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TRAVELTIME - Previous Outings |
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ELGIN OPEN GARDENS
2011
Saturday 29th October '11 |
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The slide show above shows select
photos taken in the gardens we visited.
(Click on the thumbnails to enlarge a
specific photo)
Other photos and details are published
below. |
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Garden shows held in late October should
have bright, sunny days but when we visited
the Elgin Open Garden Show on the 29th
October, we had almost 'winter-like'
weather. Pouring rain along the length of
the N2 - and even light rain on arrival at
the first garden!
Freshwoods
was our first garden visited - and, oh
what splendor! The bad weather was
quickly forgotten. |
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Black bamboo apparently very rare, made for a
good game of hide-and-seek whilst Jamie, our
coach driver, and Bernice thought it was easier
to hide behind the beauty of a magnificent
pom-pom bush. |
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Our second break was at the
Wildekrans Country House
near Houw Hoek. A few ladies indulged in
an early lunch whilst the balance enjoyed tea
and coffee. |
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The very unusual sculptures had the ladies
trying interpret them! The horse in rigamortis
position elicited funny comments- the second
sculpture of the four men out walking was far
easier to understand. |
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We headed to South
Hill where we hoped to have lunch
- but there was NO-ROOM-AT-THE-INN!! The cold
weather makes people pour into the available
restaurants.
Eventually by 14h30 the rest of the group were
starving and a quick phone call to Joan at
FRESH,
the newly opened restaurant on the
Paul Cluver Wine Estate
had them rescued. "Come on over" said Joan
and when we arrived she had moved her restaurant
clients around so the 10 of us could have a very
comfortable table in the best position in the
house. What country hospitality. |
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Bernice was more than thrilled with her
Beef Ale Pie. The outdoor loo (it
doesn't have a conventional roof) had us
all intrigued...........who ever poses
for a photo in the loo? Here Carol
and Jamie were quite happy to stand and
display themselves (or the loo??) |
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Our very happy group outside FRESH after
lunch. The weather was a negative
factor as far as garden viewing goes -
but at the end of the day, everyone
seemed to have enjoyed the day out in
the country, and a very happy bunch of
ladies headed back to the city in the
late afternoon. |
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Keep love in your heart.
A life without it is like a sunless garden when
the flowers are dead.
Oscar Wilde |
Published 30th October '11 |
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