Sunday outing to de Rust 12th February, 2012

Driving along the road from Uniondale to de Rust on a beautiful Sunday morning in the middle of summer, my heart lifted. I know this road well, it is the road we drove along so often, going to meetings or investigating plants for die oervlakte book.

This time of year does not do the veld or the plants any justice, as February is the hottest month in the Little Karoo and most of the flowers have gone to seed. Some parts of the hillsides were dotted with crassulas, melkbos, kraalbos and the karoo bossies are now completely bue-grey and stand in huge patches. Hiding underneath these rather drab looking bossies grow all the gems of the area, the gasterias,  Aloe Varigata, Haworthia Truncata, and many more, protected from the fierce Karoo sun, they will blossom in the spring in all their splendour. Stopped at the two botterbome just before de Rust and wondered at these strange plants with their thick succulent stems, that after flowering in summer, loose their leaves.

Kraalbos and karoo bossies

Crassulas

 

 

 

 

 

Botterbom

Onto The Village Trading post for lunch. New buffet menu on Sunday. Delicious roast vegetables, savoury rice, salmon cakes, salad and beef stripes in a delicious cream sauce! It is a delight to spend time in this friendly restaurant that is frequented by interesting people. Always good conversation and an excellent way to spend Sunday lunch, interesting and innovative decor and there is an art gallery at the back. Soan Jacobs and Nikki Eksteen are excellent hosts and always makes one feel special and welcome. You can identify The Village Trading Post by the massive cockerel outside!
Tel: 044 241 2110 Cell: 083332057

Soan Jacobs

Nieki Eksteen

On the way back, I was again in awe of how the light changes the landscape, amazed at what a privilege it is to be here, absorbed the colour and texture of the hillsides and observed the valleys that follow the mountains into the distance.