Arriving on Friday afternoon, and settling into our cottages at Grietjiesdrif, located in the dramatic Slanghoek Valley, just over an hours drive from Cape Town.
A place of raw beauty, flowing vineyards and landscapes teasing you at every turn to paint and capture them, be it digitally or on the white story-telling canvas.
I had the pleasure of seeing this beauty first-hand. My best friend was getting married this weekend (but that's a story for another time).
It was time to relax and drink in the views surrounding us. I got very drunk walking around, so much beauty. The simple life of the countryside is overwhelming.
It was a very chilled Friday evening, soaking up the surrounds and creating memories with friends old and new. I would love to say that it ended up being an early night, but with the average age of twenty seven years, three o'clock was deemed early enough for bed.... my old body was confused.
I awoke on a stunning Saturday morning. Ominous rain clouds had crept in overnight, but the wind had fallen still. They say good things happen when it rains. This was true. Saturday the 10th of March 2018, will forever be etched into my memory as a day where love proved to all, that it is real, you can touch it and it brings so many unique people together to celebrate it.
The slopes of the surrounding mountains run seamlessly into flowing vineyards intersected by rugged dirt tracks, each awaiting an adventurer to arrive.
The adventure is a journey of one's own. I found peace in the stillness, the vibrant sounds of all of natures little creatures and myself wandering around in a dream-like state.
I was in heaven in the country-side and with my family of friends
This is me...... and this is my story. :)
Inis Mor
Republic of Ireland
© Gary Scott
Aran, like living on the moon, barren, but beautiful. Nothing there, but everything to do. Greener than envy. Life so slow, a snail could overtake. People so friendly, you could have a thorn in your finger and the whole community would want to help.
I am a "Blow-in", but seem to be accepted by some as one of their own. The idea of a paradise life is just a part of life. I am a Blow-in that has been sucked in, now waiting to see if the incessant wind will blow me out.The way of life is different to that of the Mainland. To think about it, there is that of the World, the Mainland and then there is this way, the people's own way, the Aran way. The only link between the two are a few water skimming animals that roar to life, have a steady grumble and then die just as easily, and yet, they manage to do this twelve times a day - rise, roar and roam.
The four seasons roam just as freely across this barren land, there is no forecasting (there is one stubborn figure upstairs in the Universe, that will do the complete opposite of what has been reported), rain - shine, windy - calm... Life goes on.
What makes people so different, or rather, what makes people of the same kind so different? This question I ponder with hundreds of ideas jousting to be the answer - is there just one correct answer or are there many? I think the ultimate answer is a question in itself - what do you believe makes people of the same kind so different?
I have drifted away from my original idea, but then again, have I?
I live among a people to which electricity is a relatively new idea. Some of their largest assets are their cows. Most of their professions involve the use of their hands and the building of a structure is a community effort - that seems to have been lost on the Mainland and mainly in the concrete jungles that have sprung up and bloomed, unwantingly by some, unstoppable by others.....
This is me...... and this is my story. :)
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