26 July 2013

Day trip

I am currently in Cape Town and it is miserable, wet and cold. Fortunately the weather was a lot better yesterday and I took the opportunity to head north out of Cape Town. I took the older road, driving slowly and stopping when I saw something interesting to photograph. I did manage some nice images of the Canola fields just starting to flower but I will do a separate posting of those.

My first stop was when I encountered a tree lined road with the much hated Bluegum trees..

Lying down on my stomach in the middle of the road I shot this. Fortunately a very quiet road.


I headed down the winding roads and found myself in the quaint little town of Malmesbury. The town is the largest in the Swartland which took its name from the Renosterbos, an indigenous plant that turns black in the warm, dry summers. The area is especially known for its grain and wine cultivation as well as sheep and poultry farming.

Malmesbury was named after Sir Lowry Cole's father-in-law, the Earl of Malmesbury. The first farms were allocated in 1703. 
 
The heart of any small town, the traditional Dutch Reformed church.
 
Traditional Cape Dutch house
 
 
A most unique triangle shaped house
 
Traditional old houses with some brookie lace and the large "stoeps".
 
Moving from Malmesbury the winding road lead me to little town called Darling. Now one of South Africans' icon actors Pieter Dirk Uys has made this little town his home, He is more famously known as the famous "Evita Bezuidenhout", a white Afrikaner socialite and self-proclaimed political activist. Uys has a rather unique  little theatre and museum where I spent quite some time milling around and taking it all in. 
 
On entering the museum the political history is ever so present.

Political dig at the politicians

Dig at Dr Alan Boesak - political church leader

The original Darling railway station name.. with the apartheid signs.

Washing machine from a bygone era - my mother used one of these when I was a youngster!

The original railway station siding has been turned into a restuarant

One of the small theatres at Uys' place.. video of PW Botha, SA Prime Minister giving his rubicon speech.

Kitchen unit from yesteryear with some interesting items as ornaments

and here I am.. in the traditional Evita Bezuidenhout outfit and all!
 

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