Dear Friends, Honestly, since we arrived in the beautiful Overstrand, I will have to admit that there were days that I felt like “‘n spaar koek in ‘n oond”, i.e. like two loose ends. Suddenly being stripped naked from your career duties and daily familiar activities that in so many ways defined you for so many years is no joke. We concluded that one needs to practice to be retired. To rewire yourself again. We are in our 4th month of retirement training, we’re on schedule, and it’s going well. Hallelujah!
At the end of ‘JanuWorry’ we attended an Andrew Young Jazz Concert at the lovely Benguela Cove Wine Estate. (Colourful locals pronounce January as JanuWorry:- “julle moeni worry ni payday is amper hiersô”). In the courtyard amongst international visitors and residents, we all soaked in the late afternoon JanuWorry sun. Each with a glass of wine. Funky jazz melodies like The Girl from Ipanema, Route 66 and Baker Street skillfully blasted from Andrew’s Saxophone. Talented home brew musicians accompanied him, and it was a night to remember.
The lovebirds have also noticed a large flock of swallows that migrate each year from snowy Europe to sunny SA. The Overstrand region seems to be their residential choice for building their summer nests. The majority are German and British citizens. Some even bought their own homes or wine farms, while others have a long-term rental agreement with guesthouses. They are just as much in love with their Whale-Coast homes as we are.
Did you know that a man by the name of Hermanus Pieters founded our town? In the summer months of 1820, he started herding his flock of sheep? From the nearby farming district of Caledon down the Elephant-pass to the coast. On his way, he found lush pastures and a freshwater fountain supply for his animals. As more farmers started to follow suit, a permanent settlement developed at the coast, then called Hermanuspietersfontein. Later the name Elephant-pass gave way to the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley as we know it today.
By 1891 there were already 2 schools, 2 churches, a hotel, many shops, a post office and a thriving fishing industry.
Remnants of the fisheries are still visible today at the Old Harbour. Thankfully in 1902, the postmaster decided to shorten the name (as it was a mouth full) to just Hermanus. The village received its official municipality status in 1904, and we are still growing from strength to strength.
A standard rule at the Saturday Parkrun goes like this:- If a participant falls during a race and there are traces of blood, the fallen victim must open a tab at The Hermanus Brewery that same morning. The rest of the runners can then have a free beer on his/her account on their way home. If you plan a trip to Hermanus shortly, please stop for your free craft beer at the Brewery. The tab is still open under the name of Carla.
This weekend the lovebirds are blessed with their special visitor all the way from Jozi. We could not have wished for a better Valentines gift.
Sometimes we were greeted with the words, JanuWorry was a tough year; I hope you made it? Hopefully, your FebruWorry is stripped of any worries. For the remaining 10 months of 20plenty, we’ll have to wait and ‘sea’ what’s in store for all of us.
15/2/2020
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