A Scenic Drive to Arniston and a Day of Unexpected Adventures

Greetings from Vermont!

We had a slightly later start today. There was some work to do, emails to catch up on and some washing. Up until now we've had a washing machine wherever we've stayed, but today everything had to be washed by hand.

When I woke up this morning to the sound of the waves, I noticed the sun beginning to rise, so I grabbed my camera and managed to take a few pictures before the day got underway.

I think it must have been bin day today as there were wheelie bins everywhere, some of them upside down with rubbish scattered across the roads. It's the baboons! We'd seen lots of warning signs along the road about them, although we never actually spotted any.

We then set off on a lovely scenic drive, about an hour and a half, to the picturesque fishing village of Arniston. Before that, we stopped in Bredasdorp because I'd spotted a Shipwreck Museum on the map and it was right on our route.

The museum had several different sections. The shipwreck exhibition itself was housed in the old church, while next door in the former rectory was a house furnished with lots of donated items, many of them salvaged from shipwrecks. Quite a few had served other purposes before ending up in the museum. For example, the marble top on one of the sideboards had originally been the bar from a shipwreck. It was bought at auction by the local doctor and used in his surgery before eventually being donated.

The rectory was lived in until 1971 before being given to the museum. There were also several outbuildings housing horse-drawn vehicles and a large collection of donated farming equipment. Outside were displays of anchors and cannons, each with its own story. The shipwreck exhibition itself was fascinating. Have a look at the photo describing the wreck of Le Souvenance and then the next picture will make much more sense.

After thoroughly enjoying our visit, we continued on to Arniston. It's a beautiful little fishing village with rows of small fishermen's cottages that reminded us very much of Ireland and, to some extent, Cornwall.

While wandering around we came across a little tearoom with an "Open" sign outside. We pushed the door open and called out several times before Grandma appeared! We ordered tea and a scone and sat outside overlooking the ocean, enjoying the sunshine. Although it was windy and we needed a jumper, it was still very pleasant. The fishing boats were all back in, and today they are all regulated by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

The drive itself was almost as enjoyable as the destination. Just outside Hermanus we travelled through vineyards, which gradually gave way to arable farmland along with cattle, sheep and goat farms. We also passed several horse farms, some lovely-looking cheese farms and a number of quaint little towns. Wherever we went, magnificent mountain ranges formed the backdrop.

Passing through Napier on the way home, we came across a large group of young dancers performing at the four-way junction to raise money. We handed some cash out of the car window and were rewarded with a massive cheer and an energetic dance performance right in front of the car.

I drove on the way back so Mark could enjoy the scenery. Ask him how much of it he actually saw! Thank goodness for Google Maps.

Back at the apartment, Mark decided to take charge of the electric gate fob, which is usually my job. There are two buttons: a blue one for the gate and a red one for emergencies. Yes, you've guessed it... he pressed the red one. Suddenly there were very loud sirens going off everywhere! Our host had to ring the alarm company to explain that it had all been an accident and get the alarm switched off.

The area where we're staying is very wealthy, with some enormous and beautiful houses. I'm not sure whether they're all lived in permanently or whether many are holiday homes, but there certainly seemed to be plenty occupied as we drove back from dinner.

Tonight we returned to Milk on the Beach because we enjoyed it so much yesterday. Sitting right on the beach overlooking the bay, it was even busier tonight being Friday, with lots of tables reserved, so we were lucky to get one.

Now we're back at the apartment, the paraffin lamp is burning on the balcony, we're listening to the waves crashing onto the beach and enjoying a final glass of wine before another day of exploring tomorrow.

A perfect end to another wonderful day.