Home is where the Lowveld sun shines
A three-week road trip through the Cape became much more than a holiday. It was a journey back to lifelong friendships, shared memories and the comforting reminder that, after every adventure, there really is no place like home.
There are two things every Lowvelder knows. The first is that our winters are something to boast about. The second is that if you decide to visit the Cape in July, you had better pack every jersey, jacket, scarf and beanie you own.
So, with a mixture of excitement and more than a little apprehension, we pointed our faithful Suzuki Jimny south and set off on a three-week road trip that would take us from Barberton to Benoni, Gariep Dam, Jeffreys Bay, Nature's Valley, Plettenberg Bay, Mossel Bay, George, Riviersonderend, Pearly Beach, Hermanus and Paarl before turning for home again.
I have never hidden the fact that winter and I are not the best of friends. Give me the warmth of a Lowveld morning over icy sea winds any day. Yet, despite the weather forecasts that seemed determined to confirm my worst fears, there was something far more important waiting for us than sunshine. The real destination was not a place. It was people.
Many of those we visited were school friends I have known for almost 50 years. Half a century. That sounds impossible until you sit around a dining room table and someone begins with those familiar words: "Do you remember...?"
Suddenly you are no longer counting the years. You are back in a classroom, on a sports field, at a school dance or sharing the dreams that only teenagers can have. The decades quietly disappear as the stories grow taller, the laughter becomes louder and everyone remembers the same event just a little differently.
It struck me how remarkable true friendships really are. Life has taken each of us in different directions. Careers, marriages, children, grandchildren and all the twists and turns that life inevitably brings have filled the years between our visits. Yet the moment we sat down together it felt as though we had simply picked up a conversation that had been paused yesterday.
There was, of course, no shortage of wonderful food. The Cape knows how to feed its visitors, and every home seemed determined that we should not leave the table hungry. Good meals naturally led to good conversations and, being the Cape, there was certainly no shortage of excellent wine to accompany them.
Along the way we enjoyed some of South Africa's most spectacular scenery. Stormy coastlines, rolling vineyards, endless red and orange aloes, yellow canola as far as the eye can see, and wind farms that totally had me mesmerized. Mountain passes and quiet country roads reminded us again how fortunate we are to live in a country of extraordinary beauty. Travelling in our little Jimny added another layer of enjoyment. It never missed a beat and tackled every kilometre with the same enthusiasm that has made us such devoted fans of this remarkable little vehicle.
Still, if I am being completely honest, I never quite made peace with the Cape winter. The rain arrived on cue. The wind did its level best to blow us back to the Lowveld and there were mornings when I questioned the wisdom of leaving Barberton's glorious winter sunshine behind. Friends who have lived in the Cape for years assured me that I would get used to it. I remain unconvinced, but perhaps that is the beauty of travelling.
It reminds us not only how wonderful it is to discover new places, but also how much we appreciate coming home. As we drove back into the Lowveld, the familiar warmth wrapped itself around us like an old friend. The winter sun was shining, the mountains looked as welcoming as ever and, for the first time in weeks, I found myself standing outside without wondering where I had left my jacket.
The holiday gave us exactly what we had hoped for. We made new memories while revisiting old ones. We renewed friendships that have stood the test of nearly five decades and were reminded that time may pass, but genuine friendships never really grow old.
Would I do it all again? Without hesitation. Would I choose July? Now that is a completely different question. For now, I am simply grateful to be back where winter still knows how to behave. The memories will last a lifetime, the friendships are stronger than ever and, perhaps most importantly, I can once again enjoy the warmth of a Lowveld winter.
There really is no place quite like home.
𝓛𝔂𝓷𝓮𝓽𝓽𝓮.
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