Abalone Place, Durban

My funny Valentine

I was looking for The One. If truth be told, I was always on the lookout. I had been searching for many years for the quintessential Durban character stay. And Abalone Place, in the trendy area of Glenwood, is just such a place. A classical 1927 Art Deco residence, with shiny stairways and floors, deep semi-enclosed balcony with full harbour views, and white painted double doors and windows towards every angle, Abalone House ticks all the boxes. Rich, yet restrained fabrics of South African birds and flowers have been used to create stylish seating areas in every possible corner.

 What I love about Abalone Place:

• Expansive Durban harbour and city views
• Beautifully restored, typical Durban 1920’s residence
• Original Art Deco fittings and traditional wooden furniture
• Deep private balconies with comfortable seating areas
• Lush, layered, modern South African fabrics which update the look while enhancing its integrity and quintessential Durban character
• Durban tropical and soothing colours – palm greens, soft blues and creams

Accommodation experience

There’s a reason why they call it falling in love, as opposed to stepping neatly into love. I was swept off my feet, flat on my face bowled over by Abalone Place. More of a Regency girl myself, I had always had a secret distaste of Art Deco style. As my trendy Cape Town friends waxed on about their favourite design, all I could muster was a lyrical “MmmMMmmMmm”. And here I was, no longer faking it, but head over heels with the naive simplicity of it all. True love happens upon us quite unexpectedly, disarmingly, and often not in response to anticipated beauty.

Being newly in love, sleep loses its desperate urgency, and I have woken earlier than needed, eager to enjoy my last few hours of this place. It is 4.30am, and Durban sleeps, though the views from the harbour to the South, and 2010 World Cup Soccer Stadium to the North are very alive with twinkling lights. I have opened the high bedroom windows to be closer to the view and to let in the sounds of the waking city. I spend time making the perfect cup of coffee and I take it out to the balcony where I sit, nestled amongst the cushions, journal on my lap.

I imagine how, living here in this vibrant city, one would gradually lose appreciation of these sounds and sights.  It is strange, how, with such a limited amount of time on earth, we so quickly allow life to become mundane and routine. We lose touch with the everyday, ordinary miracles of the views, the noises of country or city life, the taste of good coffee. We fall out of love with life. A stay in a new and exciting place offers the opportunity to re-awaken our senses, and an appreciation of not only the new and exciting, but the ordinary, everyday loveliness of our lives. Lasting love is perhaps not only the exciting new romance, but a reminder and a deepening appreciation of the fullness of what we already have.

Petersfield Country Cottages, Cederberg

This one is mine

As you can well imagine, my partner gets quite vexed by my adventurous accommodation spirit. So I was more than a little nervous to announce (as late as I dared) that our next stay was a farm cottage without electricity. With a seething technophile by my side, I tried to concentrate on navigating the bumpy, dusty entrance to Petersfield farm, while sending up a silent prayer that the place was not too rustic.

With the setting sun making golden the surrounding Cederberg cliffs, the cameras were out before even unpacking the car and all was forgiven. We stayed in De Veepos, one of the characterful country cottages on the Petersfield Farm near Citrusdal. The farm is about two hours North of Cape Town, conveniently off the N7, but it feels miles away from the highway. Silence descends, as does a slight chill as one realises things are about to become very real, as this place is the truth in terms of an escape from the everyday avoidant urban frenzy.

What I love about Petersfield Country Cottages:

• The cottages are nestled in the foothills of the spectacular Cederberg mountains
• The cottages are spaced far apart, not even in sight or sound of one another or the main farmhouse
• The gardens of the cottages celebrate the local Cederberg rocks and fynbos
• Fireplaces, gas lamps, wooden beams and double wooden and glass doors
• White linen and mosquito nets, with soft beds makes this a surprisingly non-rustic character stay
• Deep blue-grey private swimming pools
• The outdoor bath, surrounded by fynbos and views of the mountains

Accommodation experience

Despite the chill in the air, I was doggedly determined to enjoy the novelty of an outdoor bath. I waited until the sun was well up in the sky, and ran a hot bubble bath. I undressed as quickly as possible and immersed myself in the warmth of the water, enjoying the contrast with the cool air. Nothing quite beats the feeling of lying in water under big skies, surrounded by views of mountains and fynbos and I felt a gentle coming home to myself while my soul lifted in greeting to the beauty of such a day and the kindness of being in such a place.

I was reminded of the Hafiz poem “This one is mine”, which goes like this:

Someone put

You on a slave block

And the unreal bought

You.

Now I keep coming to your owner

Saying,

“This one is mine.”

You often overhear us talking

And this can make your heart leap

With excitement.

Don’t worry,

I wont let sadness

Possess you.

I will gladly borrow all the gold

I need

To get you

Back.

Naries Namaqua Mountain Retreat, Springbok, Namaqualand, Northern Cape

Stillness in the Desert

Throughout my stay at Naries Namaqua Mountain Retreat I had to remind myself to appreciate this present experience, rather than constantly planning a longer return stay.

The Naries characterful round thatched huts are nestled into similar shaped boulders of the Namaqualand desert. The cool interior surrounds one with thatched comfort which is complemented by the smooth polished floors, while the clean white linen of the King sized bed contrasts well with the thatched texture of the suite, creating an inviting pool of silky softness. My dark grey stone bath was decorated with pretty flowers, linking the interior to the views of the surrounding desert landscape.

Things I love about Naries Namaqualand Mountain Retreat:

• Being removed from one’s normal busy life, immersed in the remote, quiet desert landscape
• The unique architecture of the fully rounded thatched mountain suites, camouflaged into the landscape by mimicking the shape of the natural boulders in the area
• The contrast of thatch walls with cool polished floors and fresh white linen
• The windows creating framed views of the desert beyond the comfort of the interior
• The large stone bath and well designed bathroom
• The creative and delicious food served at the Naries Manor House

Accommodation Experience:

Despite the luxury of the interior and the fascinating style of the architecture, it is the vastness of the desert that silently calls to one from Namaqualand. I found myself sitting for hours outside on the deck of my suite, watching and waiting in silence as the desert stillness drew me in. As I sat motionless, watching the colour of the rock change from grey to pink to orange, I began to notice small movements in the surrounding sands. There was a quick scurry of a lizard and the flit of a butterfly. Although my first visit was not in the spectacular flower season of Namaqualand, my eyes gradually attuned to delicate blossoms coming out of the coarse gravel. In the distance I saw a herd of Springbok and Eland crossing the desert plains in search of their evening drink. A jackal called from the far horizon.

I felt vulnerable, thin skinned and awake, yet secure, stripped of any false self by the empty honesty of the landscape. No matter how busy or stressed one is on arrival, the desert will do its gentle work on one’s soul, calling one back to the essence of oneself and one’s integral connection with the ancient landscape.

Welgelegen Manor, Balfour, Mpumalanga

An invitation to old world splendour

Driving out of Gauteng, it surprises me how quickly enters a different era – a world of sunflower fields and cosmos, of dusty roads, traditional houses and small villages with classical shop-front signage. One of the prestigious Portfolio Collection establishments (see www.portfoliocollection.com), Welgelegen Manor is situated near Balfour in Mpumalanga, but close to the Gauteng border. I arrive in the late afternoon when the sun is low enough to light up individual strands of grass, their heads full of seeds and purple colour. And driving through old avenues of trees, one’s senses heighten at the privilege of entering a different time in history.

The sensitively restored Herbert Baker manor house is both imposing and welcoming, and the friendly host wins many bonus points by allowing me ample time to view every room in Welgelegen Manor. Of quintessential Herbert Baker design, the manor house has many different wings maximising the views in different directions. Baker’s high ceilings with large sash windows and beautiful double doors invite plenty of light, while dark wood panelling surrounding impressive fireplaces balance the light with grandeur.

I am shown to my chosen room, situated at the far corner of a herb-filled courtyard. The outside wall is lined with lavender and rose bushes and the room has four wide stable doors facing different directions. I had been nervous that such an old building would be stuffy and smell musty and dusty. But there is no Miss Haversham feel here. The room is elegantly decorated in pale blue-grey, using matching plush fabric for the chairs, headboard and blinds. Even the oak furniture, while traditional, is not heavy and stolid, but clean-lined, light and stylish. A vase of freshly cut roses stands on the dressing table in the bedroom. Home-baked cookies warm the graceful lounge area of my suite and I sink into the comfortable chaise lounge with a fresh cup of tea.

Accommodation Experience:

I am surprised to find that my favourite time in the room is dusk. This has to do with the many soft lights in the suite. The two pretty chandeliers complement the four stylish side-board lamps on either end of the expansive suite, while the bedside lamps cast a gentle glow onto the crisp white linen.

As I move through to the bathroom, I notice the moon rising in the bathroom window and I run a luxurious moonlit bubble bath in the large ball and claw Victorian bath.

From my bath I notice that there are no curt signs asking one to not do this and that, and one has a sense of being welcomed into a time of comfort and care that was reserved for a privileged few. To this one naturally responds with an appreciation for how far we have come since these days, and a sense of guilty gratitude for being able to briefly experience a particular way of life. I am left with an awareness of my own current day privilege of having this taste of the past and of being invited to participate in the artful preservation of little corner of the country which still reveals a bygone era.

What I loved about Welgelegen Manor:

• The vast grounds with big skies, old trees and interesting relics of the past
• It’s a Herbert Baker designed original manor house!
• Being given time to explore the whole of the manor house at one’s leisure
• That each spacious suite is splendid and has its own unique features, such that there is no sense of unfairness or disappointment in whichever suite you choose
• Elegantly restored suites with beautiful furniture, upholstery and lighting
• Modern thoughtful conveniences like plenty of accessible plug points with multiple adaptors
• Deep baths in huge bathrooms and plentiful large fluffy white towels
• The cinema room with elegant chaise lounges contrasting the modern technology