As promised, we got rain this morning. So any thoughts of going to visit the Willem Pretorius Game Reserve or going kayaking on the dam evaporated. Instead we decided to pack up and leave after breakfast, spend some time in Winburg which was our nearest town and we needed to get petrol before the price goes up tomorrow. The rain is a blessing for the area. The dam is only 33.87 full at the moment.
We turned back a bit along the N1 to see the monument where the Sand River Convention was signed.
We googled Winburg (oldest proclaimed town in the Orange Free State; Bought for 42 head of cattle from the Bataung) and found there were only 2 restaurants, the more interesting one was Jakkelsdrif Padstal along the N1 so when we saw it we drove in for an early lunch.
Cappuccino came in very original mugs
On the same site were farm animals.
Inside was a selection of home-made preserves, crafts and gifts.
After lunch we got going again. Further along we encountered road works (again) and must have missed the turn off to Winburg. So we decided to get petrol in Brandfort instead. What a serendipitous change of plan!
Brandfort is also full of history. Jacobus van Zijl, a Voortrekker elder, established a church on his farm, Keerom, in 1866. The community was visited by Orange Free State president, JH Brand, and shortly afterwards the town was named in his honour.
In front of the main church is a commemorative monument of the Voortrekker Great Trek.
As we tried to find a gate to get beyond the fence, an elderly man and his dog approached from the other side. He explained that they were trying to restrict access because people were using the church grounds as a thoroughfare. He seemed to be part of the congregation and told us that recently the bell tower had been repaired. Part of it had collapsed and when they came to inspect it, they found big blocks of undressed stone held together with mud. It appears that the vibrations caused by the old bell had finally caused the tower's collapse.
He was Oom Charles and his father had been mayor of the town. He directed us to the house of Rear Admiral Weston where the first aeroplane in South Africa had been built. He was very friendly and chatty.
Unfortunately the house was closed but on the side was a rough map of the town showing, among others, the house where Winnie Mandela had been under house arrest. We tried to find it but without success. In the process we came across something you don't see in Johannesburg.
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| Cows crossing the road |
Our last stop was another Padstal that I had noticed on the way in.
Inside was a treasure trove of home made arts and crafts.
Franci Marais a bubbly blonde, welcomed us and said that they were very happy that we had come to visit the shop. Would we like a "Koffietjie?" We got to choose a flavoured coffee from the coffee corner.
Again we were impressed by the friendliness of small town people.
Franci and Nelrize, the owner, chatted to us about the history of the town, their own history and their connections to mayors and doctors of the town and even to the Rear Admiral Weston. They offered to organise us a tour if we came through again on our way back home. Then we would get to see the Winnie Mandela house and the inside of the old colonial house where Weston stayed.
After a lovely visit, we had photos taken and signed their visitors' wall
We are now in Bloemfontein at River of Joy Caravan Park. Tomorrow Cubby (our motorhome) goes in for repair.
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