Sunday 27 June 2021

Play of light

We drove all the way across the country, heading straight for fish 'n chips at Lambert's Bay. And found the perfect West Coast accommodation accompaniment at Oppiduin, Grootvlei. 








This shabby chic beach house is as on-the-beach as it gets, with dramatic curved architecture making the most of the vast views onto ocean and surrounding nature. Expansive glass windows follow the curves of every room. Local materials such as shells, driftwood and beach sand have been used, creating interest and a play of light which mirrors the natural world outside beautifully. I do love a creative space which celebrates its context, for me the essence of travel, which takes one outside one's routine and familiarity. 






Our suite is as spacious as that view, with a fireplace in the open plan lounge and bedroom. Outside the wind is howling, but from our protected position we are almost unaware, except for the sound of it singing in the roof above the shower. It almost sounds spiritual. 

Still, I can't stop dashing outside throughout the long sunset to take photos as the golden rays light up new facets of the decor and architecture. I return from each outing windswept and glowing. 








What a privilege to witness so many slow sunsets and dawns in so many beautiful spaces - that was the mission of this trip after all. I hope it brings new appreciation to my life at home, not simply the struggle to sleep and wake and work. A healthier rhythm must be possible, or at least this is the hope a holiday in a place like this offers.








Saturday 26 June 2021

Vast relief

The silence out here is vast, the isolation immense, with the closest inhabitants from this traditional corbelled house 5km away, the nearest tar road 29. I was a little surprised at the extent to which the nothingness of the Great Karoo unhinged me. I am not known for my timidity. I tried to stay curious rather than turning in on myself, reminding myself that pretending can do great damage. 


I found soft, crispy cotton sheets, thick stone walls which hold the heat and big blue skies, with sunrises that move downwards through the landscape, not only upwards into the sky. 












Perhaps one day I will find words with which to describe this magical place. But for now I have only images with which to express this relief.