Jan Harmsgat Country House, Swellendam

Deep calls to deep

Jan Harmsgat Country House near Swellendam offers timeless hospitality with soul. Here you can experience an historic Cape Dutch farm together with warm and friendly hosting and gourmet local produce. As you walk into the original 1723 farmhouse, the smell of thatch, thick stone walls, heavy Yellowwood beams, polished Cape Dutch furniture and an almost three centuries old hearth will transport you back in time.

The bedrooms at Jan Harmsgat are vast enough to do justice to the dramatic beds, wardrobes and baths. There is underfloor heating, air-conditioning and every possible thoughtful item to make your stay as comfortable as it is beautiful. My extra wide King-size bed is dressed in the finest white linen, with King-size pillows and a perfectly soft mattress. An upholstered chair balances the glossy wooden wardrobe and dresser. Traditional striped linen blinds shade the room from the bright sun from two wide and high sash windows. There are modern, yet traditional, light fittings, in keeping with the Cape Dutch style which avoids overdone fussiness.

The bathroom is as spacious as the bedroom, fitted with black and white tiles, a long bath, huge shower and elegant double basin. Behind the door I discover the softest, white dressing gown ever – wearing it is like hugging a lamb.

The rooms all seem to have their own outdoor entrances and face out onto different directions, with creative water features, patios and verandahs with outdoor seating areas. This is a working farm and the fruit orchard comes right up to the homestead with the heady smell of peach blossoms and plums.

I love outbuildings, especially on an historic farm, and there are plenty to explore at Jan Harmsgat. And old wagon rests outside a shed with big painted double wooden doors. The honeymoon suite has been given pride of place above an old long barn. A long pool, almost the full length of the barn, can be found at the end of an arched row of vines.

Accommodation Experience:

Everything is so lovely at Jan Harmsgat that I have a gentle post-midlife-crisis moment. I believe fully in following your dreams, even if they cost you everything, which they often will demand – but you are likely to get it all back again tenfold. But what if, after all you dreamed for and more came true, and you are still left with what David Whyte calls “those tiny but frightening questions” like “what now?” What if at the end of the rainbow you are just left with shiny yellow stuff in a pot?

Now don’t be alarmed – to me these are not depressing questions – we psychologists love dwelling on complicated emotional responses. All that these call for is scary honesty and vulnerability – the kind that make you feel very alive and awake. In the words of Elizabeth Gilbert: “Tell the truth, tell the truth, tell the truth.” And from another person I greatly admire: “And the truth shall set you free.”

And so I sit in my most beautiful bed, listening to the gentle sounds of turtle doves and these equally gentle questions, and what they have to say to me. The relief is instant, followed by blinding hope and a quiet promise: “Oh but my dear – there is so much more.”

Bartholomeusklip, Hermon, near Wellington

An African Farm

This one is simply a must. A real “farm in Africa” feel, this a world of fly screens on green-painted doors, wide, vine-covered verandahs, big lawns and plentiful indoor and outdoor seating areas. If you were privileged to spend time on a South African farm during your childhood, this experience will take you right back there. Bartholomeusklip (www.bartholomeusklip.co.za) backs onto the Elandsberg Nature Reserve and here they live out their respect for the natural world.

The combination of superior luxury in a farm setting which respects the local environment is an appealing one. There are (piping hot) solar geysers, underfloor heating in bathrooms, a heated towel rail and fine linen on the wide beds. I stay in the Orchid Suite, which has a cerise orchid with matching floral cushions in the lounge. The scheme is calm and sophisticated, with taupe and white stripes and florals. A generous and inviting couch and a sink-in armchair complete the full open-plan lounge. In the bedroom there is a white cast-iron bed with white linen. 

The bathroom is both traditional and luxurious, with separate shower and a ball-and-claw bath. In the suite there are 3 sets of double doors – in the bathroom, bedroom and lounge. They all open out onto a private pergola patio with views to the mountains and nature reserve.

Despite the loveliness of the décor and architecture, gourmet food is the main attraction here. Locally grown produce is artfully combined into modern and fresh flavours. Decadent use of salted caramel and butter elevate these meals from worthy to worshipful.

Accommodation Experience:

Lying in the bath at dusk, double doors flung wide open, I take mindful stock of every sense. I feel a cool breeze coming in from outside, on which I hear the sweet whistle of a Spurwing Goose. There is the sound of crickets joining their choir one by one. I taste an intense strawberry and drink clear spring water. I smell the locally produced fragrant soap and I appreciate the view of the mountains turning pink, the golden grass in front briefly lit up in a last glow. And I feel like the luckiest, happiest little being on the planet.

Porcupine Hills Farm, Near Grabouw

Country Connections

  

Porcupine Hills Guest Farm and Conservancy epitomises all things country – old painted biscuit tins stacked high on a kitchen shelf, tongue-in-groove ceilings, wooden furniture, gingham and floral fabrics and double cottage pane doors opening out from every room onto wide verandahs and pergola patios. This is big sky country, where outdoor living is a natural part of life. 

There is a choice of accommodation, and we stay in the Farmhouse, a classic two bedroom cottage with a long verandah and an attic bedroom upstairs. The lounge has a sprawling couch and fireplace, and there are additional seating areas outside. The kitchen is pretty, with butler sink, wooden table and white painted cupboards. Soft sage bedrooms have white linen and floral curtains and cushions, and white painted cottage pane doors open out from both rooms onto private patios. The bathrooms are surprisingly glamorous and each has a box skylight through which one can see stars at night.

Outside the cottage there is a braai area with benches and reclining loungers. There is a natural style, curved swimming pool with views to forever. Set in the Diepklowe private nature reserve, we are surrounded by high rock cliffs, where Black Eagles soar.

Accommodation Experience

In true country weekend style, we wake early to the sound of birdsong, but fall back asleep and lie in ‘til late. We emerge from our bedrooms at different times during the day, tousled and well rested. Finally we are brought together by the smell of warm flapjacks from the kitchen.

This is the real country magic – a space to rest and become the most natural version of oneself, from which vantage point one can connect with family and friends. In a recent survey, I asked young people “When is your family most peaceful?” The majority of the replies were about holidays, weekends and times when everyone is together. The replies show how stressed and disconnected we are much of the time, and that the recipe for harmony is so simple and achievable. Our stay at Porcupine Hills was precious respite and a lovely memory of family connectedness which we will draw on for many years to come.

Birkenhead House, Hermanus

My Happy Place

I must confess I lose any modicum of professional objectivity when I enter one of the Royal Portfolio establishments. It has to do with the perfect combination of high art décor, extreme luxury combined with personable warmth, which is balanced with respect for privacy. 

My royal welcome at Birkenhead House (www.birkenheadhouse.co.za) starts with a choice of pink champagne, complementary wine, snacks, tea, coffee, beautifully glass-bottled water and a gift notebook. My host gives a gracious tour of the hotel, then sensing the tone, leaves me enthralled to explore on my own.

  

Personal bias aside, I notice that every guest I encounter has fallen under the Birkenhead spell, and couples wander around with glazed looks and happy grins. We gather spontaneously at the pool on the cliff edge to watch a school of dolphins swim freely by. Birkenhead House has prime location for dolphin and whale watching and is situated right in the floral rich fynbos region of Hermanus in the Western Cape. With a higher diversity of species than any place on earth, the renowned floral kingdom is accessible simply by walking out the door and up the mountain behind the guesthouse. In front of the hotel is a pretty swimming beach, from which there is access to a 5km coastal boardwalk into town where a complementary shuttle can collect guests for the return.

Guests may choose to stay in the front, middle or upper house, and each faces views of sea or mountains. I choose to stay in room 6 for its wrap-around verandah with both ocean and mountain views. The vast suite has high shuttered windows and three sets of wide glass double doors. The cool, thick, marbled floors are covered with an antique teal carpet. Drama is created with an oversized carved headboard in dark wood, while zebra skin coverings add African flair. Liz Biden’s signature chandelier and oversized everything bring glamour to the scheme.

The characteristically expansive bathroom has a freestanding Victorian-style bath facing double doors and it is set up against a high sash window with mountain views.

There is underfloor heating and air-conditioning which may be set to one’s own comfort. Every traveler convenience has been thoughtfully provided, including mosquito repellant, sunblock and swimming towels. A large flat screen television offers DSTV and there is a DVD library.  

Accommodation Experience

A row of 17 candles has been lit to show the way to dinner. A creative four course menu, designed by a talented young chef, includes a snazzy take on a Nicoise salad using seared tuna. We are offered home baked bread, an intensely flavoured mushroom soup, fresh sole or top quality beef and a salted caramel crème brule.

I return to a candle-lit room and don the silk gown and climb happily into the fine cotton mongrammed linen. The hotel is quiet and only the sounds of the waves and a gentle fountain come into my suite. I open my double doors to the sea. Though I am tired I am reluctant to let go of this perfect experience. I store up each sense, from the cool breeze coming off the sea, to the soft bedding, to the sophisticated perfumed smells. I am fortifying myself against the stress which will be there for me when I leave this serene haven. I comfort myself that I will be able to draw on this memory for many years to come, picturing myself back here in this happy place until one day I do return to be mesmerised again under their pleasing magic.

Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa

Detoxifying Treatment

There are many reasons to choose to stay at the Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa (www.12apostleshotel.com) – the perfect proximity and distance from fabulous Cape Town, the “nothing is too much to ask” service, the world class spa or the fine dining Azure restaurant. It is the place to see and be seen and I see guests arriving like movie stars in convertibles and limousines. I of course choose this hotel for its spectacular setting, discretely distanced from surrounding built up areas, overlooking a natural coastline and backing up against the Twelve Apostles mountain range.

I arrive early and wander around, professional staff diving out of my way as I approach. I ask directions to the pool. “Which one?” my host asks. There are three swimming pools – a natural rock pool with mountain views, an infinity pool which overlooks the sea and the spa pool set within a cool white cave. There are also several bars and dining areas and the Leopard Bar has a dark cigar lounge feel on one side, with breath-taking sea views and al fresco dining tables on the other side. I am a little overwhelmed by the choices and find a quiet table in the shade overlooking the infinity pool to settle in and do some writing before my spa treatment in the calm and sophisticated spa.

My suite is heavenly, with a sunken lounge and raised bed which looks out onto the ocean on two sides. A dramatic wall of glass provides instant access to the dark blue sea views. As expected from one of the internationally successful Red Carnation Hotels (www.redcarnationhotels.com), the decor is elegant - both timeless and modern, with beautifully upholstered chairs and couch under a creative mirror. Fresh fruit and a white orchid are placed on the lounge table, together with a choice of magazines and books. The bed is dressed in silky white linen with a gold triple satin-stitched oxford trim - reaching new thread-count heights from which, I suspect, there is no return. In the spacious tiled bathroom there are quality beauty products from the spa. A soft robe and beach bag are provided for use in the suite, spa or pool.

Accommodation Experience:

I am staying at the Twelve Apostles on a “detox” package. I am not sure what I am detoxing from, aside from perhaps my rational self. Apart from the heavenly detoxifying Rasul treatment, I live it up, with popcorn and a milkshake to go with a DVD, delivered to my suite through room service. I page through a plethora of magazines and make the most of the free wifi. The weather is unsettled, as am I. I am running away from myself and to this aim there are plenty of fun diversions to be had. I excitedly flick through them all.

Finally I settle into my glorious bed to try and quieten down. From this vantage point I look down directly onto the ocean. I watch squalls move haphazardly across the water and I let the sea do its work on my soul. At first it is disturbing and uncomfortable. But I am learning to stay with it and see the storm through to the other side. The sun sets and the moon rises over the sea, still thrashing. I sleep little, spellbound by its restless beauty. Gradually towards morning the sea finally stills and there is a dawn hush where everything feels possible and hopeful. Instead of escaping from myself I feel a gentle coming home to myself, and I leave a healthier version of myself, cleansed of chaos and unrest.

The Cottage at Montpellier

Making it our own

Sometimes staying in a guesthouse or a cottage feels like an invasion of someone else’s space. We felt instantly possessive over the cottage at Montpellier. It felt like our own private villa, a holiday cottage where we could relax and be completely ourselves. The privacy was lovely and we basked in the solitude and stillness. Set up against what felt like our very own mountain, the cottage has plentiful double doors, with views right up the mountain on one side, or down the across the valley to the mountains beyond. The interiors are perfectly complementary to the setting, themed in a French country farmhouse style. There is a constant play of texture and light.

In the open plan lounge there is a grand fireplace, a large comfortable creamy couch and wingback chair, hessian text-printed cushions, thick woven grey rugs and koir matting. There is an oversized basket with firewood. The kitchen has a wooden dining table and chairs, and is well equipped with a Nespresso machine, full sized fridge and oven. The butler’s sink and cool grey screed flooring contributes to the Provencial theme while the sun streams in from every angle.

The cottage has its own private swimming pool with views to open the heart. Grey-green olive trees and rich orange rock set the palette for the exteriors and interiors. There are two bedrooms, one with twin single beds and one with a King size bed. Each bedroom has covered headboards, one in apricot with floral cushions to mirror the vibrant exterior stone. Every piece of wooden furniture and lighting has been tastefully selected to match the country theme. The windows and doors are shuttered. There is air-conditioning in both bedrooms and the beds are dressed in cool white cotton linen. 

Each bedroom is en-suite, the main bedroom with a freestanding Victorian bath set up against a window with views straight up the mountain. Both bathrooms have an enormous walk-in shower. 

Accommodation Experience

Despite the many fabulous restaurants in the area, we decide to eat in, or should I say, al fresco. We lay the small, round table by the pool with linen napkins and candles, and we fill our wine glasses with a chilled complimentary Chenin Blanc. It has been a hot day, and it is a relief to see the sun set and feel the cool breeze come off the mountain. As we watch the moon rise over the pool and hear an owl gently hoot from the grove of olive trees below, we congratulate ourselves on staying in. It has meant participating in the creation of a romantic memory which I know we will draw on for many years to come.

Temenos Retreat Centre, McGregor

The Little Way

I am a little unimpressed by ascetic spirituality, which I am sure says more about me than others. So it is with a sigh of deep relief when I find here another form of spirituality entirely. It is a spirituality that celebrates the green, the soft and the aesthetic. This is found in the village of McGregor, home to artists and healers, as one enters into the hushed walled garden of Temenos Retreat Centre.

 

The garden rooms are designed in a series of low-walled and hedged spaces, each with a unique character. There are statues, water features, a labyrinth and well placed benches. A fusion of icons has been used throughout and a circle of marked stones encourages the retreatant to take up the seat of different religions with open-mindedness and respect. Each section of the garden has a unique meditation room, a quiet space for prayer and reflection. “The Little Way” is a lovely chapel, while a dark meditation room called “the Well” is a sunken sacred space with the gentle sound of trickling water. Temore, the “inner temple of the heart”, encourages one to “turn within”, with blue walls, stained-glass windows and mosaic inlaid tiled floors.

Beautiful food is served in Tebaldis Restaurant, which "celebrates the passion of good food and wine". Accommodation is offered in Georgian or thatched self-catering cottages, referenced to mystics and hermitages, with names like Assisi, Carmel, Subiaco, Liseux, Iona and Avila. The cottages, with deep-set windows and green shutters, are nestled into the lush gardens. Each cottage has stable doors opening onto private pergola patios with outdoor seating areas. Inside there are fireplaces for the winter and Tuscan-style cool terra cotta tiles for the summer. Wooden cottage furniture, a Kelim rug, mosquito nets and white linen complete the effect. The apricot, pink and green floral curtains in our cottage perfectly mirror the autumn vines of the pergola outside the window.

Accommodation Experience:

Earlier in the day I had spotted a prayer room which appealed to me, and in the late afternoon I made my way there alone. I had imagined exactly how serene and spiritual I would feel. But after sitting in the lovely space for a while I felt neither holy nor peaceful. Instead I felt restless, sad and lost, plagued by what David Whyte calls “those tiny but frightening questions.” The privacy of the space enabled me to stay with my vulnerability and I sat through the panic to see where it would lead me. It was an interesting experience to taste the feelings, instead of distracting myself with action or entertainment. And of course, once I let go of my expectations and passed through the intense feelings, I did find myself grounded in a deep sense of peace and certainty that all would be, and already was, well.

Every time I enter into such a space it is an invitation to renew my trust in the process of silence and solitude, in an acceptance of the little way. Stripped down to a seed, awaiting transformation, which somehow never comes with a bang, but a gentle breaking open to let the light in.