Darling is the heartbeat of the west coast region.
The thriving little
village lies tucked away
between hills of
vineyards and golden
wheat fields and is the
business hub for the
surrounding areas. The
town is strategically
well positioned only
75km from Cape Town
along the West Coast
road.
As is usual when heading
out in a westerly
direction, the
Constantia group were
first to be collected,
followed by Tableview.
By the time we reached
the Jakkalsfontein
turnoff along the R27,
it was time for a
comfort break and for
those who missed
breakfast, to indulge in
a quick snack.
Vyge Valley Farm Stall
was just the place to
stop.
The Farm Stall stocks
farm breads, great pies,
pastries, homemade jams,
local crafts, curios and
indigenous plants. There
is a safe outside area
for children, with a
playground and farm
animals. The Darling
Wynhuis is on the same
premises and stocks
wines from the area.
First stop in Darling
was at the home of
Margee Gough,
seen
(right) with Joan &
Diana.
"Once I’m on a roll I
get so busy you can’t
stop me. I become
obsessed. People don’t
understand it,” says
Margee Gough
Her embroidery is
unbelievable. The
needlewomen amongst the
Time Out Ladies Club
members, appreciated the
work that goes into each
piece displayed.
We had some time to spare before
lunch, so went to look at the
museum. Ingrid was caught
reminiscing about her days in
the typing pool, when Typex was
in vogue!
A local Darling lady spotted our
coach outside the Museum, and
before long, had the ladies
enthralled with her knowledge of
the museum and Darling.
She promoted everything, and
encouraged the ladies to book
for all the festivals.
Caroline and Yvonne took
"TimeOut" outside the
museum to catch up with
each other. We
then went down to Evita
se Perron where the
lovely air conditioned
restaurant was the
perfect place to order a
cold drink.
The Marmalade Cat in the
Main Road was our venue
for lunch today.
They had seated everyone
inside which was lovely
and cool. It being
a very hot day in
darling even the
courtyard outside seemed
balmy!
Yvonne, Molly and Jenny
look very happy - who
wouldn't with those
gorgeous desserts
waiting to be eaten.
Pavlova with vanilla ice
cream and delicious
fresh fruit.
Meanwhile Brenda made
sure she was stocked up
with provisions from the
deep freeze. "Who
wants to cook after a
day out" she said.
What is Ingrid so excited about?
Could it be the stuffed doll she was
dancing with?
If we could sell our
experiences for what they
cost us, we would all be
millionaires.
- Abigail Van Buren
