Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa

 

Mart and Barb's house in Umhlanga

I'm back in Istanbul after an all-too-brief visit to South Africa. The days just flew by, even thought the weather was not all I had hoped it would be. While Istanbul was basking in glorious sunshine, Kwa Zulu Natal was enveloped in a chilly, damp cloud. On our last night there was an almighty thunderstorm, and as we left, the sun was shining in a cloudless sky. Oh well, perhaps next time...  Actually, the weather wasn't all bad. We did have three half days of sunshine, and we made the most of those.

Jane and Sean's house in Waterfall

On arrival at Jo'burg airport, we met David's brother, Paddy, for lunch while we waited for my flight to Durban, and David's flight to Harare. David was going fishing in Zimbabwe, while I was going to stay with Martin and Barbara, before visiting Jane and family. Members of our family don't always get to meet up often, as we are so spread around the world, but we always enjoy each others company when we do.

I had such fun staying with Barbara and Martin in Umhlanga. While there, Barbs and I went to a craft market, where she introduced me to photographer, Warwick Locke, and African wildlife artist, Wendy Beresford. You can see examples of their work here and here.

Sean talking to Wendy and Warwick at the Shongweni Farmers' Market

I was delighted to meet Warwick and Wendy again when Jane, Sean, the children and I went to Shongweni Farmers Market. Most of the artists selling their work in the market were Zimbabweans. One of them told me that his talent was a gift from God, because God knew that the Zimbabwe government wasn't going to look after its people, so He gave them their gifts so they could sell their work and look after themselves.

Sean from Zimbabwe. He makes decorations out of wire 

to sell in the market.

Another Zimbabwean artist displays his work

On one of our half-days of sunshine, we went to the Inanda dam. Jane, Sean and the children love fishing and sailing on the dam. This day we didn't have a lot of time, so they just fished, while I took photos. It really is a beautiful setting, with swathes of grass and foliage around the shore.

 

David and Jane watch Sean and the children as they fish.

Sean teaching Jordan to fish

Shannon and Sean fishing in the dam

The beautiful Inanda Dam, Kwa Zulu Natal

Fortunately, we will get to see Jane again in December on our family trip to Oz. I am really looking forward to that!

Cirque du Soleil in Istanbul

David and me, ready for an evening's entertainment

Last night we went to see Cirque du Soleil, courtesy of Shane, the General Manager of the Ulker Sports Arena where the performance was held. The evening was absolute magic, a symphony of music, dance and the most incredible acrobatics imaginable. Everything was choreographed from beginning to end. It wasn't one act followed by another, but rather never-ending music and movement, as each scene flowed into the next. I was mesmerised with the beauty and skill of the performers.

Barbara, Ann and Shane

Cirque du Soleil takes many forms. The one we saw was "Alegria" (Spanish for Joy). It was titled, "A Baroque ode to the energy, grace and power of youth". All the acts were amazing. We saw contortionists, whose bodies seemed made of rubber; acrobats flying through the air, defying gravity; fire jugglers; contortionists, and hilarious clowns. The opening number with the synchronised trapeze artists can be seen here, on You Tube.

The scene is set. The Ulker Arena is a vast open space, primarily for MBA, 

so the stage was set at one end, and seats placed on the floor of the arena.

The publicity blurb about Alegra says:

"Alegría is a mood, a state of mind. The themes of the show, whose name means "jubilation" in Spanish, are many. Power and the handing down of power over time, the evolution from ancient monarchies to modern democracies, old age, youth - it is against this backdrop that the characters of Alegría play out their lives. Kings' fools, minstrels, beggars, old aristocrats and children make up its universe, along with the clowns, who alone are able to resist the passing of time and the social transformations that accompany it."

The show begins...

Unfortunately, we were told to turn off our phones and cameras at this point, as no photos were allowed. But as I was too absorbed to take any photos anyway, I wasn't too put out!

If ever you get a chance to see the Cirque du Soleil, don't hesitate. You will be in for a memorable evening. I certainly want to see them again. Thank you, Shane, for your generosity. It was an evening I will never forget.

Locarno, Lake Maggiore, Italy

Ouch! Beware of Swiss trains! They can do lasting damage!

..but only if you really need to!

One fascinating trip we took when we were in Italy, was up to the northern tip of Lake Maggiore, to Locarno in Switzerland.  It involved a car ride to Laveno, a ferry to Baveno, a train from Baveno to Domodossola, and the Panoramic Train from Domodossola to Locano.

After our long journey we needed sustenance. Yum! Pizza Siciliana!

Lunch over, we toured the city, but we decided against the tourist train.

 Getting ready for the evening's screening

Locarno's Piazza Grande was preparing for its annual International Film Festival. Every year, thousands of film fans flock to the square for the eleven day homage to movie greats in this magnificent setting.

Does this mean women with children are not allowed?

We walked through the picturesque streets of the old town.

 Chiesa Nuova (New Church)

 Consecrated in 1636, Chiesa Nuova is adorned with statues of St Christopher, St Victor, St Michael, St Rocco and St Sebastian, and richly decorated with stucco embellishments.

The statue of St Christopher is the largest of the statues.

Castello Visconteo, dating back to the 12th century.

Dating from the twelfth century, this castle of the Visconti family from Milan has been preserved in its original state. It is now an archeological museum that contains artefacts from as far back as the Roman times.

This fortified bastion, attached to the castle, is believed to have been

designed by Leonardo da Vinci

Unfortunately, we had to hurry to catch our ferry back down the lake, so we didn't have time to explore further. Perhaps next time! Although we did just have time for an ice cream.

Villa Taranto, Pallanza, on Lake Maggiore, Italy

The actual Villa Taranto is now used by the

the Prefecture of the new Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola.

The tourists who flock to Lakes Garda and Como are missing the delights on offer in Lake Maggiore. One amazing place we visited was the garden of Villa Taranto. David and I couldn't believe our luck as we wandered through this botanical wonderland. We barely met a soul! This little-visited oasis is a treasure, not to be missed. The villa, and its surrounding land, was originally bought by Captain Neil McEacham, a Scotsman. He designed a typically English garden to remind him of home. When he died, he gifted the gardens to the Italian state, so his work would live on after him.

 David strolls through the beautiful gardens, with only the 

twittering of the birds to disturb the silence

As his garden developed, McEacham began to collect plants from all over the world, resulting in over 20,000 varieties of trees and shrubs. There are over 300 varieties of Dahlias alone!

Winding paths weave through the so-called Dahlia Maze

We looked into a hothouse and saw some enormous leaves. They were huge, more than 2 metres across! They were the leaves of an Amazonian waterlilly, unfortunately, the flowers are noctunal, so we only saw closed ones. It must be a magnificent sight when they are open.

The waterlilies, from the upper reaches of the Amazon, 

more normal waterlilies can be seen in front of them.

Captain Neil McEacham lies in a small chapel, set among the gardens.

There was a large pond of stunning lotus flowers. Some in bud...

...and others blown, but still beautiful

The Fisher, a bronze statue by the Neapolitan artist Vincenzo Gemito,
stands guard over this terraced garden with its waterfalls and brightly coloured plants,set among the most perfect lawns I have ever seen.

The Villa Taranto Gardens, are spectacular in their beauty, and anyone visiting the area should really make an effort to visit them. They are quite unique.