Pretoria Daily Photo

Zwartkops Raceway

2009-06-20T19:07:00.001+02:00

There was classic car racing at Zwartkops Raceway today.

The mood is BLUE in Pretoria....

2009-05-24T17:43:00.000+02:00

At 16h30 this afternoon the mood was very relaxed in the long queue which had formed outside Loftus Versveld.... Bulls supporters were bracing themselves (in best possible South African fashion - beers around the braaivleis) to make it through the chilly night, to be first in line for the ticket sales which open tomorrow morning for the big Bulls vs Chiefs Super 14 Final clash next Saturday.

Click here for the official Bulls website.

Country roads...

2009-05-10T17:25:00.000+02:00

South Africa - May the 10th 2009
Blue sky - “newborn” eye,
Land lies, veld sighs:
Renewed breath of hope.
~S.H.

Roadside view over Boschkop.
We love going for a "Sunday drive" and this one led us through the Boschkop area, which is east of Pretoria, to Rosemary Hill where enjoyed a lazy breakfast to celebrate Mother's Day.

Freedom Day

2009-04-27T17:12:00.007+02:00

Celebrating Freedom Day today in Pretoria - 15 years of democracy and the peaceful passing of the elections of the 22nd of April ....
We went for a hike up the Faerie Glen "mountain" and around the little Faerie Glen Nature Reserve.
Today was just another perfect Pretoria autumn's day - we basked in the warm and glowing golden South African sunshine. Pure bliss!
What we saw: the Pretoria horizon looking west, Clematis in flower and we also came across an African Land Snail on the trail...

When it's not raining, it's pouring....

2009-02-27T10:23:00.008+02:00

Not the most wonderful photo to post on my first time back on Pretoria Daily Photo after a LONG break - I posted it for the following reason...

This particular Plectranthus ecklloni bush is flowering for the first time in the 5 and a half years we have been living here in Pretoria. Normally by this time of the year - late summer - it would have been sunburnt and shriveled to half its size. Now it is standing at full height (about 1 and a half metres) and is sporting beautiful spires of mauve flowers - this bears testament to the cool and very rainy weather we have been having.
Gauteng, in general, has had a deluge of rain since the beginning of the year.
So far in Pretoria we have had just under 300mm for February alone, and this includes 2 flash floods (on the 4th of February we received 180mm of rain, and some parts of Pretoria got as much as 200mm!).
Link: Rain chaos in Gauteng

Yesterday Johannesburg received the worst of the rain, and there are still people (including a 20 month old toddler) missing after being swept away by flood water. Click here for the latest about the rain in the news.

For more info on Plectranthus click here

So hello from me....from a not-so-sunny South Africa!

Moon #49

2008-08-13T17:43:00.004+02:00

The beautiful moon over Pretoria this evening at around 17h25.

Today
Sunrise: 06:37
Sunset: 17:46
Moonphase: Waxing
Moonrise: 14:40
Moonset: 04:07

Data from The South African Weather Service

Spring in full swing! #48

2008-08-12T16:54:00.007+02:00

Spring has come suspiciously early this year...which probably means we can expect a nasty cold snap soon...
I spent the last few days vascillating between enjoying the warm spring weather while working in my garden, and lying on my sun-drenched couch watching the live coverage of the Olympics (mens' swimming in particular ;) ). Life doesn't get much better than this!
Today I planted a whole lot of Arum lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica). These are native to South Africa and are a popular shade-loving garden plant.

To read more about this interesting plant click here!

Candle in my window for Tibet #47

2008-08-08T08:56:00.003+02:00

I remembered to light a candle for Tibet. Have you?
Candle for Tibet

Beautifully naked.....#46

2008-08-07T15:53:00.003+02:00

Completely bare and just the way I like them....Now that I have grabbed your attention, you'll see that I'm refering to my stinkwood trees, or Celtis africana trees, to be precise. We live in a mini-forest of 10 gigantic stinkwood trees and over the last 4 months have spent countless hours sweeping up innumerable piles of leaves dropped by them, and now, finally, finally they are (thankfully) leafless....!
This photo is for comparison purposes, for in a few weeks they will burst into spring leaf at a remarkable rate....The most vivid lime green leaves will magically appear almost overnight, and the trees' "leaf" cycle will start all over again. (I will post the next installment soon!)

A horny fish called Whanda... #45

2008-08-06T11:06:00.008+02:00

Concrete artist Robert van den Berg with his sculpture, Whanda, at The Gallery at Duncan Yard, corner of Duncan and Prospect Street in Hatfield.
The Gallery exhibits fresh and funky works by young aspiring Pretoria artists, all with that special South African flavour (the artworks and the artists!).

The Gallery at Duncan

O gats! What happened to my house? #44

2008-08-05T15:27:00.006+02:00

Click on photo to enlarge. Mr and Mrs Visser stand in front of the huge crack that has ripped through the foundation of their house in Lyttelton Manor. The other photos are of their neighbour's badly damaged house.

"I don't know whether I should laugh or cry", joked Tjitske Visser as she and her husband happily obliged to pose for a photo. They were remarkably composed, considering that about 15 metres away, their neighbour's house has partially collapsed, presumably due to a sinkhole, over the last three days.
"If my house had been built 5 metres closer to that side, " said Eddie Visser nodding towards his neighbours property, "it would have also collapsed."

According to newspaper reports Visser's neighbour, a Mr Danie Els, noticed the first crack appearing on Thursday last week, and then the foundations started sinking on the Friday. The Els family were told to move out of their house by the municipality on Saturday. The perimeter walls collapsed on Sunday and the other walls fell over yesterday.
When I was there this afternoon the municipality was busy cordoning off the area, which looked like the aftermath of an earthquake, with fences and barbed wire.

There seems to be some contention as to whether the damage was caused by subsidence or a sinkhole (what's the dif?). Lyttelton is built on dolomite as is most of Centurion (southern Tshwane) and sinkholes are common.

Links: Gautrain sinkhole "a wake-up call"

Ground swallowing Pta house

Old broad....#43

2008-08-04T15:10:00.004+02:00

A Plymouth-something-or-other at the Cars in the Park yesterday.
Sorry, don't know what this old dame is exactly (as I said before I'm useless with cars...) but I know she's American and looks circa 1950s.
Anybody know what she is exactly?

Anyway I was attracted by her curvaceous lines and strawberry milkshake paint job -she's a real roadhouse beaut!

Note to self: next year take a notebook with to Cars in the Park to jot down car names and models :)

Cars in the park #42

2008-08-03T14:39:00.006+02:00

Today the annual Cars in the Park is being held at Zwartkops Racetrack. This event is hosted by The Pretoria Old Motor Club and is one of the biggest shows, if not the biggest, for car enthusiasts in South Africa .

We popped in at Cars in the Park this morning, well "popped in" is an understatement as we got stuck in the traffic jam of hundreds of visitors going in and again when leaving.
I never thought I'd enjoy going to a display of "old timer cars", as my little boys like to call them, and what I know about motor vehicles is seriously dodgy, but I must say it was a photographer's heaven! There were amazing shots just waiting to be taken in every direction.
Unfortunately we could not stay long as the children got more and more whiney...just too much walking for little legs.
Will definitely go back next year, a lot earlier in the day and without the children.

Link: Pretoria Old Motor Club

A heart for South Africa #41

2008-08-02T21:32:00.009+02:00

A photo of my TV screen. Hey folks, this isn't Grey's Anatomy - this is real life!

South Africa has just witnessed its first ever broadcast of live open heart surgery (single heart bypass) on SABC3 (a public TV channel). (Thankfully it was tastefully scheduled for after supper time.)
Wally Katzke, aged 52, agreed that his operation be broadcast live as part of a week-long campaign called the "Meet Wally's Heart Project" a project by the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa (HSFSA).
The operation took place at the Netcare Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg and so far has been a success.

Heart disease is the number one killer of South Africans (over 72 000 deaths a year!) and 33 deaths due to heart attack a day! Shocking statistics; clearly we should be worrying less about crime and more about our lifestyles!

Seeing a heart pumping is one of the most awesome sights and a reminder of just how precious life is...

For more click on Wally's site Meet my Heart

Theme Day : Metal - Celebratory coin #40

2008-08-01T14:45:00.005+02:00

5 million of these special coins were minted in celebration of Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday, and were released into circulation on that day, the 18th of July.

These commemorative coins are already hard to find as they are being snapped up by coin collectors everywhere. This one was kindly loaned to me by Paul, my corner shop owner.

Link - The Mandela Coin: The frenzy is unleased

Link to see other Metal Theme Day photos from around the world:
Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Pretoria fresh produce #39

2008-07-31T15:47:00.004+02:00

This is what I bought at my corner shop yesterday.

1 box of 15 naartjies (mandarins) R10.99
1 box of 16 guavas R10.99
1 box of 16 avocado pears R25.99
1 box of 13 papinos R12.99

TOTAL = ZAR 60.96 (US$8.31 and Euro 5.31) for all that lovely fresh fruit!

South Africans don't generally realise how lucky we are to have such wonderful local produce so readily available, and so cheaply.
Right now avocado pears (high in essential fats), citrus and guavas (both high in vitamin C) are in season - marvellous, as that's just what one's body needs to survive winter!

Corner shop #38

2008-07-30T18:10:00.005+02:00

The corner shop in my road.

Lately I've been buying most of my fruit and veg from this shop - not only is it just up the road, but the prices are excellent too.
The shop stocks everything from fresh strawberries to Hubbly Bubblies and cigars!

Coral tree #37

2008-07-29T15:08:00.006+02:00

The Coral Trees (Erythrina lysistemon)have just started flowering. This one stands outside the CSIR (The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) in Meiring Naude Road (North Entrance, Gate 3) in the suburb of Brummeria.

Blue skies and sunny weather (especially in winter) are the hallmarks of Pretoria. Pretoria's high altitude (around 1300m) ensures a year-round temperate climate, arguably among the best in the world.

Phehella's children #36

2008-07-28T16:46:00.007+02:00

The children of Phehella Day and Night Care Centre enjoyed their outing to the Teddy Bear Picnic concert yesterday.

Phehella (a place of safety for orphaned and abandoned children, based in Silverton) was founded by Grace Maloka (pictured above). Grace was herself abandoned as a child and she says it was this experience that inspired her to start the centre. In 2006 she was awarded the title of Tshwane Woman of the Year for her work in the community.

Her vision for Phehella:

The creation of more Phehella houses for the purpose of caring for orphans, neglected and abandoned children, AIDS orphans and abused children. All funds that are received are used for the needs of the Phehella Day and Night Care Centre and its children. Phehella Day and Night Care Centre cares for the children under its protection, gives them an education and assists in the development of their skills. Phehella Day and Night Care Centre provides the funds for the children’s education as long as they live at Phehella. Phehella take children in under the age of twelve and cares for them up to the age of eighteen. Phehella educates their children in the Christian faith.

Teddy Bears' Picnic #35

2008-07-27T19:06:00.004+02:00

The annual popular Teddy Bear Picnic Variety Concert was held at the Pretoria Botanical Garden today, and was once again thoroughly enjoyed by young, old, hundreds of teddies and other soft toys too.
There was a chance to win prizes by entering your favourite ‘Teddy’ in the Teddy Bear Competition, and ‘Spare Teddies’ were collected for donation to The Teddy Bear Clinic for Abused Children.

New lines being laid #34

2008-07-24T11:06:00.005+02:00

Eish*! Yesterday we had a power cut from mid-afternoon to about 20h45 - probably due to Neotel digging up the neighbourhood. All around deep trenches are being dug and Neotel's bright orange fibre-optic cables are being laid.
Neotel is now a reality and South Africans are looking forward to soon being serviced by this, SA's second fixed-line telecoms service provider....at long last some competition to Telkom.

*Eish : (pronounced aysh) An informal South African interjection expressing amazement, wonder, amusement, surprise, or shock.

Link: Neotel

Signs of Spring! #33

2008-07-22T12:54:00.003+02:00

The first signs of spring in my garden...

The jasmine is already flowering...
The masked weavers have started building their nests...*
The clivia buds are making their appearance...

A little early this year?

*unfortunately this male masked weaver was out to lunch when I took this photo

A wintery Pretoria #32

2008-07-19T19:12:00.004+02:00

Almost forgot about the photo today...
This is what Pretoria looks like at dusk - very hazy (smoggy) and brown - a typical Gauteng winter photo....not very attractive.
View from Cussonia Road over the N4 highway (Witbank highway) leading into Pretoria.
On the horizon you can just make out Klapperkop, the Telkom Tower and the Voortrekker monument, the bigger buildings in the middle of the picture I think are University of Pretoria buildings. (Notice the CCTV camera pole next to the highway. A lot of those have gone up all over the place recently. Security preparations for 2010?)

Happy Birthday Madiba #31

2008-07-18T15:42:00.003+02:00

South Africans are celebrating Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday today!

Nando's has a special campaign on for today only: If it's your birthday today you get a free meal....Nando's Madiba Special

Waiting for the bus #30

2008-07-17T15:15:00.004+02:00

Strelitzia study #29

2008-07-16T20:56:00.006+02:00

Eeek! No photo for today but had to post something...
Well, if you are a regular, by now you should be able to tell that I am mad about anything botanical... I also love painting plants so here is a shot of my attempt at a strelitzia - watercolour painting in progress.
Will do my best to get out tomorrow!

All over South Africa botanical artists are feverishly preparing their submissions for the Kirstenbosch Biennale 2008, which opens on the 9th of September at Kirstenbosch, Cape Town.

Link: Kirstenbosch Biennale

Jacaranda street #28

2008-07-15T15:22:00.007+02:00

A sun-dappled tunnel formed by old Jacaranda trees, Nuffield Street in the suburb of Rietondale.
Many older suburbs' roadsides are graced by these beautiful South American trees, that are now a declared invader species (they are no longer allowed to be propogated or grown).
I grew up in the shade of two big Jacarandas and I will always love them, as I love my Jacaranda City.

I took this photo at around lunch time today. Yes, the Jacaranda trees still have their leaves, although they are yellowing now. And yes, that is an ice-cream man coming down the road on his bicycle - we do still eat ice-cream, even in the middle of winter....and yes, the sun is shining again! Yay!

Medicinal garden #27

2008-07-14T17:12:00.003+02:00

Huts decorated with Ndebele murals in the traditional medicinal garden at the Pretoria Botanical Garden.

Link: Pretoria Botanical Garden

Freedom park #26

2008-07-13T15:00:00.006+02:00

A "slice" of view over Freedom Park, where every element is symbolic...

This morning we woke up to a very foggy Pretoria. A Sunday morning drive took us to Freedom Park, where we were greeted by a friendly security guard and then met by a guide who then gave us a full tour of this new memorial park. Probably due to the "bad" weather we were the only people there, except for two tourists, and we quite felt privileged to have had this special and hugely symbolic place to ourselves for a while. (Unfortunately I only had a long lens with me.)
To read more about Freedom Park please click on the link to the official Freedom Park website below.

This photo is to give those who know Pretoria an idea where Freedom Park is situated: On Salvokop, just south of the Pretoria CBD, between the M1 and Nelson Mandela Drive, the southern gateway to the city. Sandwiched between the Unisa buildings and the Voortrekker Monument, the Freedom Park is the new major landmark on the city skyline.
(On the left (spiral of poles which are lit at night) is Freedom Park, on the right middleground you can just make out the main Unisa building and at the back is the Telkom tower.)
Read:
The Freedom Park official website

The beguiling okapi #25

2008-07-12T15:21:00.011+02:00

Visitors to the zoo yesterday getting a closer look at one of the two okapi males.
The Pretoria zoo received the okapi (named Shamba and Melaku) on loan from the San Diego Zoo in October 2006.
These highly endangered animals originate from the Democratic Republic of Congo (central Africa). It is estimated that only around 10 000 exist in the wild, although numbers are said to be dwindling rapidly due to habitat destruction and the bush meat trade.

A curious, velvet-coated okapi...

Read:
National zoo gets rare okapis
Okapi-Between Legend and Science

Hog Kiss #24

2008-07-11T15:01:00.006+02:00

Red River Hogs at the National Zoological Gardens this morning. These two younger ones (hoglets?) were enjoying each other's company while the rest of the herd were tucking into brunch.
Red River Hogs come from central and western Africa.

Finally some wintery weather...A front swept into Pretoria overnight bringing freezing cold and cloudy weather.
This morning at the zoo the animals were all more active than usual, trying to keep warm. One of the giraffes was even shivering, and looked very unhappy. No warm South African sunshine today!

Strelitzia flower #23

2008-07-10T17:23:00.002+02:00

Urban windpump #22

2008-07-09T18:50:00.002+02:00

This afternoon the wind was up in Pretoria and had the headgear of this windpump working a bit for a change. This windpump stands at the entrance to Greenlyn Village (in the suburb of Menlo Park), a lovely little shopping, theatre and restaurant complex that is built around a huge duck pond.

The rural South African landscape is renowned for its many windpumps, which pump much needed subterranean water up to the land, and thousands are still in use all over the country.

Busy, busy... #21

2008-07-08T22:47:00.005+02:00

Today I was really too busy to go out and take a photo, so here is a bee on an aloe flower I photographed in my garden last week.

So far we have been experiencing a very mild winter in Pretoria. The days warm up to around, or just over 20 degrees Celcius at midday! It is really pleasantly warm outside in the sun. However, overnight it gets really cold when the temperature drops to around the zero degree mark.
Our houses are not designed for cold (no proper insulation, no double glazing, no central heating) so you really feel it. I have heard Europeans remark that they have never felt so cold as when living in Pretoria in winter, due to the fact we have to live in very cold houses.
Still, I am very grateful to have my cold house - many South Africans still live in even colder shacks.

Hung over #20

2008-07-07T15:45:00.004+02:00

Overhead cranes no longer in use, Transwerk in Silverton/Kilnerpark.

The "junkyard" at Transwerk is filled with piles of rusty metal, disused machines and old locomotives. It's a veritable photographer's dream for creative photo opportunities - that is if old and corroded is your thing.

Tranwerk is a division of Transnet, who is a leading South African supplier to the railway industry. Transnet manufactures, upgrades and refurbishes rolling stock and rail-related products.
www.transwerk.co.za

Gateway to the past #19

2008-07-06T15:19:00.002+02:00

A gracious old gate post and gate, photographed this morning on the grounds of the Sammy Marks House Museum.

Just beaded #18

2008-07-05T12:21:00.004+02:00

Glass-beaded wire craft.

Many people make a living selling quirky wire objects such as these (keyrings, animals and flowers etc), which are for sale at markets all over the city.
(This photo I took a few Saturdays ago at the Boeremark (farmers'market) in Silverton.)

Beautiful berries #17

2008-07-04T11:42:00.008+02:00

The bright red Clivia miniata berries, which I think rival the flowers in beauty...

I'm staying at home today - I suppose I have to face the housework eventually...
So took today's photo(s) in the garden, where we picked the berries off our Clivia plants. Clivias are popular and much-prized shade-loving plants in Pretoria gardens. They are surprisingly easy to cultivate and this weekend we will plant them in pots to get them going before spring arrives.

Our beautiful berry bounty!

Blooms on wheels #16

2008-07-03T13:39:00.004+02:00

Ansie's Blomme (Ansie's Flowers) flower "shop" trailers are a common sight on the roadsides in Pretoria. This one I came across this morning just off Frates road in Gezina.
Flowery inflation: Last year I remember you could buy 3 bunches of your choice for R30 and now you have to pay R40.

Cry, the beloved City.... #15

2008-07-02T12:32:00.005+02:00

How would you feel if you woke up to a similar headline in your local newspaper?
The front page of yesterday's Pretoria News.

There was a bit of debate in my household about whether or not to post this pic or not. Sure, it's not great to display your dirty linen in public, but on the other hand this is the truth. We can't avoid it, and just post "pretty pictures of normality" when in fact we are living in a pretty abnormal society, one that is governed by fear. This is the reality of life in Pretoria, and most places in South Africa. At the end of every day you are just grateful to have survived without you or your loved ones being harmed or murdered.

Living in Pretoria is generally a very stressful experience and most people vacillate between periods of feeling overwhelmingly paranoid and negative (suffering enough stress to make one chronically sick!), and periods of a state of blissful ignorance - when you purposefully don't listen to, or read the news and try to focus on the positive and all the wonderful things Pretoria has to offer. Yes, it is a wonderful place, and it's sad to say the unacceptably high crime rate is the biggest reason people eventually leave.

The annual SA crime stats (of reported crimes)were released on Sunday (period April 1 2007 to March 31 2008 - overall drop of 6.4 % of contact crime):
Murders: 18 487
(SA is ranked no 2 in the world after Colombia - most murders per capita)
Attempted murder: 18 795
Rape : 36 190
(SA is ranked no 1 in the world - most rapes per capita)
Indecent assault: 6 763
Assault (grievous bodily harm): 210 104
Robbery with aggravated circumstances: 118 312
Car hijackings: 14 201
House robberies: 14 481
Business robberies: 9 862
Bank robberies: 144

"Pretoria ranks amongst the most dangerous places in the country when it comes to house robberies, with three of the capital's suburbs falling within the 20 most dangerous and violent places to live in. The capital also has the dubious honour of having four of its areas fall within the 10 most dangerous places when it comes to attempted murder, rape, street robberies and assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm."

Frighteningly there has been a drastic increase in violent house robberies. Crime is now coming closer to home. One is no longer safe in one's dog-guarded, high-walled, electric-fenced, laser-beamed, security-patrolled, burglar-barred home anymore - every day there are more reports of forced entries (many executed with military precision)and the unnecessarily brutal attacks of home-owners. So no such thing as a peaceful night's sleep...

For me, as a mother of two small children, crime is never far from my mind - in fact it rules the way we live every second of our lives...
And it's the reason for the "safe" photo locations of my posts up until now (considering that most of the time I have my children with me).

The point I'm left to ponder, after reading the latest stats, is: Where am I safest? On the streets, or in my home?
I'm afraid that the answer might be.... nowhere.

http://www.saps.gov.za/statistics/reports/crimestats/2008/crime_stats.htm

Lots of NOs , but please enjoy yourself...! #14

2008-07-01T09:36:00.007+02:00

This is my first City Daily Photo Monthly Theme Day (what a mouthful :) !). Today all registered participants had to post a photo of a "No..." sign.

Here is the sign outside the entrance to the Pretoria Botanical Garden. In a country that has 11 official languages and a high rate of illiteracy pictograms are popular.

All the "nos" : no fires, no braaing (barbecuing), no games, no skateboarding/rollerblading, no bicycle or tricycles, no firearms, no swimming, no climbing trees, no picking plants, no graffiti, no dogs, .... and finally ...no camping allowed!

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Menlyn #13

2008-06-30T11:28:00.006+02:00

View from entrance number 5, Menlyn Park.
Menlyn Park, more commonly referred to as Menlyn or Menlyn shopping mall, is amongst the biggest shopping complexes in Africa and boasts 300 shops, a roof top drive-in cinema, an IMAX cinema and a 17-cinema complex, amongst other entertainment venues. It is one of Pretoria's favourite shopping and entertainment destinations.

www.menlynpark.co.za/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menlyn_Park
Freeze flash mob in Menlyn http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygib-48D0PQ
http://www.ddg-usa.com/Projects/Menlyn_Park/Project.html

Garden Picnic Concert #12

2008-06-29T15:02:00.004+02:00

This afternoon, relaxing in the sun on the lawn at the Botanical Garden...Need I mention it was another fantastic day in Pretoria?!

The popular Garden Picnic Concert series has been running for the last 14 years.
Set in the beautiful natural surroundings of the Pretoria Botanical Garden, the concerts provide excellent entertainment for the whole family.
This afternoon the Swing Revival band had the crowds mellowing to wonderful music from a by-gone era.

The programme for the rest of the concert season is as follows:
13 July - A Guitar and Flute Duo
27 July - the annual Teddy Bear Picnic Concert
10 August - Jaqui Moloi Blues Band
24 August - The Promenade Ensemble
7 Sept - Just Jazz
21 September - DNA Strings
Pack a picnic and come and join us!

For more info visit the South African National Biodiversity Institute website : www.sanbi.org

Hockey practise #11

2008-06-28T16:49:00.005+02:00

Rietondale Park on Soutpansberg Road, with Meintjies Kop in the background.

We just had another lovely day in Pretoria...
Rietondale Park was busy this afternoon with people playing soccer, hockey and tennis, and the play area was filled with children enjoying the warm weather.

Fountain fun #10

2008-06-27T13:12:00.008+02:00

On the way back to Pretoria from Jo'burg this warm and sunny winter's morning we stopped at Irene Village Mall (one of the nicer new shopping malls) for ice-creams. My boys had fun trying to catch the skipping water spurt (I just missed capturing it in this shot!) at the children's play fountain.
This bovine-themed shopping mall has a relaxed country village atmosphere, and is not far from the historical Jan Smuts House and Irene Dairy Farm. And yes, those are cow's legs and an udder that are sticking out the ground in the background...
Irene (last "e" is pronounced) is a small village to the south of Pretoria and is officially part of the Tshwane municipality.

http://www.irenevillagemall.co.za/
http://www.irenevillage.com/

Aloe spendour #9

2008-06-26T10:26:00.005+02:00

The striking Aloe lutescens, at the Botanical Gardens yesterday morning.

South Africa's spectacular autumn and winter flowers make up for the lack of indigenous colourful autumnal foliage. At the moment aloes, strelizia bushes and knifhofia plants (amongst others) add bright splashes of yellow and orange to gardens everywhere.

Read more about Aloe lutescens - an article from Veld and Flora, the journal of the Botanical Society of South Africa:
http://www.plantzafrica.com/veldflora/1999/aloelutes.htm

Hard Rain Exhibition #8

2008-06-25T12:15:00.007+02:00

This morning I had a look at the moving images of the Hard Rain Exhibition, at the Pretoria Botanical Gardens.

Hard Rain, presented by Mark Edwards, is a open air photographic exhibition of disturbing, and at the same time beautiful, images illustrating the lyrics of Bob Dylan's song "A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall". Its message is plain and clear : we are destroying our planet and ourselves.
The exhibition was launched in May 2006 at the Eden Project in Cornwall and is now doing a world tour.
http://www.hardrainproject.com/home.htm

Solomon #7

2008-06-24T12:39:00.004+02:00

Once in a blue moon Solomon comes around to our house to collect our excess green refuse which he takes to the green refuse dumping site in Menlo Park.
This morning he was wearing a yellow hat to match his bakkie (pick up).

Solomon charges R150 per load and he also looking for piece work in the Pretoria East area. Give him a call on 072 986 9402.

Climbing the rock face #6

2008-06-23T17:25:00.004+02:00

We discovered this graffiti-ed rock in Lynnwood Manor (a suburb in the East of Pretoria) while out and about today, and the boys couldn't resist climbing it.

Lazy hazy Sunday afternoon #5

2008-06-22T17:00:00.003+02:00

View of Pretoria city from the Union Buildings, this afternoon at around 16h30.

Boeremark #4

2008-06-21T08:40:00.008+02:00

Impala Lilies and other South African succulents on sale very early this morning at the Boeremark.

For the early birds! The very popular Boeremark (farmers' market) is held every Saturday morning from about 6h00 until around 9h00 at the Pioneer Museum in Silverton.
This morning we had a great time - we ate pancakes while watching the resident geese and ducks followed by creamy hot chocolates. We bought a loaf of walnut bread from "La Bonne Vie" (the French bakery's stall), then a beautiful African beaded ornamental frog, a head of fresh broccoli and a freshly-made batch of steaming Belgian waffles to take home for breakfast.Yum!

Art and about #3

2008-06-20T14:00:00.007+02:00

Mercedes-Benz Award exhibition at the Pretoria Art Museum.
The Mercedes-Benz Award, formerly the DaimlerChrysler Award, is now in its eight year. The focus for 2008 is on art projects in public spaces and the exhibition at the Pretoria Art Museum looks at each of the eight nominees' contributions. Vincent Baloyi, Marco Cianfanelli, Jane du Rand, Jan Jordaan, Samson Mudzunga, Strijdom van der Merwe and Usha Seejarim are all included alongside Kevin Brand who scooped the award. Exhibition closes: July 13

www.artthrob.co.za

In the foreground is Kevin Brand's installation piece entitled "Never, never again 1997", constructed out of corrugated board, 300 x 400 x 500 cm

Pretoria Art Museum
Corner of Schoeman and Wessels Streets, Arcadia, Pretoria

Deutschland über alles #2

2008-06-19T16:19:00.004+02:00

German and South African flags flying outside the Deutsche Schule Pretoria (Pretoria German School)this afternoon.
All eyes of Pretoria's German community will be glued to their TV sets tonight, when Germany will be playing Portugal in the UEFA Euro 2008 Football Championship quarter-finals. Kick-off is at 20h45...

All lit up... #1

2008-06-18T17:33:00.001+02:00

Primi Piatti restaurant/nightspot, Menlyn Park.
Primi's urban/industrial look is set within an eye-catching backdrop of back lit walls of coloured liquid-filled bottles.