A quiet day in Argomaniz
We had settled into a wonderful Parador, overlooking this plain with Vitoria in the distance, and decided on a quiet day in Argomaniz. We decided not to tackle a big city, but amuse... READ MORE
Sos to Argomaniz
Sos to Estella We took the usual road into Sanguesa but this time crossed the River Aragon, leaving the town behind us as we drove westwards along the river valley. The valley is... READ MORE
Walking round the walls of Sos del Rey Catolico
Somehow I managed to mislay my photographs, and so for a second time I walked around the walls of Sos del Rey Catolico. It is a good way of seeing the town, and... READ MORE
A visit to Uncastillo and Luesia
We set off from Sos to visit Uncastillo, and Luesia. We had been to Uncastillo in the past, but Luesia was new. READ MORE
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Historic Buildings in Graaff Reinet
There are three buildings of which Graaff Reinet is particularly proud: The Drostdy, The Town Hall, and the Dutch Reformed Church. Just remember the town has over 200 historic buildings! The Drostdy Hotel was designed by Louis Michel Thibault and built 1804-06. … Continued
The Art Museum, Graaff Reinet
The Hester Rupert Art Museum (1821) is a beautiful building on the main road in Graaff Reinet, with some wonderful works of art. Do not miss this museum if you are in the town. Dr Anton Rupert (1916-2006), an extraordinary man, was born in … Continued
The Old Library, Graaff Reinet
The Old Library is the fourth building in the Graaff Reinet Museum Complex.
The Old Residency, Graaff Reinet
The land on which The Old Residency stands was first bought by Willem Janssens in 1801 and the house was built in 1819 by Johannes Gerber. The house changed hands several times and was eventually bought by the Rubidge family in 1855. It … Continued
Urquhart House, Graaff Reinet
Urquhart House was built sometime between 1806-21 on land belonging to Johan Hendrik Greyling in the Cape Dutch style, with a prominent anchor and stars on the front gable. Incredibly, the reason for these decorations is unknown. The building became the … Continued
Reinet House, Graaff Reinet
On our first day in Graaff Reinet we launched ourselves into The Graaff Reinet Museum which is housed in four historic buildings: Reinet House, Urquhart House, The Old Library, and The Old Residency. Reinet House, built in 1812 on an H-plan, … Continued
Graaff Reinet in the Karoo
Graaff Reinet is named after Cornelis van de Graaff, the then-Governor of the Cape Colony, and his wife whose maiden name was ‘Reinet’. It was founded in 1786 and is the fourth oldest town in South Africa (after Cape Town, Stellenbosch, and Swellendam). … Continued
The Pellissier House Museum, Bethulie
The Rev Jean Pierre Pellissier (1808-67), of the newly created Paris Evangelical Missionary Society, arrived in the Cape in 1831. He stayed in Wellington to learn Dutch, and then moved further north to Bethulie. His house was built in 1834-35 by C Gosselin, a … Continued
British Concentration Camp in Bethulie, Free State
The concentration camp at Bethulie was one of the largest camps established by the British during the Anglo-Boer War, 1899-1902. Of the 1,737 people who died at the camp, 1,311 were under 15 years, and 426 were over 15 years. The women and … Continued
Bloemfontein to Graaff Reinet
It was going to be a long, hot day and so we set off early to drive 504 kms from Bloemfontein to Graaff Reinet.