Moving on to Cederberg

We left Cape Town at a civilised hour to head to Piekenierskloof Resort.  It is another fine dry day with temparatures set to reach 28°.  I had managed to avoid another unwelcome encounter in the bar the previous evening, joining a colleague for a hot chocolate, much more civilised. It was a long drive but we had several stops along the way, all involving flowers but also other interesting local experiences. The scenery was quite amazing. I learnt a new South African expression, 'holding our thumbs' which I gather means keeping your fingers crossed!

At our first stop we were able to watch the weaver birds and their little hanging nests. They were beautiful little yellow birds. There was a pond with ibis in the trees around too and various wildflowers which our guides identified. I am just enjoying them as my knowledge is not at a level to identify them or even recognise their significance. My response is to note ones that would make a good painting or an embroidery design.   This was an unscheduled stop as someone had readjusted the microphone meaning our guides ' information was amplified with special effects!

We passed by farmland with Canola, which is like rape, cattle, onions planted for diversity,  against a backdrop of the Cape Mountains. All livestock here are free range. The verges were scattered with wildflowers turning their heads into the sun. Andreas told us that the Rinoveld was the most endangered environment with only 1% left. There is also serious drought with the possibility of water restrictions which has caused fires and sffected the flora. We saw reservoirs used for agriculture all at very low levels.

We stopped at a delightfully quirky farm shop called Desert Rose.  It had very pretty gardens, lots of locally made things for sale and great coffee. The loos were definitely worth a visit, with an array of hats on the wall, funny sayings and an old suitcase housing the towels. From here we were invited to visit a local farm to see the wild flowers in their fields on the slopes. It looked like drifts of snow.

We arrived at the resort at around 1pm, and despite the cancellation of the  Clanwilliam Flower show having been notified some weeks ago, the hotel seemed to have been caught by surprise, so we waited a long time for lunch with a tight deadline. Let's hope things  improve. After lunch we visited Ramskopf Wildflower garden, which was set in amazing landscape and contained an array of interesting flowers. 

 

Although as ever, there were no seats in places where there was something interesting to paint!   We stopped on the way back to explore the verges, and amongst burnt stumps and a lot of rubbish found orchids amongst other things.

We collected our keys and I found I have a cabin that is probably bigger than my house at home. It sleeps 6! But have settled in , enjoyed a pleasant buffet meal with colleagues and now a good night's sleep.

The following day was grey and later wet, but we visited Clanwilliam again and tried to visit the church which was locked so clearly a visit is not going to happen to even see the venue of the flower show, however Nancy's tea room called and offered a quaint interior and another rooibos cappuccino!  

A visit to the to this factory, comprised a film and shopping not a factory visit, but I came away with an authentic packet of tea bags and some honeybush tea. I also learned that it can be I used as a liquid alternative  to any dish and left brewing or even drunk cold with fruit juice, so more things to try on my return.
We made the most of a damp afternoon with a talk and photos and I escaped for a relaxing massage!
The hotel is beautifully situated with views of the mountains and a very friendly staff. We have been offered buffet meals in abundance although more meat is on offer than vegetables! So lunch is usually a salad!