.

After breakfast, we went into the forest looking for old trees. As in more 100 years old, but we didn't find them. Somewhat tricky to spot very tall trees amongst a lot of other tall trees. Maybe next time.

The entrance to the
"secret nook"
@ The Wheelbarrow

We did see lots of pine trees, masses of them. Okay, they were planted for their wood, so the truck filled with huge logs that drove past should have been my cue. And we also saw blue gum trees. They were huge. When I stood next to one looking up and up towards its crown, I felt slightly sick when I did. Motion sickness kicking in perhaps?

All the off-road driving brought some beautiful scenery too, and real motion sickness for me. That was rather yuck. I told Francois to stop so I could get out and interact with the ground on my own feet. While I sipped a little water, he turned the car around, and by then I felt marginally better.

Spotting the time, we went food hunting in some other parts of the forest area. A wedding venue looked promising, but they only provided the venue for day visitors for picnics and such, so no food in sight.

The "secret nook" @ The Wheelbarrow

Then we went back to the access road to the organic cheese farm we saw on the way in. Missing the turn-off, we went down the access road for busses. Which was funny. To accommodate a bus the road didn't have sharp turns and was a bit longer, but we reasoned that it was going to get us there. It did, right behind the butt of a big bus. My first thought, how on earth? Francois' reply: he is going to get out using the same struggle to get in.

The funny part? The bus access road ran past the homes of the staff working on the farm. There were these small steel rods planted across the road (Francois almost didn't see them in time) with string spun between them. It was a holding pin, if you want, to keep the pigs and a shed full of piglets from running all over I suppose. One of the men saw us, removed a pin for us to cross, and then he chased the pigs. The adults walked off by themselves, but the babies probably thought it was a game and came running towards the car. The man chased them again and boy can they run! If was funny to see those short legs move those round little bodies out of our way.

Amazing blue flowers
@ The Wheelbarrow

Then we got to the parking space and the bus mentioned above. Off to the bathroom it was for me while Francois walked around to spot a picture or two.

Side note: I have been to facilities on this trip that will give most people nightmares. And that is all I am going to say on that subject.

The cheese farm was a short visit. Their food offering looked uninteresting, and their set up not really geared for casual visitors. So we decided to go back to Haenertsburg. And here we are at the Eatery.

The food was delicious, and I liked the interior of the place too. The staff was lovely and knowledgeable about the food on the menu (dairy allergies can make for an exciting test of the waitress' knowledge).

We are now back at the cottage taking stock of the morning's excursions and thinking about what we are going to do after we finish our coffee.

17h19 settled in to wait for our dinner (pizza on both counts) to be served.

After we finished our coffee, we went damming. First off the Ebenezer Dam. To get there, we had to drive on what is known as Blue Gum Lane. It is not the official name of the road (gravel again, but not as bad as this morning's) because of the giant blue gum trees that line it on both sides. I collected a few blue gum leaves from the ground and took a few more pictures. I don't know if you have ever been close to such big trees, not only tall mind you, but they do give one a sense of timelessness. I also felt in awe that such living entities exist and are not cut down when the pine forest is harvested. The people of this country are not known for their environmental awareness, so seeing these beautiful big trees, almost made me cry.

Yes, we have all those national parks, but their existence is no longer because people feel the need for preservation of our fauna and flora, it is money that ensures their survival. These trees, however, have no monetary value, and yet there they stand. Doesn't say a lot about the new South Africa, does it?

Francois taking a photograph of Magoebaskloof Dam

Our next stop, down the mountain, was the Magoebaskloof Dam. Neither of us had been there, and it is a sight for sure. Especially with all those trees on the opposite shore. The water was mirror calm, and I am sure Francois' photographs (I will steal one with his permission) will tell the story. The angle of the sun made mobile phone pictures challenging, that is why I want one of is.

Back up the mountain, the sun is about to leave us for the day, and we are awaiting our pizzas with hungry anticipation.

Tomorrow morning we take the road back home to Pretoria. One the one hand the break was nice, but I like being home too. Since it is a long weekend, there is still a weekend ahead for doing things like drawing and shopping for supplies for next week. I have laundry to do, and the rest of the house to clean. Long weekends also go by faster than we want them to, don't they?

So this has been a short Follow Me, but I trust that you enjoyed my stories and our pictures documenting yet another beautiful part of my country, South Africa.

Until next time!

💜 Linzé

Follow Me: A long weekend - Part 1

Women's Day - 9 August 2018

Francois holding the gate for
me at the cemetery

We are in Haenertsburg in the Limpopo province today. Since it is a public holiday here (Women's Day) we both took leave for Friday and turned it into a long weekend. So here we are in one of the most beautiful parts of my country. It is high above sea level, so fog and rain are common occurrences, even at this time of year.

We didn't come with a plan: do this or go there, it was purely a matter of getting away and taking a break. But even without an itinerary, we did quite a bit today. Most of it involved food, but we had to eat after all.

After the semi-breakfast disaster - the first place we stopped was so crowded, and the queues so long, we decided to drive on and go somewhere else. I had a protein bar, and Francois got himself a small pie from the shop, to tie us over. Fifty kilometres later we had to wait a long time for our food to be delivered, and had to ask four times for cutlery (twice asked the same waitress) but we eventually got real food into our starving bodies. The coffee wasn't too bad though.

When we finally reached the region of Magoebaskloof, the fog hit us. In places it was so dense it was difficult to see the trees right next to the road. When we arrived in Haenertsburg, we set off to the cemetery. Trust me, I was just as surprised since neither of us has any relatives buried there.

Fog in the Haenertsburg cemetery
(photograph by Linzé)

But, Francois had been there before (with a few photography friends), so he knew what we were going to find - you guessed it - breathtaking scenery. The gravestones are overgrown with mosses, and some of them are quite old. Add the trees, shrubs, and green grass, and incredible photographs happened. Add to that the skills of a great photographer (nope, I wasn't referring to myself) and you have a few winners on your camera.

A signalling device? (photograph by Linzé)

When we got back into the village, we parked on the main street and explored a few of the quaint little shops we found there. I also spent some time in the local museum where local volunteers documented and maintain the local history of the village. The museum is open to the public but unmanned, so there wasn't anyone around that I could ask about the curious object. 

The unknown device's label (photograph by Linzé)

The label is so worn that I could only speculate that it is something used for navigation or signalling perhaps. If you know more, please let me know since I find old technology intriguing.

After the obligatory browse through the books and antiques shop, we sat down to enjoy coffee and cake for lunch. Something we can only get away with (from our consciences that is) during holidays.

The books and antiques shop
(photograph by Linzé)

We then went to book into our cottage, unpacked and relaxed for a bit, before heading out to explore the surrounding pine forest on foot. I collected a leaf, some pine needles and took pictures of the wild azaleas growing in abundance around here. They were extraordinarily beautiful with all the raindrops decorating their petals. With nature playing her part, there was no way that even pictures taken with my iPhone weren't going to turn out nice.

Later we drove around and took some photographs at the Ebenezer Dam. The fog was still as dense, if not more, than what we saw when we arrived. On our way back we stopped for a lovely dinner and coffee at Lekwar and decided that we will go back there for breakfast too before we go home.

Now I am typing this post in front of a cosy fire in our cottage. Internet access is limited, so I might only post this once we are back at home. Note to self: check the spelling of Haenertsburg, there is something odd going on in the way different signs and the internet spells the name of the village.

Off to get some coffee to enjoy with my cosy fire. Then I will read my book for a bit, then go snuggle in bed with Francois who has been asleep already for the past half an hour.

Until tomorrow!

💜 Linzé

Follow Me: Mar sin leat na h-Alba (Goodbye Scotland)...we will miss you!

Friday, 13 April 😀

Johannesburg here we go! There is nothing like the sounds, smells, and sights of home, but we will always remember Scotland with fondness.

Fare thee well!

Find the two of us for a wave goodbye @ Instagram

There will be one last post with a selection of our photographs from our whole trip. Look out for that coming soon!

Until our next venture across the borders of South Africa (in whichever direction that may be), thank you for traveling with us!

PS: Remember to subscribe, the competition is only open to my mailing list!

💜 Linzé

Follow Me: Scotland - Balloch (2)

Thursday, 12 April, 21h43, UK time

Today has been another day with loads of stories happening. And as is the case with life, you cannot plan these things to happen, but you have to be open to spotting them and make the most of the experience. Well, tonight's post is about a dog, a tree, a coffee shop, and a camera.
Our first stop this morning was the Balloch castle with its beautiful woodland gardens. We didn't expect the woodlands and had a lovely walk through all those trees. After the requisite pictures of the castle, we set off on the walkways picking a tree here and a lake view there to capture with our respective cameras.
At one point Francois meandered closer to the water while I remained walking on the path, just enjoying the peaceful albeit cool morning. There were many dogs about, taking their owners for a stroll and a few ball games to exercise their legs.
One dog however, make me laugh. His owner, a lady, would throw his ball down the path and he would set off after it. Unlike other dogs who returned the ball to be thrown again, this black labrador ran after the ball, collected it, and then promptly put it down on the path. The woman would then walk to the ball, it was exactly on her way, collect it and throw it again, while the dog patiently waited for his human companion to catch up. Not your normal way of doing things, but it clearly works for them.
When Francois and I caught up again, we were both at the kiosk where a jetty is also constructed to launch a boat from. Two swans swan up to him, an adult, and a younger bird. The adult had no hesitation to come out of the water prancing around to show off his gorgeous wings. Had to be a male bird, if you ask me. When he returned to the water, he kept his wings posed high. I am no swan expert, but I looked at Francois with an arched eyebrow: "with a come-on like that, you would expect at least a dinner and a movie." He just shook his head at me.
After a visit to Dumbarton castle, we went shopping for glue tape. Weird, but I use them with my journal and travel journal, and yesterday the one I brought from home ran out. We found a craft store that stocked them, to my greatest delight since these things are scarce and expensive at home. I bought one, and two refills. Despite the exchange rate, it was well worth the expense.
After a light lunch at a nursery coffee shop (we sniff them out) we made a quick stop back at the Inn to try and figure out where the tree is everyone was egging us on to find. I mean, a tree? Seriously? We're in Scotland for crying out loud, there is hardly a mile where you don't fall over a whole forrest. But we found the tree, and got into the car.
And half an hour later, we found the culprit on the shore of Loch Lomond. And not in the water as people said it would be. Well, the lake was clearly not as full as the last time someone else took that 'tree' picture.
I cannot tell you which kind of tree it is, but I can tell you it was well and seemingly healthy. Judguing by the buds on the branches, it is preparing for spring that's for sure.
While Francois set up and took his next award winning photographs, I walked around trying to look useful. I found a pinhole camera stuck in another tree looking directly at 'the tree'. The question I asked myself is why would someone be recording the goings on of a tree, or are they rather observing the things that people do with and around 'the tree'. There was a note attached to the camera with an email address to get hold of the owner, if required for some reason. My first thought when I saw that: well, I hope you don't have to fly halfway around the world to fix the camera, because it will be a long trip. Here is to you, Simon Robertson, your camera recorded me taking a picture of it, and here I am putting your story on my blog. High five!

My story of my tour of Scotland is about to end, so if you haven't subscribed to my newsletter yet, you should hurry. The competition will run next week, and you are only eligible if you are a subscriber.

Find more pictures of our story @ Instagram

💜 Linzé 

Follow Me: Scotland - Balloch (1)

11 April 2018, 16h58 (UK time)

My post today is early, since the WiFi connection seemed to be constrained to certain websites, like Facebook. I am writing this in the hope that I will be able to post, otherwise our last three days will have to wait until we get home, or until we get back to Heathrow airport. I will however, try from the pub connected to this Inn. Maybe the connection there will be more forgiving.
We are in Loch Lomond - if you look at a map, Balloch is right at the southern tip of the famous Scottish lake.
After a few more pictures in Ballachulish, we made our way here past some incredible (although freezing) sceneries. At one point we shared the lookout point with three bikers and a couple (and their dog) traveling with a motorhome. The bikers were trying to make a selfie that included their bikes, so they put one phone a distance away, and activated the timer on the camera. Unfortunately, the phone kept being pushed over by the cold wind. It was quite funny. In the end the man (and his dog) popped over to take their picture for them. So they got their picture and we all shared a laugh, despite the nasty weather.
After a stop for coffee, and some shopping, we decided to skip booking-in and shot straight through to Glasgow. It wasn't a willy nilly visit, since I had a destination in mind: the Hard Rock cafe. The usual t-shirts and teddybear acquired, we stopped for a few pictures (and selfies) at this very atmospheric place. The rock music that characterises this establishment playing over the speakers, made us both smile and tap along for a moment or two. Something we didn't experience in Edinburgh. Francois was the first to mention this, and I had to agree with him that the Glasgow Hard Rock was more of what we expected at a Hard Rock.
Glasgow itself reminded us of Johannesburg - it has an industrial feel to it, although there are some really beautiful buildings. Of course, we saw but a small part of this big city, so please forgive us if we got it wrong.

We will be spending tomorrow doing things in Balloch and surrounds, so there is more to come then.

Find the two of us @ Instagram

💜 Linzé 

Follow Me: Scotland - Ballachulish

10 April 2018 @ 21h11 (UK time)

A quiet day since we spent most of it traveling back to the mainland. Since we wanted to avoid using a ferry across the sea, we retraced our steps via the town of Kyle of Lochash.
We went back to Eilean Donan castle too (it was on our way) to see if we could get a few more shots with better light this morning. But good light or not, good shots were not on, thanks to a guy named Jack. We don't know who Jack is, but one of his vans was parked right next to the castle, ruining any photographs from almost any angle. Thanks for nothing, Jack!
We did have a very nice lunch at an honest to goodness tearoom in Onich, just a mile or so away from the hotel Ballachulish, our home tonight. Our dinner at the bistro in the hotel was very good too. I had a Scottish pheasant with the nicest dessert ever. The lemon meringue was presented in a glass (like fancy chefs like to do these days) but it was the blackberry sorbet that made me want to lick the plate afterwards. Yum! Times 2!
I mentioned that I took over a 1000 photographs so far. I asked Francois and he had clocked over 2000 already. Of course, his photograph count excludes the odd selfie he does of me. Okay, technically not a selfie, but you get the idea.

Have you signed up for my newsletter yet? I don't spam people, but if you don't subscribe you cannot win in the competition coming about my Scotland trip.

Tomorrow we will make our way to Balloch.

Find the two of us @ Instagram

Always 💜 Linzé 

Follow Me: Scotland - Portree (2)

Portree - Day 2 (21h30 local time)

Monday. As far as Mondays go, it was probably not a bad way to spend it. After a breakfast of salmon with scrambled eggs and blueberries (we thought it odd too, although the blueberries were a nice 'dessert') we set off north on the east coast of Skye. At a lookout point we had incredible views of the Sound (sea) of Raasay. We spent a long time taking photographs and just gaping at the beauty of nature. Of course, the grazing sheep thought we were nuts, but at least we didn't eat their food!
Our next stop north was the Kilt Rock where the rock formations look like the folds of a kilt (duh!). But the views were just as beautiful. We again spent some time there, doing the picture taking thing like idiots (okay, that would just be me).
After a quick visit back to the guesthouse, we went the castle of Dunvegan, the longest inhabited castle in the British Isles. It has been inhabited by the McLeod family for more than 800 years. Make that 30 generations. No, I didn't count, they have the family tree of the direct descendants in one of the public rooms of the castle. It is still their home, so all tourists were watched with eagle eyes so we didn't take off with one of those life sized paintings.
It is truly an impressive home, I have to say, but grateful that it isn't my responsibility to look after.
We also spent a lot of time in the gardens of the castle, and they alone are worth the money and effort. Although structured and walled, and planted within an inch of every foot, there are wild areas too. Everywhere something to appreciate and photograph, of course.
I spent the afternoon sorting all the info I collected for my travel journal. Cutting up pamphlets and brochures, discarding what I don't want, and sorting everything in the timeline of our visit. It is already becoming a bit of a blur, and I had to use the pictures on my phone to keep everything straight in my mind. Note to self: once back home, get the journal sorted as a first priority (after the laundry) before the memories fade.
Tonight we went to the same place for dinner, that we did last night- The Lower Deck. We gorged ourselves on simple, but excellent seafood, and struggled the uphill back to the guesthouse. Uphill walking after a good dinner doesn't seem like such a good idea, even the second time around.

Tomorrow we will make our way to Ballachulish.

Find the two of us and lot of the beautiful views @ Instagram

As always 💜 Linzé 
PS: Remember to subscribe, the competition is coming closer!

Follow Me: Scotland - Portree (1)

8 April 2018 @ 22h16 (UK time)

Today was a day of stories. Not the kind of story perpetuated by the history books of centuries, but by the happenings of our modern world. I didn't plan these stories, nor are they ones I sought out. They happened on our journey today, and while what I saw where purely the observations of evidence that crossed my path today.
While we stopped on the side of the road to take photographs of a waterfall (and the surrounding landscape), I noticed a lock (a padlock) hanging from the side of the metal barrier at the edge of the road. The barrier had holes in its structure (not unusual) in some places for positioning or mounting, and the lock was locked into position in one of these unused holes. It was not holding anything closed or in position, so I took a closer look.
It had two names, Graeme and Gareth, written on it along with a date, 29-08-17. Two lovers committing themselves to each other? Two friends traveling together and stopping here to take a break? Who knows the real story behind this oddly placed lock on the side of the road between Loch Ness and the Isle of Skye?
The second story is one of tragedy and it too happened in this exact same place. While I walked back to the car, after noticing the lock, I happened to look down towards the river below. I spotted something that looked out of place: a piece of blue-gray plastic. A rather large item that took a moment to register, especially since I saw a second piece a few meters away. It suddenly explained the reason for the metal barrier next to the road, something we hadn't seen many of in Scotland. They were pieces of a car that went down that very steep embankment to the rocks and river below. Did the occupants survive the accident? Was that the reason for the lock I had seen earlier? No answers at the site, but somehow I sensed a story here too.
A third story came to mind as we drove off, away from the waterfall, onwards to our destination. A young man was sitting at the edge of the cliffs playing a beautiful copper red guitar. Was he composing a song, inspired by the loch in the distance? Did he know the people in the car that went over the edge? Was he Graeme or Gareth, returning to relive a memory with a friend?

We went from Tomintoul to see Urquhart castle a the shore of Loch Ness. After the encounter with the waterfall mentioned above, our next stop was Eilean Donan castle, and then on to our destination in Portree, on the Isle of Skye. We will explore the surrounds tomorrow, and who knows how many stories we will encounter?

PS: Make sure you subscribe to my newsletter today, since I will be running a competition about my Scotland experiences in the second half of April. There are Amazon giftcards to win, but only if you subscribe. 

Until tomorrow!

Find more pictures of our journey through Scotland @ Instagram

💜 Linzé 

Follow Me: Scotland - Tomintoul

7 April 2018 @ 21h58 (local time)

Not a long post today although we did a lot of things.
After the miserable weather yesterday, we went back to castle Dunnottar this morning and it was definitely worth the effort and money. We spent about two and a half hours there, walking around, exploring the past and of course, taking loads of pictures. You can see some of mine on Instagram, posted today.
After leaving the castle, we stopped on a high look out point from some more pictures of Stonehaven town and harbour, before taking the road inland.
And the Highlands greeted us with beautiful country roads (winding and narrow in some places!) until we got to the mountains. And loads of snow still left over from the winter. We stopped in places to take more pictures, and in one place I stuck my hand in the snow and got my picture taken for my trouble. LOL! Fortunately, Francois was too late catching me stepping one foot almost ankle deep in the slush. No damage though. I was also quick enough to escape without getting my shoe wet.
We also stopped at the ski slopes, for a picture or two. I looked at the GPS, we were 2052 feet above sea level. Not bad for a drive just over an hour!
In Tomintoul we were surprised to learn that our hosts at the Argyle Guesthouse, are ex-South Africans. The B&B is in the main street, and within walking distance everything you could possibly need. So if you are visiting the Highlands of Scotland, book a room at the Argyle Guesthouse, and say hi to Diane for me. 
The B&B is also about three doors down from the Whisky Castle, where you find about 500 whiskys available. After  a walk through the town, and the cemeteries (lots of history/stories there) we went shopping. Ha, and you thought we were going to visit the Highlands and not go and taste a single malt? Well, I did the tasting, Francois is not a fan of whisky. I may not drink alcohol, but when it comes to a good whisky, it is hard not to have a taste when the opportunity arises.
We also had an excellent dinner at the Clock Tower, and have since chilled out in our room at the B&B listening to the pitter-patter of the rain drops against our windows.
It had been a long day, but definitely a beautiful one. Thank you, Scotland!

Tomorrow we will be traveling to the Isle of Skye.

Find the two of us having fun @ Instagram

💜 Linzé 

Follow Me: Scotland - Stonehaven

Day 3: St. Andrews and Stonehaven

After the punishment I put my poor body through yesterday, you would think that I was not going to do it again, and soon. I though exactly that, but here are th!e stats for today (as at 20h30): 12824 steps, coming to 8.8km. The majority of this was accumulated in two hours; what we had in terms of paid parking. And we made it with a minute to spare. Now that is what I call efficient use of time and money. So where did this miracle of efficiency happen? St. Andrews.

No, we didn't play a round of gholf. We drove past the course, but we spent our time at the castle and cathedral ruins. We took pictures (including one or two incriminating selfies!) and walked everywhere in the centre of town. At the castle (which is looking more like a cemetary than a garden with all the gravestones) I was eminently surprised when I found a grave stone (or a commemorative plaque to be more exact) dated 20 January 2017. I didn't think it was allowed any more for recent burials in historic sites. To my thinking the person buried there must be a direct descendant from one of the original families of that castle. Mind boggling to think you can trace your family history back for 500 years (or even more). I can barely trace my family across the country, let alone millenia!

After St. Andrews we tackled the long road to Stonehaven, approximately 120 miles. Yes, in Scotland they measure distance along roadways in miles. A little weird for a country that is using the metric system, but we knew that before we landed, so it wasn't a problem at all. Only pain was it took us a while to realise that we forgot to set the GPS to this timezone. It constantly made us wonder how far the guesthouse was from Stonehaven that it would take another hour to get there! Luckily we got that fixed, and practically arrived 5 minutes later.

It is a really nice guesthouse (Crawfield Grange) and we are both already half-asleep on our beds despite the early hour. Francois mentioned that the house would make a very nice drawing, so I had a look outside, and in agreement took a few pictures for exactly that purpose.

Using what daylight we had we went to see Dunnottar castle, but dammit it was cold and windy. We decided the temperature gauge in the car was wrong. After a few pictures we left, but decided to return tomorrow morning if the weather is less unforgiving. My nose still aches from the windchill and freezing temperatures.

Before dinner we made our way to Stonehaven beach and harbour to take another stack of pictures. When we got tired of that, it was time to think of food again. The Ship Inn looked good, and we had a very meal of sea bass for me while Francois ordered a beef and Guiness pie. Man, I missed my veggies (always a problem when one relies on cafe food during travels) so I was doubly appreciative of the stack of green on my plate. The fish was good too!

Tomorrow we will be traveling to the Argyle area.

Find the two of us having fun @ Instagram

Always, Linzé 

Follow Me: Scotland - Edinburgh

5 April 2018 (22h06, UK time)

Edinburgh was an experience today that I had not planned on. Yes, we went to see the castle and the Old Town, we did some shopping and had lunch. Sound normal, doesn't it? The unplanned part came in because we did the whole thing on foot. Yep, it took in the order of 5 hours, the majority of which we spent walking.
Here are my stats of that exercise: 22700 (plus a few more) steps, covering in the order of 16.5km.
Yes, I was tired. My legs are still a touch stiff (6 odd hours later), but I could not have done this last year. No way! I can ascribe my stamina and fitness level to the personal trainers that I have been whining about in recent months. But here is clear evidence that their programmes are working. My weight-loss efforts may not be on par (I am 4 kilos behind my target at this point) but right now, I could not be happier that I signed up to the Body20 program at the Moreleta Village shopping center. Desiree, your people are doing an excellent job with this 49 year and 4 month old body!
Our walk started with a visit to an art shop that I found thanks to Google (who else?). They had two of the pencils I was looking for, at a hideous price I might add, but no sets of the 6 I was hoping to find. So I paid the price, because hideous still beat unable to find back home - online shops included. Trust me, I tried them all.
Pencils acquired, so we set off to see the castle. On the way we stopped at the church and took a few pictures in the graveyard. The gravestones are amazing, and while they represent history that I can only wonder at, it was still an incredible experience just being there.
But the weather was clearly so nice that the whole world rocked up to see the historical buildings in the Old Town, including Edinburgh castle. We decided against seeing the castle (the queue to enter was at least a hundred meters in length and growing by the second) and set off to explore the Old Town instead. That is after taking a bag full of pictures, including the snow covered mountains in the distance.
The Old Town is still a bustling place, with shops (aimed at tourists obviously), bars, restaurants, and the odd bank or other business thrown in. I love shopping, but the crowds make me jittery, so I spent only enough time in each one I entered, to see what they sell and gathered some intel on the prices of items that interested me. Aside from a sticker (for my travel journal) and a pin for Francois, we didn't buy anything. Since we will return to Edinburgh to catch the train back to London, we decided that a second visit might be in order, depending on our schedule.
It does help a lot to do research of a place before visiting, because I knew the Hard Rock cafe isn't far away from the castle. After taking a quick stop in the Waverley mall for lunch, and to buy some bottled water, we set off for the Hard Rock.
The only choices were which design we both wanted on our t-shirts and what sizes to get. The soft toy was not left behind either. Several pounds poorer, we started our journey back to the guesthouse. I love Hard Rock t-shirts and hope to get more from the Glasgow branch on the last day of our visit.
We had dinner in the Fountain Games mall, at the Italian diner. Food was good, and their prices acceptable for two poor South Africans on a budget. We saw people with kids inside, and decided that it was good enough for the two of us.
Another walkabout ensued to take pictures of the canal, before we went back to the mall and Starbucks. Another few pounds out of pocket, we returned to the guesthouse. Francois set off again tot take some night pictures, and I hope he will give me one or two to share with you later.

Tomorrow we will be traveling to the Stonehaven area.

Find the two of us having fun @ Instagram

💜 As always, Linzé 

Follow Me: Travelling from South Africa to Scotland

3 April 2018 @ 19h29 (SA time)
The time has come! At the airport In Johannesburg, taking a breather in the Slow Lounge. Long queues, lots of people rushing because they are almost too late for their flights. When will they learn? Okay, enough whining.
There was a bout of rain on our way to the airport (thanks, Pa Piet for dropping us) and according to my weather app, it is still pouring outside. Fun and games ahead during take-off if this storm continues.
I took a picture of Francois (he returned the favour) and you can see it at the Instagram link below.
Our next stop is Heathrow in thirteen hours, give or take. More pictures and words from a creative traveller then.

4 April 2018 @ 21h16 (UK time) Planes,trains and automobiles. Things that made our world very small, and yet creates all kinds of havoc when one travels to another country. Our plane was really noisy (I measured it to 85.5dB with an app on my phone) and even Francois remarked that the new A380 from Airbus, is a much quiter experience. Since I have yet to fly with an A380, I have to his word for it.
The train from King's Cross station to Edinburgh, while noisy, was a much easier and relaxing experience at only 79dB. While the difference may seem small, for my non-technical friends,  for every 3dB increase in noise level measured you have to double the noise produced. It is not an insignificant amount of noise when you understand what it means.
Aside from a problem with our train reservations, costing us an irrecoverable $40, the gentleman at the Virgin ticket office was quick to sort out our tickets, but the $40 we spent online, could not be fixed. Oh well, it was not that we like wasting money, but I suppose it could have been worse,
With snow, and sleet, drenching us to the bone (I mean who takes a brollie on an overseas holiday anyway?) it was a long and stressful drive for Francois through a city we have never been to before, and in such horrible conditions too. No wonder he is already fast asleep @ 9pm tonight.
Although the weather prediction is for sunny skies tomorrow (with the day temperature double of what it was today--a whole 6 deg C!, it is no wonder Francois calls the prediction of 12 deg C for Friday, a heatwave. LOL!), we have no definite plans, other than to play it by ear. Or is it by sunny skies?

Anyway, thank you for reading and don't forget to watch the pictures and video's of our shenanigans in Scotland on @ Instagram

When we see each other again, there will be more from Edinburgh!

Until then,

💜 Linzé 

It is a matter a days before we leave home for a well-deserved vacation in the land of kilts and whiskey, and to be frank I can barely sleep with the anticipation blasting through my veins. I weighed my suitcase this morning. With wide eyes I eyeballed the scale, 13 kg. I was like, seriously? The thing is stuffed to the gills with warm clothes and the necessaries, and it weighs only 13 kg?

Well, that leaves me with another 10 kg available for shopping. LOL! If only the space will magically appear where I can put said shopping.

We will take a car trip around Scotland, and you can share in our experiences as we explore one of the loveliest countries (in my opinion, of course) in the world.

I will not take a computer with me so my trusty little iPad will be bringer of the news of our trip. Since I am not that skilled in adding pictures to these posts on a mobile device, you can check out the graphic evidence of what we are up to on Instagram.

My travel journal's first pages

Since it is fairly obvious what Francois will be doing on our trip (he is the photographer in this family), I decided to make a travel journal to record our trip with art, photographs, and words. It is after all the number one destination on my bucket list, and I truly want to make the most of our short time visiting.

Follow us around Scotland as we travel by car. You might even enjoy the shenanigans of two South Africans traipsing through a foreign country on their first holiday abroad.

Until Scotland!

Linzé

Linzé's Mischief: 4 September 2016

Almost every morning this past week, I sat on the stairs of the time share apartment in Club Mykonos. I had my journal on my lap, a cup of coffee close by, and a view to die for. Most mornings it was a sunny view of the ocean, but the last few days a thick fog rested over the resort.
I am not a water baby - the Atlantic ocean is way too cold for me anyway - so my time was mostly spent musing about my editing, and watching people.
The complex of apartments was built in the rough shape of a horseshoe, with the open end right on the beach. Our apartment was about a 100 meters away from the beach. At times the waves crashing over the rocks were so loud that I had to go inside and close the door just to be able to think.
Early mornings were the most interesting. As I sat and observed the world, I noticed men holding a cup of coffee (I presume) were also out on their balconies (the complex has two floors of apartments) enjoying the sea air. Sometimes I saw a family having breakfast together, but never a woman. Maybe they were sleeping late or were busy inside. I found that odd.
Since Francois is an early riser and prefers the early morning light for landscape photography, I think he woke the seagulls when he did his daily walkabout. I saw some of his photographs - stunning!
If I made it to my observation post before 9 am, I spotted more photographers as they made their way to the building where the Congress presentations were held. They carried name tags to identify them - that's how I knew they were photographers. Some even had cameras with them!

The resort has two of these large chess sets and one of them was within my line of sight. It was fascinating to watch people, teenagers mostly, play the game. They must have been bored to tears if resorting to playing a game where you had to apply your brain and not your reaction time. Of course, one game was about the limit of what they could manage, and then they were off to where the wi-fi connectivity was more reliable.
The beach wasn't suitable for swimming, too many rocks, and no lifeguard. It didn't deter the odd parent and toddler to build a sandcastle, though. During our visit, the tide came in during the morning, so playtime was fairly limited.
One morning I walked around the harbour. It is not suited for commercial shipping, but judging by the number of sail- and motorised boats, it is a popular venue for people enjoying boating. They offered tourist trips on a catamaran (a rather big one to my ignorant mind) out into the bay area.

Commercial shipping made use of the harbour at Saldanha Bay a little further up the coast. We could see a tanker of some kind waiting its turn on the open sea.
On my hike around the harbour, I came across a fisherman standing on the rocks next to the harbour wall. Judging by the look on his face, he hadn't had much success that morning. Come to think about it, I think the only successful fishermen had been the reed cormorants who came in their hundreds for a quick lunch, before flying off to search for dinner somewhere else.
I didn't attend the Congress of the Photographic Society, although Francois registered me to make my meals easier to manage. Judging by the comments during the awards banquet (I did mention I was there for the food) it would seem that the photographers had the time of their lives. The speakers were well received and lots of new friends were made.
Congratulations to all the award winners, and a special mention goes to Francois (aka Hubby) for receiving his APSSA in print photography. (Photo on Instagram)

PS: I managed to edit the prologue and four chapters of my next novel. Not as much as I had planned, but considering all the rewrites, not bad for five days' work.

FOLLOW ME: Club Mykonos

My husband, Francois, is one of the directors and member of the Photographic Society of South Africa (PSSA). One year ago they announced that this year their annual Congress would be held at Club Mykonos. It is situated on the outskirts of the town of Langebaan in the Western Cape.

Follow me - Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Langebaan

Now, when he mentioned that the Congress' location, I told I wanted to come along. I am not a member of PSSA, nor have I any wish to join, but letting the opportunity pass to visit this part of my country? Never!
So here we are. Have a look at some of the pics I took along the way. On that you have to forgive the quality of these images, I took them from with my mobile phone from a moving vehicle! 

Click this link https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/pssacongress2016/
or go to my Instagram profile https://www.instagram.com/linzebrandon/
or search the hashtag #PSSACongress2016 on Instagram or Facebook for some of the photographs.

Follow Me: Botswana Mashatu Day 5

We had our last game drive in the early morning. As soon as we hit the area where we saw the female lions the previous day, the ranger noticed the spoor of a male lion. But he gave us the runaround and we never saw anything but his tracks.
While searching for the lion we came across...a leopard. Ha, the same old female we had found before. Lions forgotten, we trailed her for a long time and I took a stack of photographs of her.
When she left, we returned to search for the lions. This time, we found elephants in a fairly dense bushy area. Got a few good shots there too.
Then it was time to return to camp for brunch, after which we settled our bill and started our journey back home.
Six and a half hours after leaving the Mashatu Tent Camp (33 km from the South African border) we arrived back home, bone tired and hungry.
But it was an amazing trip where we met some awesome people, including our pro photographer Trevor Kleyn. 
If you have the opportunity to visit Botswana, the Mashatu area, part of the Thuli block, is well worth the effort, whether you are a photographer or not.
Here are a few last pictures from my camera to enjoy.

Follow Me: Botswana Mashatu Day 4

Today we saw many birds. I love taking photographs of them, but I have to confess to being clueless about their names. Some I do know (or remember being told) and those I have added to their pictures. But the rest...sorry!
Also spotted a cat or three. 
Lions are lazy on the best of days. We got reports that even hours later they were still...flat cats. 🤔
We tracked the leopard for quite a while and eventually had to give up when she did a successful disappearing act into the thick bushes.
Then again...cat and mouse games are not purely for the domesticated felines I presume.
Enjoy! 😄

African Bee Eaters

African Hawk Eagle holding a piece of another bird it caught

Flat cats 😝

Red-billed hornbill