Day2: Upington to Port Nolloth

We left a hot and clammy Upington and continued west in South Africa’s Northern Cape Province.

We passed through the pleasant and quirky towns of Keimos and Kakamas. The scenery was contrary to what we expected, it was not Namaqua scrub but green vineyards and palm trees. There were raisin packing plants in the towns, so clearly these were not wine farms. Raisin tasting is just not the same.

We continued to travel through towns with exotic names like Pofadder, the Gamsberg zinc mine, Springbok and Okiep. The Namaqualand scenery is stark and beautiful. We were fortunate to see the end of flower season.

About 20km out of Port Nolloth the clouds and mist from the Atlantic Ocean rolled in and the temperature plummeted.

Port Nolloth has long been a family favourite. Our first stay here was some 20 years ago. After a couple of weeks in Southern Namibia the children were so excited to see the sea and, even though it was the middle of winter, decided they had to go for a swim. Gareth and Kirsty, after dipping their toes in, decided it was far too cold. Robs, who was 5 at the time, plunged into the freezing Atlantic and we dragged her out half an hour later, shivering and full of big red welts, and back to the cottage for a hot bath.

Sadly Covid has taken its toll on the town and some of the little fish restaurants have closed down. We did find the town’s coffee shop and enjoy a hot chocolate to warm us up in the bitter cold.

Port Nolloth was established in the 1850 as a small vessel harbour for the Copper mines but proved unsuitable and today is a fishing village with a cluster of seaside cottages. We are staying in one of these cottages, called the Beach Shack

Covid put a big dent in our travel plans but we are back on the road again. Not that we haven’t been out and about around South Africa since lockdown lifted, we have done a number of bush trips, Kruger walks, Cape Town road trips and a few visits to the sea. Most recently, like last week, we celebrated Kirsty and Jono’s amazing wedding on the beautiful Mozambique island of Bazaruto.

Gray wanted to set off for Namibia two days after returning from Bazaruto. That wasn’t going to happen, so a week later, with Gareth looking after home and dogs and the Discovery packed up, we set off three to four weeks in Namibia. Nothing booked and very little planned, we are free agents, waking up each morning not knowing where we will be sleeping that night.

We left home at 6am, heading west into The North West Province. We stopped for breakfast at a cute coffee shop in Sannieshof, the ‘chandelier’ above Grays chair nearly fell on his head, he nearly shat himself.

We decided to spend the night at Upington, arriving at 3pm, we found a B&B on the banks of the Orange River.

The rest of the drive was uneventful. We passed through Delareyville and Kuruman (clearly no name changing of towns in the North West). There were a number of trucks and abnormal loads along the way as the mining town of Kathu is in the area. The scenery was pretty boring and as it is the end of winter, pretty dry.

We had a great dinner at the Red Ox, with awesome views of the Orange River and great G&T on tap. A good restaurant, if you are not a vegetarian, their motto is: ‘No meat, No life’.

A great start to our trip!

Day 20: Dorset to Heathrow and Home.

Bridport Wednesday morning and it was fair day. The Main Street was lined with kiosks selling mainly old ‘antiques’ for some, ‘junk’ to others. A band of old men, singing sing-along songs attracted a crowd of people. It was a great vibe and certainly brought out the people of Bridport.After wondering around the markets we set off for the first leg of our journey home, stopping off at Stonehenge on our way to Heathrow.

Stonehenge was ‘erected’ by our Neolithic ancestors, is one of the wonders of the world and a famous prehistoric monument. The kids and I loved our visit and would love to return during one of the solstice festivities.

At Heathrow, we had a couple of hours to kill before our night flight. We had some food,a shower and I did some last minute shopping.

On the train to our terminus at Heathrow is a sign that reads ‘next stop – your bed at home’, I LOVE to travel but it’s always nice to come home. My bed is still the most comfortable and our animals are always so pleased to welcome us home. Missed you Murphy, Morgan and Tonto.

Day 19: Dorset

We woke up to a cloudy, rainy day. Not that it was going to dampen our spirit and after a hearty English breakfast we set off with our very own local tour guides, Meg & John, to explore Dorset.

We had the most spectacular day being taken to so many special places that tourists don’t get to see and learning about the history of the area. Thanks guys for taking us around Bridport, Weymouth, Dorchester, Beaminster, Poundbury, Portland and Portland Bill lighthouse, Verne Prison, the misty Jurassic Coast and the seriously narrow lanes. For lunch at the quirky Billy Winters on the beach and delightful afternoon tea at Mapperton House, the beautiful Jacobean manor and home of the Earl of Sandwich.

Our last night in the England, we finished off our special trip with delicious curry, one of UK’s favourite dishes at a delightful Indian restaurant next to our hotel.

Day 18: Dorset – Bridport

As we set off on today’s journey we spared a thought for Kirst & Jono. They were on their way to work, having travelled all day to catch the overnight from Heathrow to OR Tambo. They did however have an amazing time in Spain.

Our trip this morning was mainly along busy motorways. Passing through Exeter and Dorchester, there was the odd quirky item along the way to keep us smiling.

We arrived at the Bull Hotel in the traditional Dorset town of Bridport around 2:30. The hotels was originally a coaching inn that has been welcoming guests since the 16th Century. I was delighted to see the rooms had been updated since then and the facilities were modern and comfortable.

We spent the evening with my wonderful cousin and friend. It was so awesome to catch up with Meg, John, Lauren and the kids. Gareth wanted to join in the family reunion, so he travelled down from London, it took him the whole day of catching trains and buses but it was wonderful to have him back with us for the last few days of the trip. Thanks guys for a delicious braai in your beautiful garden. Lots of wine and lots of laughs.

We had a quick nightcap in the beautiful hotel courtyard to finish off a perfect evening.

Day 17: Cornwall

I will never get tired of this view. Another glorious morning.

This morning we decided to explore the beautiful Cornish coves and beaches around Cornwall. Having researched the best top 10 we set off, unfortunately so had the rest of the UK – what were we thinking, the first Sunday of school holidays and it was a ‘warm high of 20 degrees’ (the same high back in SA during a cold spell).

Our first port was St Michaels Mount at Marazion, from a distance it was amazing but all the car parks were full and it was impossible to get to. Undeterred, we carried on, passed Penzance and headed to our next destination, through impossibly narrow alleys, looked promising but alas it was so busy we never made it or the car park or over the hill to get a glimpse of the ocean.

Time to cut our losses we headed inland and found Trewidden Gardens. Clearly the poms prefer a day on the beach to exploring beautiful gardens. We spent a delightful morning , with hardly anyone around, exploring the gardens and treating ourselves to a delicious tea of cake and scones.

We returned to Falmouth, the clouds promised rain but fortunately it held off, so we walked up the hill to the left of our hotel, home to Pendennis Castle. The castle was built at the order of King Henry VIII around 1540 for the purpose of defending the bay. It was used for military purposes until the end of WW2. At 3pm they fired the old cannons. An interesting place to visit with spectacular views of the town and bays.

We then wandered into town and explored the shops and galleries. There are lots of restaurants in Falmouth, we even found a South African restaurant with our local cuisine on the menu – bobotie, bunny chow, biltong etc.

We had dinner at our favourite spot, Hooked on the Rocks, with its beautiful views and delicious seafood platters.

Day 16: Cornwall – Falmouth

It was a glorious day – the view from our bedroom.

This morning we set off to explore the areas around Falmouth.

Our first stop was the village of Stithian, the town where the founders of St Stithians College came from. As the family were all schooled at the college (except me but I worked there for 15 years) it was on our bucket list to visit. Getting there was along narrow farm lanes, reminiscent of Wales but it was worth it.

We spent a long time exploring the Chapel and grounds, finding plaques and grave stones of names familiar to the school.

A local pub with the school motto.

We then headed to Lizard Point, the southern most tip of the UK. It was 2 years ago we visited the southerly most tip of Africa. It was beautiful up on the cliffs. We then hiked along the cliffs and through farms before returning to the village for well earned ice creams.

Our next stop was the picturesque cove at mullion.

Cornwall is known for its Cornish pasties, fish and chips and clotted cream ice cream. All Graeme has spoken about since planning a trip to this area is ‘chowing Cornish pasties’. His wish came true this morning. Ice cream in Lizard. Late afternoon we found a restaurant at the harbor for fish and chips. Cornish cuisine ticked in one day.

Day 15: England – Bath & Cornwall

We had an early breakfast and walked to the city centre, where we were first in the queue to visit the Roman Baths. We spent a fascinating couple of hours exploring the stone remains of the ancient religious spa that lies beneath the city.

Today was a ‘long journey’ south east down to Falmouth, in Cornwall. The four hour journey took five due to heavy holiday traffic. It was not unpleasant and the scenery around South Gloucestershire and Devon was very pretty. We passed through Penryn before arriving at our hotel in Falmouth.

The Falmouth Hotel was first opened in 1865, it has a castle-like Victorian look and Gray and I have a spacious room overlooking the sea (Robs’s is not so lucky, her small single room overlooks the town). It has a proud history and was used in both World Wars. It’s decor is somewhat dated but it is clean and comfortable and the views are amazing and the garden is beautiful.

We went for a long walk along the beach front and found a restaurant, ‘ Hooked on the Rocks’, where we had a welcome drink and enjoyed the view, before our return back to the hotel.

In the evening we wondered into town, past the harbor and enjoyed a delicious seafood dinner at Rick Steins Restaurant.

Day 14: England – Bath

Farewell Wales!!! We crossed over the Severn and were back in England. We loved Wales and will miss the green fields, sheep farms, narrow lanes, beautiful old villages and the thousands of castles, many in ruins. We visited the three National Parks of Brecon Beacon, Snowdonia and Pembrokshire. We will miss the friendly Welsh people, although we heard very little Welsh being spoken, every sign post or board was written in both English and Welsh – a testament to their proud heritage.

It was a short journey east to the city of Bath, which oozes Georgian opulence and is home to so many sites of historic importance that the entire city has been granted UNESCO World Heritage status. We parked the bus at the Bird Bath, the hotel where we are staying and as it was too early to check in, we wandered into the city centre, a 10 minute gentle stroll.

We crossed over the Pulteney bridge and headed to the Roman Baths. The queues for entry were long so we decided to explore the beautiful town and other sites. We walked up to the Royal Crescent and Circus, did some shopping and stopped for a drink or two. It was reported to be one of the hottest days ever in parts of Europe and it was unbearably hot, so staying hydrated was important.

In the afternoon we returned to the Hotel to get some respite from the heat. The hotel rooms in the UK all have heating systems but are not geared for the heat, no air cons and no fans.

The Bird Bath is a unique boutique hotel with a definite bird theme, down to the bird nest breakfast room and bird garden. Great and thoughtful touches are all around, like a sweetie table For Gray.

We had a delicious dinner at Chez Dominique and returned to a colorful Bird Bath.

Day 13: Wales – Cardiff

We were sad to leave Elm Grove but we had things to do and places to visit. It was fitting that our last night in Wales was in the Lincoln Hotel, in Cardiff, the same place as our first night in Wales.

Our journey was pretty much on highways and main roads. We decided to take a detour to visit Dylan Thomas’s house in Laugharne but before we realized it we had passed through the town, so we carried on to the coastal town of Pendine. Pendine was filled with motor home parks but unlike the previous day, the weather was dismal and there were only a few die hard wet suit clad surfers on the beach.

After booking into our hotel, we took a long walk through Bute Park. The weather had cleared up and people were out and about, picnicking, swimming and enjoying the sunshine.

We passed the Animal wall on our way to Cardiff Castle, where we took a tour, with a delightful gentleman named Dean. The original medieval castle was built in the 11th Century by Norman Invaders on top of a 3rd Century Roman Fort. It has since had a Victorian Gothic Revival and the rooms, down to the children’s nursery are full of symbolism.

Dinner was at a delicious Italian restaurant down the road.