SOUTH AFRICA LAND OF CONTRASTS

At present I am in the lovely seaside town of Hermanus towards the Southern-most point of South Africa.  Unlike Cape Town it is not bombarded with the aggressive South Easterly wind which blows not only your roof off but also tends to blow my mind.  It starts at about 9.30 am and ends at 4 am the next day causing a lot of destruction of plants and roof tiles. For all its scenic beauty and the back-drop of the lovely Table Mountain, Cape Town is inundated with huge informal settlements of very poor folk desperately looking for work and its infrastructure cannot cope with the volume of traffic. Commuting to the city is a nightmare.  

Here in Hermanus, there is a sense of calm.  Life is slower and more enjoyable. There is a very large artists community in the town and there are 15 studios dotted amongst the charming alleys and streets.  On Friday evening all the studios and galleries will be open to the public as they are on each first Friday of the month.  Wine and snacks are offered .  I could imagine after visiting fifteen studios and partaking of the delicious wine which is produced in the nearby valley, one might be a little worse for wear.  

Here are some of my sketches of various areas visited.  

This is the lovely lighthouse at a place called Kommetjie.  Unfortunately , it is a little wobbly.  I tripped on the board walk on the way to sketching it, injuring my ribs and arm and was still a little shaky.

    

                                     
The rocks fascinated me here in Hermanus.
I enjoyed sketching them.
                                     

My husband Pete and I lived in Hout
Bay for several years. It still has its lovely fishing boats.  The Sentinel Mountain looks down on the harbour.