Capturing the Essence of a Room

The restoration of Towerwater was done to realise a passion for old buildings that started with the restoration of two Victorian Cottages in Cape Town. My memories are dotted with whitewashed buildings during my high school years in and around Swellendam, visiting family in Gamkaskloof, Barrydale and Prince Albert.

When one descends into Gamkaskloof the beauty of the place is overwhelming and the buildings seem humble in the presence of the majestic Swartberg Mountains. To me the buildings captured the spirit of people that built and lived in them. Vernacular buildings seem more human because of the handmade feel of the whitewashed cottages and buildings in the "Kloof". I remember the "leivore" and fruit trees bathed in the herbal smell of the mountain fynbos, with the echo of barking baboons in the kranse. The inside of the cottages smelled of wood fires, baked bread and coffee roasted in the black pot with a bit of sugar that made them look shiny.

I remember the kitchen of oom Stappies Cordier's house in Prince Albert where the smoke from the hearth stained the chimney breast and hearth beam black and turned the cottage into something medieval. Listening to the conversations of the adults that lingered on the edge of my daydreaming made me feel safe.

My grandma's house in Barrydale with its white walls and black thatch was cool in summer and it felt like it was dwarfed by the apricot orchard where I could sit with my feet in the leivoor eating royal apricots with their red cheeks and throat burning sweetness.

Towerwater was always this beautiful place to us because we looked at it through our happy memories of special people framed like precious photographs in clay and thatch buildings.

 

The Dining Room

When we planned the interiors I dreamed of white walls, clay floors, aloe stained reed ceilings and cleaned Oregon pine doors. Scraping patches on the wall to see what colours were used revealed that each room was painted a different colour. The colours reflected a very Georgian palette and we had to respect the building and restore the original colours on the walls.

The Voorkamer

A company could give me lime wash in the shades that we wanted and we restored the rooms to their historical look.

The Voorkamer and Stinkwood bedroom

While stripping the doors I discovered that they were stained very dark, a practise for making what was regarded as a cheap wood look more expensive in the 19th century. I could match the stain and after stripping them I restained them.

The Stinkwood Bedroom

The Yellowwood Bedroom

The house guided us in the restoration and the final product just felt right and when the carefully collected period furniture was introduced we realised that we have captured the essence of the house.

Rivers, Ruins and Restorations

The weekend was a  weekend of sheer indulgence of the best in Bonnievale. It is the 50th celebration of VASSA this year and I organized a weekend to Bonnievale and our home, Towerwater for the Vernacular Architecture Society of South Africa. As chairman I decided to open our home and restoration project to the society to share our passion for the architecture and lifestyle that goes with it.Our property has been a restoration not just only of the architecture but also the gardens and the interaction of the two with each other.

Bon Courage 1818

 The tour started at the 1818 gabled building of Bon Courage followed by a visit to Burgershof with its 1879 gabled house where proud owner Hennie Reynecke regaled us with his stories.

Burgershof 1879

Then we went to Goede Moed the 1879 "little sister" of Burgershof ending with an amazing lunch at Christina's in the garden of the late Jean Retief of Van Loveren.

Goede Moed 1879

After lunch we went to Weltevrede where we were met by a howling Southeaster a tractor and wagon.Admittedly I have to say that people were blown away in more ways than one.

Lourens Jonker

In true Vernacs style the tour group  braved the storming Southeaster on a open tractor ride to the heritage "Oupa se Wingerd" . Our formidable host Lourens Jonker entertained us with stories all the way to the only vineyard that has been declared a heritage site. The vines still produce wine and Lourens Jonker handed each tour member a bottle of gold award winning, "Oupa se Wyn" to commemorate the golden anniversary of VASSA.

Oupa se Wyn

After a tractor trip along the vineyard we saw "Ons Huise' a small restored cottage dating back to the time of Forrest Rigg.

Towerwater Aan De Breede our restored Cape vernacular building dating back to the early 1800's was our next stop where a proper high tea was served in the Cape vernacular dining room with tea cakes and cream baked by our friend Susan Cashin this was accompanied by strawberries out of the garden.The rooms were filled with roses that echoed the abundant rosarium outside. It was a privilege to entertain such an amazing group of people and sharing our restoration adventure of 23 years.

Susan's Lemon Tea Cake

Supper was at Weltevrede in the specially prepared  historical underground wine cellar. The Vernacs were treated to a food and wine pairing with generous amounts of estate wines and a visit from owner and winemaker Phillip Jonker. Elzette Steyn the marketing manager at Weltevrede gave us an impromptu demonstration in the making of MCC.

Supper in historical wine tanks

Sunday morning started with a visit to the Bonnievale Museum, Myrtle Rigg Church and Hooggelegen the property of the Wolffs where we looked at a Cape vernacular cottage in the process of restoration. Marcella Beukman and her sons Gideon and Herman welcomed us to the historical family home at Boesmansdrift. The T-shape house that was built in the early 1800's retained most of the historical features, woodwork and ironmongery. A true record of the Cape vernacular architecture of the region.

Original Yellowwood front door at Boesmansdridt

We looked at the amazing Cape vernacular buildings at Jan Harmansgat with their "opgekleide mure". The property dates back to 1723 and has a rich history.We had lunch in the restored wine cellar and after lunch the group went home "weltevrede" and with "goedemoed" for the journey back.

I have to thank this amazing group of Vernacs for making this outing such a pleasure, they were the perfect guests. I thank our hosts for giving so generously of their time and hospitality.

I am humbled by nature

Poets were and are inspired by Spring and Nature. By us October is the middle of Spring and Nature is like a teenager experimenting with different looks before she settles into a refined look for Summer.

The valley is draped in so many shades of green that one cannot even get names for. The vineyards are a bright green with muted edges that shines in the bright sunshine and the orange/red vygies along the road looks like little cool contained bushfires in the veld. I wonder if one can ever capture the true abundance of colours and shades of nature on a canvas or in a photograph. I have tried and always realise that sunshine adds so many relections to a colour that one can capture a moment in the life of a colour but never the true colour.

The garden is bursting into life and every weekend is a new adveture in discovering the beauty of it. I am humbled by the brilliance of nature and cannot wait for the next surprise.

 

The Herb Garden Captured in Shades of Green

The Rose Garden Bursting into Colour

The Garden Captured in a Snapshot

   “You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.”
― Pablo Neruda

The Many Shades of White

Coming home last weekend was a different experience because I had no keys or remotes to activate to get into the property. I felt strangely unsettled because the routine of checking and double checking all the keys and remotes for the property was absent from my trip home from Cape Town.

Instead Keith was waiting to open the gate for me; it was dark already but in the street light falling into the property I could see the expression on his face. The only way I can describe that expression is of a kid going to a birthday party with the certainty that his gift is the best and he can't wait to see this confirmed on the face of the friend who will receive it.

Keith spent the week on the property and with the help of Shawn and Dirk completed the whitewashing or Lime washing of the main house as well as tending to a lot of other repairs and maintenance on the property.

It was the best gift to see the building so clearly white in the fading light of the afternoon. We stand amazed by what we achieved over the last 23 years and only we know the sacrifices that we had to make and are still making to realise this dream. We constantly try and amaze each other with what can still be done on the property and the feeling that you have achieved this has become like a drug.

Lime wash turns the house into something edible, the best marzipan log or fondant and marzipan covered Christmas cake. The pebbledash plaster reflects the different shades of white made by the million little hills and dales of the plaster. The reflecting whiteness makes it softer on the eye in the sharp African sun that can fade even a brilliant blue sky.

The hearth and kitchen gable

The new front facade

The old front facade

"Let's try and avoid death in small doses,
reminding oneself that being alive requires an effort far greater than the simple fact of breathing.

Only a burning patience will lead
to the attainment of a splendid happiness.”
― Pablo Neruda

Blue Roses

True blue roses do not exist and the closest scientist  have come to growing a blue rose is lilac or mauve. This has not stopped us from creating a blue and burgundy section in the rosarium. In Rudyard Kipling's poem the Blue Roses it becomes the object of an impossible demand of a lover.

Veilchenblau

Burgundy Iceberg

Ellerines Rose

Blue Ribbon

Stormy Weather

Shakepeare said "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" but I wish to differ no rose is the same in colour or fragrance and that is why a rosarium is so captivating.

....et haec tua dona ....

The green oak leaves cast cool shadows on the lawn and the breeze allows the sun to filter through onto the table set for lunch. I cast my eyes over this peacefull setting and close them.

"Benedic, Domine, nos et haec tua dona quae de tua largitate sumus sumpturi. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen."

I open my eyes and realise I am not dreaming, I am a part of this blessed life.

et haec tua dona

Keith is home for  a couple of days and the Latin prayer he said for lunch lingers in the air before it dissapears into the garden blessing the bounty and the gifts in the garden.

It was my weekend to experiment with polenta. I brought some home from Italy last year and was very precious about it to the extent where I could have lost it to an expiry date.

Heinrich saved my Italian polenta by bringing new stock back for me with his first flight back from Zurich. He is now commuting between Cape Town and Zurich and brings with him so many new experiences and the freedom not to be precious about polenta.

We made a big serving of polenta that was close to the consistency of "stywe pap" and poured it into a mould and left it to cool down.  For supper I made baked polenta with oven roasted fillet steak and rosemary infused beef tea.

Baked polenta with Parmesan shavings

The wine for this meal was Springfield's Whole Berry cabernet sauvignon.

For Sunday lunch I made a beef and roasted polenta salad with a slightly chilled Van Loveren Pinot Noir.

Polenta Roasted in Rosemary

Dessert was freshly picked Strawberries from the garden on Yogurt from the cheese shop down the road and all this was covered in Rose Petal liqueur.

 

Strawberries in Rose Petal Liqueur

Fresh  Drunken Strawberries

"Agimus tibi gratias, omnipotens Deus, pro universis beneficiis tuis, qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum. Amen. "

Easter Egg Radishes and Assam salad dressing

Sunday morning  in my garden brings a lot of pleasant surprises.Like the first crop of sunripened Strawberries that you pick after the early morning sprinkler watering. I just go down on my haunches and pick the sweet red pockets of fruit that captured the sun. I have a brief sense of guilt for not sharing this delicasy but that feeling pass quickly when my teeth brakes the soft skin and the sweetness burst into my mouth and makes me forget the things I might regret. How do I even describe the taste of a sunripened Strawberry to the masses that think if it is red and shaped like a strawbnerry it must be a strawberry.

I envy them their ignorance because they still have the chance to discover what a real Strawberry taste like and that can be a glorious moment.

I have sowed Easter Egg Radishes and I discovered that they are ready for harvesting. They are too pretty and for once the picture on the packet did not lie. I believe October is going to be a time for discovering Radish Recipes in shades of white, pink and purple.

 

Easter Egg Radishes

My salad garden is coming up like the hair on a dog and thining out the seedlings leaves me with a bowl of baby mixed lettuce and rocket leaves. I am reminded of my time in Venice and buying hands full of Salata Mista baby leaves for less then R10/kg at the Rialto Market. I love baby and micro salad leaves and having them in my garden is just an amazing luxury.

I ended up making a smoked chicken , avocado, blue cheese and baby lettuce  salad with nasturtium flowers for lunch and made an Assam  tea and lime sallad dressing with it. A Botha Cellar Chenin Blanc complimented it nicely.

My baby leave salad

I adore traveling, after each trip I love our property more. As T. S. Elliot said;
"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time."

I met a Firecat in my Garden

Sunday morning was spent unblocking the sprinkler heads on the irrigation. Between watering cycles I decided to plant my Lemon Thyme, Golden Marjoram and my free gift from Stodels that looked like it wish it was somewhere else. I have to admit it wanted to be in the shade and I left it in the more than balmy sun on Saturday. I hope it is now happy behind the cottage in the shade garden.

Belonging to Stodels Garden club can be a problem, every month I get a free gift, normally a plant. Most of the time it is a very inappropriate plant for our garden and I walk away from Stodels with a new plant feeling that I was set up on a blind date dreading the experience. Will he like my house? what do I feed him, do we have the same interests?

I have a weakness, I cannot turn plants away and I will find a spot for them. The orphan Clivias I rescued from the dump are flowering! There they are with no leaves because I had to cut off the leaves to compensate for their loss of roots, pushing out flowers as if to say thank you for rescuing us.

As I walked to the herb garden a strange shape on the pips near the Seville caught my eye and the shape that was blending with the pips looked at me with a bored expression as if to say,Oh please go plant your little herbs  and it closed its eyes and carried on with its catnap. I wanted to say hey this is my garden but I know better then to argue with a Firecat.

The Firecat blending with the pips.

Green Figs and Blue Cheese

Green Fig preserve is just something that is so Cape. It can be a singular indulgence or it can be a dinner party piece de resistance. It is great with a soft cheese but with Gorgonzola or a blue vein cheese it is unbeatable.

A singular indulgence

Mejuffrou Dijkman en die groen vye

Ek versamel historiese Suid Afrikaanse kookboeke en een wat in my versameling is  die Kook-, Koek- en Resepteboek van Mejufvr. E.J. Dijkman geskryf in 1890 in die Paarl. Die voorwoord is klasiek  sy skryf aan haar lesers.
 
"As di resepte deur julle noukeurig geweeg en gemaak word, dan moet alles goed kom. Di fout sal aan julle le as dit nie goed kom nie"
 
Dit is tyd vir groen vye maak en ons het potte vol gekry van Stella en 'n vrou in die dorp. Ek deel graag Mejufvr. Dijkman se resep vir groen vye.
 
"Groen Vye Komfyt
Vir 100 vye, neem 6lb. witsuiker, skil die vye mooi dun af met 'n messi, of krap dit af met 'n stukki glas, sny 'n kruisie er in, kook dit op met 'n hand vol sout, laat dit dan skielik in koud water 3 maal agter makaar val, dat dit skielik koud word, kook dan die stroop dik en doet die vye daarin, laat dit goed  deur komfyt. 'n ander manier is om di vye op te kook met 'n handvol wingerdblare nadat dit 24 uur geleg het in kalkwater, 2 lepels kalk in 'n fyn lappi op 'n emmer water, is oek 'n goeie manier"

Miskien probeer ek dit nog.

Nie Mejufvr. Dijkman se vye nie

Ek is nou in Oktober

Hoe kan ek hierdie gevoel binne my beskryf as ek by Towerwater stop en alles is so ongelooflik mooi. Louis Leipoldt het dit so raak beskryf in Oktobermaand;

Dit is die maand Oktober! Die mooiste, mooiste maand!
Dan is die dag so helder, so groen is elke aand,
so blou en sonder wolke die hemel heerlik bo,
so blomtuin vol van kleure die asvaal ou Karoo,
so blomtuin vol van kleure die asvaal ou Karoo.

Dit is die maand Oktober! Die varkblom is in bloei;
oor al die seekoeigate is kafferskuil gegroei;
die koppies, kort gelede nog as ‘n klip so kaal,
het nou vir welkomsgroetnis hul mooiste voor gehaal;
het nou vir welkomsgroetnis hul mooiste voor gehaal.

Dit is die maand Oktober! Die akkerboom is groen;
die bloekoms langs die paaie is almal nuut geboen;
en orals in die tuin rond ruik jy sering en roos,
jasmyn en katjiepiering, lemoen en appelkoos,
jasmyn en katjiepiering, lemoen en appelkoos.

Dit is die maand Oktober! Ek dink die mense vier
vir ewig in die hemel Oktobermaand soos hier!
Wat wens jy meer as blomme, as helder dag en nag?
Wat kan jy beter, mooier of heerliker verwag?
Wat kan jy beter, mooier of heerliker verwag?

Wat gee ek om die winter? Wat praat jy nou van Mei?
Wat skeel dit as ons later weer donker dae kry?
Ek is nou in Oktober, die mooiste, mooiste maand,
met elke dag so helder, so pragtig elke aand!
Met elke dag so helder, so pragtig elke aand!

Ek gee toe hy het oor die Karoo geskryf maar ons lê darrem so skuins in die Klein Karoo. Alles is nuut en groen en die geluk en vrede hang tasbaar in die tuin en huis. Al die voëls bou nes selfs die Jan Fiskaal het sy moord tog gestaak en in plaas van 'n akkedis gewaar ek hom in die Akkerboom met 'n veer in die bek.

 

Die tuin maak gereed vir die eerste rose

Die eerste rose



Die nuut afgekalkte vooraansig

Die Bougainvillea by die hek

Die Skoonheid van Kaapse argitektuur



'n Muur van Kappertjies

Ja Louis, ek dink ook die mense vier vir ewig in die hemel Oktobermaand soos hier!

The Cape came home in Bubblewrap

It was great to come home after two weeks, I spent last weekend in Cape Town attending a workshop for conservation bodies. 

I was looking forward to see the progress on the property with Shawn limewashing the buildings. Monday the removal company delivered the consignment of Cape antique furniture from Pretoria. Danie and Stella drove through from Worcester to take delivery of the pieces.

Keith has decided that he is going to repatriate every piece of Cape furniture in Gauteng to Towerwater.

On Fridays I normally arrive at the house with its neatly manicured garden, unlock the double doors and switch on the side lamp next to the Chesterfield casting a warm glow on the leather. Then I switch on the lamp in the library and the light spills over the books on the shelves painting a scene of a room for reserved entertainment.
This Friday was different, when I switch on the first lamp I lit up a room full of bubblewrap or actually full of strange objects wrapped in bubble wrap. I was grateful for Danie and Stella who made sure I had room to move.

Saturday morning was spent unwrapping furniture, inspecting them according to instruction and moving them into their positions.

The jonkmanskas
 

The Pegtop table with the pegs visible
 

The two pieces of furniture that started it all was two Cape Regency armchairs made by B W van Dyk in Barry Street, Robertson and that is why they had to come home. Thanks to Philip and Ian, in Paris who helped to bring them home.

The B W van Dyk Chairs

The Maker's stamp on the chairs

More on the furniture of the house to follow.

Details of a lime-washed room

The Cape chair

Restoring a Cape Regency linen press

BW van Dyk - 19th Century furniture maker, Robertson

The BW van Dyk chairs that found us

The Cape came home in Bubblewrap

The anatomy of a BW van Dyk dining chair

The anatomy of a BW van Dyk dining carver