One of the oldest working wineries in the Western Cape, South Africa is Fraai Uitzicht 1798. It’s still making wine the traditional way with the original fermentation bassins. The winery is also known for it’s exquisite restaurant and beautiful old gardens. Plus 5 stars for restaurant and guest accommodation.
An impression:
Today is the start of one of the largest art events in the Overberg region in South Africa.
14 Artists from Napier present their work in 10 different locations. All are locally relatively unknown but all are able to make a living in one or another way in these difficult times.
On display are amongst others, paintings, drawings, sculptures, photo’s, handbags (not the crafty stuff) and jewellery.
Me and my wife, jewellery designer, Yvonne de Wit own Studio98 along the main road and that is where we present our work.
Yvonne designs and creates unique jewellery of copper and Sterling Silver all or not combines with each other and all or not with a stone she makes of colourful local (South African) earth particles and pigments which she binds in a natural way. It took her 2 years of experimenting with plant material that binds earth (pigments) into a water-, heat- and frost resistent stone. The metal comes in in granulates which she melts, shapes and welds into the the final product.
As for myself I will emphasise my Haiku photography. There are only 2 photographers in South Africa who are at home in this discipline. The phenomenon is relatively unknown in South Africa contrary to that with countries in Europe, the Far East, Australia and the Americas where most of my Haiku photos end up….. Most of the Haiku photos shown below are already sold but I’m not sitting still….
For 46 years now Betsie Wessels (née Grobbelaar) is the devoted organist of the DR-Church in Napier, South Africa.
A portrait of a living history.
This is community spirit of the highest level during the lockdown (over 50 days now) in South Africa.
It’s happening in Napier, Overberg, Western Cape, South Africa.
Where politics fail there are the Soup Sisters. Great initiative; widely supported by local businesses, farmers and private donations.
The staff of one of the ‘soup kitchens’ in Nuwerus, a ‘suburb’ of Napier in the Overberg region of the Western Cape, South Africa.
28 Volunteers with a multicultural background are engaged in feeding about 500 of the poorest people in our village.
They all are very grateful for donations from private people, businesses and the farming community of Napier.
From left to right: Wilbur Adams, Johanna Jaars, Lena Volkers, Sabine Arends and Nita Arends.
Where we live; Napier, Overberg, Western Cape, South Africa.
Blue Crane
As mentioned in the previous posting our village (Napier, Western Cape, South Africa) has talent. There are many initiatives to bring different communities/cultures (‘heritage’ of Apartheids syndrome’) together. One of these is the annual production of a theatre play. Two years ago it was ‘Cinderella; last year ‘Peter Pan’ and recently ‘Wonderland’ (based on Alice in Wonderland). And … it was a spectacle!!!
The productions are all privately funded (forget about politics: -promises, promises …..) and numerous volunteers involved in dress- and decor making, styling, make up, etc. etc.
Napier is a small town (village if you like) in the heart of the Overberg region; small but with a big heart. There are a few things in which the village is in the top of South Africa. Nowhere in the country are there so many working community initiatives per capita as in this village and, also because of that, it is statistically the safest pace in the Western Cape (also thanks to preventive measurements of the local police in co-junction with communities).
Anyway: it is ‘Wonderland’ in Napier. Here a selection of images (low light 1600 ISO, A 5.6 S between 0.5 and 1/60)
Herman van Bon Photography 