Forty plus

Stephen and I went down to Riversong on the weekend of the 19-21 Feb, with John and Julie Hughes, friends from Scotland who came to thaw out after a long, hard winter in Crieff. Well - I don't think they bargained on temperatures in the forties! Most of the weekend was spent submerged in the river, which we shared with lots of Red-veined Dropwings (Trithemis arteriosa) - a common but spectacularly beautiful dragonfly. Thank-you to whoever thoughtfully provided this table and chairs at the river.Lots of colourful Mitre Aloes, Aloe perfoliata (Aloe mitriformis a short while ago!) were growing above our cottage in the rocks.

On the way up from Cape Town, we had a very nice lunch at a little Bistro on Bergsig Wine Estate - well worth a stop (after stocking up at the Rietdakkie farm stall). This is their "Bergsig salad". Just perfect for a hot summer's lunch on the road. Other eateries along the way can be found on the Breedekloof Wine Route website's excellent interactive map.