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Day 1: Sunday 14th July.
Destination King Shaka International Airport
- Durban |
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Early pickups from homes ensured that we
were able to arrive timeously for our 09h35
flight. |
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The flight was on time and we were soon on
our way to Durban, experiencing a very
pleasant journey.
On arrival and once we had located our
vehicle and loaded the luggage, we were on our
way to the Midlands, a 90 minute drive.
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We had pre-arranged a lunch stop at
Piggly
Wiggly, a popular eatery & shopping area,
supporting Midlands produced products. We
were here in 2010, sat at the same table,
but the popularity in Piggly Wiggly has increased
dramatically as witnessed by the number of
people visiting today! The ladies on
tour were all keen to start 'gathering' at
the new shops on the property. |
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We had visited
The Lavender Company on their
farm - nice to see them in the Piggly Wiggly
set up. Another very interesting store
was Free Range,
selling a super range of clothing made by 2
sisters! |
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As we rounded the bend we were all thrilled
to see the
Granny Mouse Hotel
& Spa
complex sprawling out in front of us. |
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After putting our feet up for a while we
headed to the bar for refreshments, prior
to having dinner in the Bistro. |
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Day 2: Monday 15th July. Time to
start our meander |
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A few people explored the surroundings
before breakfast - some slept in late - but
all were ready for breakfast! |
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Breakfast at Granny Mouse-what a spread;
there is something for everyone.
First stop after breakfast was
Tsonga Shoes,
famous for their handmade products. |
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David (a keen photographer) was caught
snapping Toby, who was standing behind the
shoes and bags! Carol and Heather found
'just what they were looking for"! |
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We were fortunate to have a guided tour of
the facilities. Heather even met the lady
who manufactured the bag she had bought. |
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Next stop was Ardmore
Ceramics. What a
'treasure find' this business is. Only
Joy bought a memento to take home. |
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We were
fortunate to meet owner
Fče Halsted-Berning who
told us a bit about Ardmore,
before handing us over to one of her
staff members who took us through
the process, from clay to firing. |
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The artist on the left is proud of his work,
which had taken him 3 weeks to this stage.
Now for painting and then for glazing. The
painters decide which colours will best suit
the sculpture. On the right is another
artists work which had taken 3 months to
complete. |
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The
painters at work at left. A steady
hand is required. Some finished
products on the right. |
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We made
a quick stop at the
Howick falls
prior to having a very pleasant
lunch at
The Corner Post. |
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Carol
had arranged a visit to
Wedgewood
Nougat and whilst we couldn't see
their production, we were treated to
tastings of new products (biscuits &
nougat) with tea / coffee. This
family business is exceptionally
well run and their products are
fantastic. We all left vowing to buy
only Wedgewood items in the future. |
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Tomorrow we embark on our
Battlefield tour
with Nicki von der Heyde. Nicky set the
scene for the tour with a pre-dinner talk
tonight in the Camellia lounge. Dinner
followed in the Eaves Fine Dining Restaurant
at Granny Mouse. A pleasant end to a great
day in the Midlands. |
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