27 January 2011

Vermaaklikheid: Along Muddy Roads

Date: 22 January 2011

Location: Vermaaklikheid

Walkers: Helen & Michele

*** Route plotted here ***

See the Vermaaklikheid archive here for all of my walks around this village.

Away on holiday with friends... a long weekend in Vermaaklikheid. Our first morning was a rainy one, but once the weather improved we set off from our cottage for a ramble around. It was still overcast and the roads muddy.




It was lovely to be back amongst the grey-green hills of this hamlet.


We couldn't walk very far along the road upriver as we reached a padlocked gate. Instead we strolled back, saying hello to a friendly cat...



... and finding a few flowers.





And continued on in the other direction, towards the village.




Vegetation: reeds and grasses, thorny trees and shrubs, and succulents.




As we approached the main road I got a look at the development that I saw for the first time on my last visit. The dam is still there and looks okay but what's with the rocky paving and the ridiculous while pillars and sections of wall everywhere? And as for the display of rusty farm implements on the gravelled plinth...!



We walked on into the quiet village.



We passed the restaurant, and popped into the shop/post office.



And then we strolled back along the road...




... passing cows, horses, goats and numerous birdies.



.

2 comments:

Firefly the Travel Guy said...

I have passed over the Duiwenhoks River in Heidelberg in the Overberg, but didn't know that there was such a town at its mouth (if its even the same river). It does look like a nice little place to explore.

Anonymous said...

It is the same river but Vermaaklikheid is not quite at the mouth: Puntjie is. Vermaaklikheid is about 10 km from the sea, but a beautiful little village close to the river. Well worth exploring. Try to get onto the river too, though, as you get a very different view of the area.