MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Part XIV - The Royal Hotel in Durban, South Africa

On Monday, November 25 of 1985, it was a rather short flight from Cape Town to Durban in less than 2 hours.

André Bouer did pick us up at the airport and dropped us off at The Royal Hotel in Durban.

We did walk for about an hour in the center of Durban and went to bed.

Picture taken from our room, overlooking the square.

And this is what we saw in the morning...

More to the side as seen from our room.

Google map where you see The Royal Hotel (center bottom) and the building to the right and in top photos is Durban Natural Science Museum, former City Hall and the other building with its steeple to the left, is the Post Office.

From this Google picture for Durban City Hall you can clearly see to the right The Royal Hotel where we stayed and with such perfect view.

We did check out on Tuesday, November 26, by 8:30 and left with André Bouer for visiting the 3 Tongaat farms.

It was a 37 km drive and we visited 2 farms and then went on to the main office for the mushrooms, which is in Tongaat, KwaZulu-Natal.

After lunch, Pieter did do an entire afternoon of teaching.

By 18:00 we rode with Jim Dicks to Durban and flew with him to Johannesburg in 1 hour = JNB

We had dinner at Jim Dicks' home, where his wife Pat had cooked a delicious meal.

The other couple that joined us for dinner, did drop us off at the Holiday Inn, Sandton and we went to bed.
We had come full circle, ending at the very hotel where we started...

Next day, November 27, we got up by 8:00 and packed up. Breakfast and one last garden walk while waiting for Chris Richardson who took us to Highveld mushrooms.

Pieter did a farm review. We did have lunch with Chris and Norgan, somewhere out in the country.

Big Aloe Candalabra, where also baboons were eating and we saw a big dam.

That would be the farewell for beautiful South Africa.

Colin Jacobson did drop us off at Jan Smuts airport in Joburg and we met again with Don Needham who will fly back with us to the USA.

Via Kinshasa to Brussels where we landed at 6:30 on November 28.

My brother Harry met us there and we drove with him to my Parents.

A very quick family visit, Pieter's Mom in the nursing home and my Parents.

On November 29, we departed from Brussels by 12:05 together with Donald Needham and via Boston to Atlanta in 11 hours!!

On December 1, Pieter left for his trip to the mushroom division from Campbell, in Reading, PA.

Barely ONE day at home because that same day we left by 10:00 for Atlanta with one of the staff members and their little child for a Dutch Sinterklaas celebration at the Marriott, Atlanta.

Such were the days when travel was the norm!

Thanks for your visit and stay tuned for Part XV about Flora from South Africa

Sunday, January 7, 2018

Part XIII - Medallion Mushrooms, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Monday, November 25, 1985.

Eight nights in South Africa already and this morning we got picked up by Tim Crawley, one of the 3 original founders of Medallion Mushrooms.
In Part VII, I also mentioned his name as he did pick us up at the Cape Town airport.

This is me showing off some breakfast mushrooms from Medallion.

Photo from August 16, 1986 when Tim Crawley got to visit us at our former home in Dublin, Georgia.
All the way from South Africa they'd come to team up with Donald (Buster) Needham, who went with us to the South African Mushroom Conference.
SMALL WORLD

Medallion Mushrooms from Stellenbosch, SA
Pieter loved this sticker and had it in his Day to Day Planner, hence the hand writing showing through from the back.

In Mushroom Business I found this unique photo about Medallion.
Founded by Graham Boonzaaier, Charles Benade and Tim Crawly, mushroom growing started here in 1981.
Those were the people we all met!

We owe them a lot for making our stay in South Africa so very special!
Mr. Graham H. Boonzaaier and his wife Patricia took me that morning for a brief shopping trip in Stellenbosch.
That yielded a 3-cups French Melior cafétière; a Zulu knobkerrie and a tiny Zulu spoon; a wooden Dachshund for in my type tray; a leather P keyring for my Dad and that's it. Will show them in another post later...
We had lunch at the farm and I worked with Morina, the harvest supervisor on harvesting.

Outside, the making of mushroom compost, the substrate on which mushrooms grow.

Medallion packaging area for breakfast mushrooms.
It was time to say goodbye again!
Charles Benade went with us towards the airport of Cape Town for our flight to Durban.

By late afternoon, clouds already started covering Hottentots Holland Mountains...

A bit to the right, showing False Bayview at the foot of the Hottentots Holland Mountain.

We first went to Charles Benade's home, which was situated high enough for having a beautiful Bayview. His wife had done a marvelous job on interior decorating!!!
In the super fast Ford Sierra V-8 (see mention of it in my newspaper article) we went to the airport.

One last view of Helderberg from our plane... goodbye beautiful area with warm people!
Our flight to Durban took 1 hour + 50 minutes.

Thanks for your visit and stay tuned for Part XIV

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Part XII - Cape Malay Wedding in The Company's Garden, Cape Town, S.A.

That Sunday, November 24 of 1985 was quite an adventurous day.

It was already late afternoon when Mr. Graham H. Boonzaaier took us both to the beautiful Company's Garden in Cape Town.

A huge public garden and often you can see a wedding group; we got lucky too.

This was in The Rose Garden, a beautiful sight!
Cape Malay men wear Kufis.

The first Dutch rose was picked in 1659...

Such an elegant wedding

The men of those Cape Malay all wear a Kufi.

Here you see the Jan Smuts statue, in front of the Iziko SA National Gallery

Iziko SA National Gallery

To the left, the same Jan Smuts statue can be seen and in the back the cream spires of the Great Synagogue

A perfect setting against the Table Mountain

Great Synagogue and Holocaust Centre

Jan Smuts Statue with the Great Synagogue spires in the back against the Table Mountain

Interesting to read: A Short History of the Company's Garden, Cape Town (click the hyperlink).

It was here at The Company's Garden that I found these foot steps:
MARCH TO FREEDOM - STAMP OUT APARTHEID
As seen in my newspaper publication (link below this post).

Mr. Graham Boonzaaier went to his Blaauwklippen Homestead with us, for trading his Rolls Royce for a Jeep.

He than took us up on an excavated mountain for seeing the sunset over the bay.

Not a spectacular photo. At that time we didn't have the luxury yet of checking your photos...

To the left you see the bay!

Mr. Graham H. Boonzaaier was quite a character and he made us laugh a lot.
Seldom did we see such an energetic and enthusiastic person for touring us around.
His knowledge of the area and of history, love for his beautiful country was unsurpassed!

It got rather windy up at this height but it was oh so interesting!

And so ended this very interesting and enjoyable day with a kind host.
He took us home with him for a Bread Meal with Patricia and by 22:00 back to our Lanzerac Hotel.
WHAT A DAY!
Mr. Graham H. Boonzaaier resides in heaven; but no doubt my series will make him smile!

Thanks for your visit and stay tuned for Part XIII

MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS

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About Me

Thursday, January 11, 2018

Part XIV - The Royal Hotel in Durban, South Africa

Sunday, January 7, 2018

Part XIII - Medallion Mushrooms, Stellenbosch, South Africa

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Part XII - Cape Malay Wedding in The Company's Garden, Cape Town, S.A.

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