March 12, 2021 to March 13, 2021
Somerset East
Two days of rest
Friday 12/3/2021
On waking up this morning it was a pretty easy decision to add an extra day to our stay in Somerset East. We are feeling pretty tired still and the weather forecast for tomorrow is for air-dryer style hot winds from the west with the temperature and wind moderating the next day. To make it easier, the lovely modern garden cottage in which we are staying is great value at R400/night and the hosts kindly offered to do our laundry.
So we had a relaxing morning. I spent some time cleaning and adjusting our brakes which had taken a pounding on the descents over the last two days while Leigh did some Spanish lessons.
Later in the morning we visited the Walter Battiss Art Museum, just two houses away from our digs. Walter Battiss was one of Somerset East's most famous sons and was born in what is now his museum in 1906. He is considered to be South Africa's foremost water colourist, even winning a bronze at the last art was a category in the Olympic Games (London 1948). Quite a character, he is well known for his creation of the imaginary Fook Island in response to the Conceptualist Art movement of the 1960s and 70s. You can see some more of his creations here.
This afternoon we tried to visit the local museum but it was closed "Due to Covid-19" which seemed rather strange since there are no restrictions anymore on museums etc. Maybe it's an easy excuse for the local municipality not to expend manpower.
Saturday 13/3/2021
So far it seems that the decision to stay an extra day in Somerset East was a good one. This morning saw a strong north-westerley wind blow and the temperature sore to about thirty nine degree celsius. Elsewhere in the Eastern cape it got even hotter. East London, about three hundred kilometers up the coast from Port Elizabeth, previously had a record high of 42.6 degrees set on the 17th of February 1955. Today the mercury reached 43.9 !!!
So, apart from a sweaty trip to the local grocery store, we have spent most of the day inside hiding from the heat. I had a business meeting to attend to and the rest of the day has been spent doing very little. Tomorrow we head over the Bruintjieshoogte Pass to Pearston, a climb of over three hundred meters on a road I haven't traveled for about forty years. I'm looking forward to it.
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