A Nice Little Outing…

3-24pm

Today after the show, I had to take Sally to the airport. She bid a sad farewell to Granny and I said goodbye to her at the upper level “stop and drop.” The day was spectacular and so Table Mountain from the airport looked as if I could touch it…

Ok, maybe not ‘touch it’ but it looks beautiful none the less!

On the way home, I spent an hour revisiting Rhodes Memorial. It was the perfect day for it.  Situated on the slopes of Devil’s Peak in Groote Schuur Estate, it was a favourite spot of Cecil John Rhodes. CJR owned a huge amount of the lower slopes of Table Mountain, including the land on which UCT is situated and all of Kirstenbosch which on his death was left to “the people of South Africa.”

This is the view that CJR would have enjoyed from his private bench…

…although it would have been very different in his day

Sir Herbert Baker designed Rhodes Memorial with a Greek theme. It has 49 steps, one for each year of CJR’s life. At the bottom of the steps is a bronze statue of a horseman. The statue in named ‘Energy’ & the inscription on this part of the monument is “To the spirit and life work of Cecil John Rhodes who loved and served South Africa”.

Up the stairs behind the upper pillars is a statue of CJR himself, with the inscription, “The immense and brooding spirit still shall quicken and control. Living he was the land and dead his soul shall be her soul”.

Through the pillars

Above it is the inscription, “TO THE SPIRIT AND LIFE WORK OF CECIL JOHN RHODES WHO LOVED AND SERVED SOUTH AFRICA
1853 – 1902”

I always love visiting Rhodes Memorial. It’s far from the madding crowd!

The Monument was completed and dedicated in 1912.

After a little wonder up the stairs, I headed for the lovely restaurant and sat at an outdoor table admiring the view…

It was mid-morning. I ordered a latte and a croissant. Brunch…

That was a lovely little break. I wound my way home, via the Mall to do some shopping and some banking. Granny would have been feeling a little blue after Sally’s departure so I bought her a R10 Petunia and a chocolate…

…which has been planted…and eaten!

Isaiah 55:12 – “You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.”

Enjoy each day!

God bless you!

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂