The Fast Lane to Bloemfontein

You may well ask what on earth we were doing in Bloemfontein. It’s the home of the Safari Suit; indeed, one only goes there for a wedding, a funeral, or a meeting. But someone’s wagon stopped there.

 

My Ouma was a student at the Teacher’s Training College in 1929. Today, unless you’re accepted to Stellenbosch University or UCT, Bloemfontein will have to do. Some attend Grey College or St Andrews.

 

This "Cheetahs" call this home, and sometimes, if push comes to shove, you might have to sleep over on a road trip. J.J.R. Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein. Ryk Neethling, Zola Budd, Frans Klaerhout, Hansie Kronje, and Juan Smit were also from Bloemfontein, and dare I say it? Leon Schuster does too.

 

People often say "Bloemfontein was closed" when they pass through. Be sure to visit the Free State National Museum and the Oliewenhuis Art Museum for a taste of local culture and history.

 

Soon, thousands of motorists will be making the annual pilgrimage to the Western Province, and as is customary, the N1 must be maintained, which will result in many delays. We spent nine hours on the road and cruised into a dull and dusty Bloemfontein in the late afternoon.

 

Of the road trip, I have no recollection except that we stopped at the Klein Merino Butchery in Beauford West and bought “droëwors” and “biltong” (beef jerky). We never miss an opportunity and even made a U-turn. The best biltong from Worcester to Johannesburg. A well-flavoured traditional recipe is used, with spices perfectly blended and a sprinkling of whole coriander.

 

The Karoo has the perfect climate for curing meat, preserving some of its moisture, and enhancing its flavours. Droëwors must never have too much fat between the layers of meat, and this one hits the right note; the sausage casings are also perfectly dry and crispy. The biltong had a perfect 4mm layer of fat all the way down the one side, oh how I salivate!

 

Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to shop en route, but orders can be placed, and deliveries are even made to Worcester. I’ll be placing my Christmas order for succulent Karoo lamb shortly; fortunately, we’ll be able to pick it up en route to Mozambique.

 

While I knitted and nibbled on the delicious treats, we listened to our Audible book, “Life or Death,” by Michael Robotham, a well-written psychological thriller sprinkled with good humour. Clever use of language and excellent characterisation and plot. I highly recommend this book, excellent holiday reading, but be warned, it’s a page turner, and you could burn the midnight oil with this one. Listening to Audible is more “sociable” and reminiscent of years gone by when we listened to the wireless!

 

Our accommodation at the Bel Tramonto Guesthouse was a few kilometres out of town on a smallholding, surrounded by meadows filled with antelope, domesticated animals, and birds. We are unaccustomed to the flat vistas and dry earth, but within a month or so, everything will be lush and green once the thunderstorms start. I was holding thumbs for a flash of lightning, dark clouds brewing, and the clap of thunder, but it’s too early for that. We were very comfortable in our rooms, the beds were comfortable, the linens pristine, and the decor pleasing.

 

Precious had something to say about me packing my hairdryer, just as well I did! Although the breakfast was adequate, it was a tad institutional and uninspiring. Travellers planning early departures should note that breakfast is served until [time] and that there's ample on-site parking.

 

The shower gets the thumbs-up from Precious. I had a relaxing bath. I wonder why no one has thought of a cafetière and freshly ground coffee? I’m sure guests can rest assured that everything will be done to make their stay perfect, and I was impressed when my ironing was done perfectly and promptly.

 

I must add that there are fabulous self-catering facilities, a sundowner on the patio, and, later, even a barbecue. I enjoyed an early-morning walk, watched by the peacock and an aviary of exotic birds.  There's a lovely pool to enjoy too.  We will return and sooner rather than later!

 

Regardless of the distance travelled, we’re always tired when we reach our destination, and an early supper is normally called for. Our hostess gave us three options, all within walking distance of each other in the centre of town. We opted for an Italian experience, and, of course, the establishment with the most “traffic” is often the best indication of where the good food is.

 

The Bella Casa Trattoria was a-buzz with diners; there was hardly room for a mouse, but we were lucky with our table in the front garden. It was such a blissful evening, with the full moon rising, not a breath of wind, and a blood temperature.

 

The warm welcome from the staff made us feel right at home, and the lively atmosphere added to the charm of our first night in Bloemfontein. What more could we ask for? The wine list is impressive, and the friendly service made the meal even more memorable.

 

 

 

The menu is quite comprehensive with the usual salads, soups, starters, pastas, and pizza. A chalkboard lists the chef’s specials. We had a salad starter and then a pasta dish—all round good food, tasty and well prepared as Mama would’ve done it. The pièce de résistance was our fantastic waitress with a huge smile and full of bonhomie; she was in the swing of things and reminded me of a ship in full sail! Nothing fazed her, and I’m sure she’s quite capable of staring anyone down, our kinda girl.  She must be Bloemfontein's own Queen Latifah!

 

Friday, my favourite day, started full of promise. Precious would go off to his meetings, and I would photograph old buildings, visit antique shops, museums, art galleries, and do a spot of shopping.

 

Bloemfontein is an easy city to navigate, and I was quite comfortable doing my own thing. I visited the renowned Antique store “Die Waenhuis Antique” run by a gaggle of old ladies.

 

This is heaven for anyone interested in scratching around looking for a bargain. The store stocks everything from crockery, glassware, and silverware to furniture, Africana, books, and toys. Prices are reasonable, and I’m sure a deal could be struck. Renovations to some of the furniture are being done on the premises. I found a few collectables.

 

I’m rather interested in a bargain, and a find doesn’t necessarily mean something worth thousands of dollars. The smell of the Lawrence G Green books was intoxicatingly irresistible, and I had to have two! I love my Murano Glass ashtray, especially since I bought it for my friend who’s taken up smoking again! All this took quite a while, and I even had a refreshing cuppa while browsing.

 

 

I skipped across the busy road to my car, dodging lorries, cars, and motorbikes, carefully placing my purchases in the boot, feeling really chuffed with myself. I’d been directed to the Art Museum to have tea and a stroll in the gardens and then relax with my new book; afterwards, I’d go for lunch on the lake, another excellent recommendation. In the afternoon, I’d do a bit of photography; many of the buildings are historic and built from beautiful sandstone. Bliss.

 

And then I heard the tinkling of glass and a million diamonds on the passenger seat. My car had been broken into. Fortunately, nothing had been nicked, but that put paid to my day. Two friendly cops on the beat stopped, asked if I was alright, and gave me directions to the Police station. My statement was taken by a very kind policeman, who did a great job. To fit the new glass, we went to PG Glass, which did a sterling job, and lent us a car for the afternoon.

 

With dampened spirits, we went shopping at an amazing department store, Kloppers, which has everything one could desire. Even the boys love it as they can peruse cameras, bicycles, tools, and lingerie if they wish!

 

I must mention that the liaison officer at the Bloemfontein Police station phoned me later in the afternoon to check that all procedures had been carried out satisfactorily, asked whether we’d been able to replace the window, and wished us well on our return journey. I was impressed.

 

We visited the War graves, another one of my morbid fascinations, graves honouring the British and South African soldiers who died at the Battle of Tempe on 1st March 1908.

 

 

At the crack of dawn on Saturday, we said farewell to Bloemfontein, and we stopped for breakfast at the Wimpy in Colesberg. We enjoyed a good breakfast and delicious Wimpy coffee. The Manager stopped at our table to ask whether we were enjoying our breakfast! A first for me. What a charming man, friendly, hard-working, and capable! Well done.

We arrived in Worcester ahead of schedule, as the road was quiet and our book was fabulous. In time to watch Ireland whitewash the Springboks.... I say no more.

 

I do regret not attending Loxion Voices at the San du Plessis theatre; the other is not buying the Doll with the cracked head, circa 1923, but I thought one cracked egg in our house was probably enough.

---oOo---

WIMPY COLESBERG (Merino Stop)

N1

051 753 0639

KLEIN MERINO BUTCHERY

023 4151134

13 Church str

Beauford West