Weekend in Hermanus

Sorry I've been slow with the updates... This week is when I teach all the substitute yoga classes at Shanti since it's holidays and everyone's away, so I've been busy prepping classes and organizing my music selects (the iPod is miraculously working again. Yay!)

In any case, Kelly and I went to "Stonehaven, The Artists House" this weekend. His best friend, Fabio's dad, is an artist and lives on a stunning property out near Hermanus, and we were invited to spend the weekend there.

It's a 1.5hr drive from Cape Town to Hermanus, and along the way we passed some townships, Khayalitsha and Gugulethu. (Don't worry mom, we were on the highway, not IN the township!)




It's a beautiful drive through the countryside, passing vineyards and mountains along the way.



We took a wrong turn and found ourselves by some stables.



It was quite clearly sign-posted, dunno how we could've missed it!


Once we turned down the path, it was like entering a magical fairy land - completely rustic, down to the dirt path amidst the shrubs.


This place is STUNNING. As its name suggests, it's a haven for artists, and Fabio's dad along with another artist live there. The main house on the property has about 6 rooms, and there are another 2 separate cottages with another 3 - 4 rooms in each. This place could very well be a B&B!





Their art is displayed all over the house.



I poked my head into one of the studios. There's no work-in-progress to be seen, but the number of paints and tools used is fascinating!



There are sprawling gardens overlooking a dam, and the immenseness of the place is staggering.


Spot the Garden Gnome.




There are two friendly guard-dogs there as well, Oscar the Bulldog and Annabel the Bullmastiff.


They seemed interested in food and cuddles and would wait patiently for scraps while we braai'd or ate breakfast. We didn't give them any! (coz it's bad for dogs to eat human food laden with salt and fat. DUH.)



The boys (except Kelly) went surfing in Hermanus in the afternoon. K & I just hung out on the beach. The wind was pretty manic and we were literally getting sand-blasted. You couldn't quite hold a conversation or you'd have to spit out a mouth full of sand. Hence, there are no pix of the beach. (What, and get sand in the nooks and crannies of my precious camera? No thanks!)



Unfortunately it was quite a short trip, we were there for only about 24hrs but had to come back on Sunday evening. Just as well we did as the weather turned and it was a terrible, wet drive back to Cape Town.