Blue Train MArch 2013

www.bluetrainmag.co.za

Complimentary Guest Magazine

March 2013

Desroches Island • Explore Your World • Art Galleries

contents 24 www.bluetrainmag.co.za

Hanlie Kotze Letter from the Executive Manager

Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu Letter from the Editor

Complimentary Guest Magazine

March 2013

04 06 Desroches Island • Explore Your World • Art Galleries

News Keeping You Informed

From The Mailbag Passenger Letters and Comments

EVENTS Dates To Diarise

BITS Need To Know

THE PERFECT ISLAND EXILE Desroches Island

NEIGHBOURHOOD NAVIGATING Explore your World

THINKING IN NEON COLOURS Creative Thinking

I HEART ART South Africa’s Best Art Galleries

SOLAR POWERED STUDYING Getting Internet from the Sun

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LOVE, PASSION, TRADITION Valentine’s Day Charter

UNBELIEVABLE AFRICAN EXPERIENCES Journeys of Discovery

THE SALT WATER & THE SEA SHORE Tintswalo Atlantic

ADVENTURES ON HORSEBACK The Ride

BY GEORGE! Getting Out and About Around George

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ALL THINGS ITALIAN

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Chef Fortunato Mazzone

THE CAR OF THE CENTURY Chef Fortunato Mazzone

Destination Listings Luxury Accommodation & Dining Guide

IN THE TRACKS OF A LEGEND The History of The Blue Train

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SUITE LAYOUT Coach Info

March 2013

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Letter from the Executive Manager Hanlie Kotze

Greetings A very warm welcome to you all.

This time of the year always reminds me of the “Three Rs” – Respect for self, Respect for others, and Responsibility for all of your actions. The last one in particular has been my main emphasis lately as many companies (ours included) experience their financial year end this month.

Whatever actions we have taken this past year, we shall reap the appropriate results. I am sure most will agree with me when I say that the past year has been tough, and tough not only for many companies around the world, but for individuals alike. There has, however, been a paradigm shift in the world’s economies and no matter how slow it may seem, companies are recovering and they will continue to do so. This year promises to be better than the past couple of years. Let us all believe that.

Happy Easter Easter is certainly one of the most important periods in the Christian calendar when we reflect on God’s love for all humanity; a love so deep, so divine and so indescribable.

It is a time that reminds us of the definitive purpose of existence – to do more for others than for ourselves, and to help others at every possible opportunity. It does not matter who you are or how much or how little you have, you can always give help and assistance.

Help does not only come from those of great accomplishments. We must not only expect it from those of higher learning and great stature. Even without money, a great education or even a place to sleep, you can still give help. It comes in all shapes and sizes. It can even happen simply as a compliment or by giving someone a different perspective on life, an appreciation of what they already have, or even relief from the daily chaos of life.

I would like to wish all our valued guests, employees, clients and strategic partners a wonderful and safe Easter period. Help an individual and you help a family, and this will transcend to the whole community.

Blessings,

Hanlie

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Letter from the Editor Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu “To err is human” as the old adage says. And how right it is. Every one of our days is filled with hundreds of decisions – what to have for breakfast, what to wear to work, what route to take, whether to answer that call, reply to that mail, accept that invitation. Our lives are dictated by a series of choices and by the selections we make from these. With so many hundreds of decisions to make every day – from insignificant ones like which brand of toothpaste to buy, to larger ones like whether to accept that forbidden temptation and thus risk the consequences of getting caught out – it is little wonder that often we get it wrong.

And when we do – and when they are indeed large life-changing mistakes – we hope that we can eventually see the silver lining of our bad choices (the lessons we learn from them) and that while they may be disappointed or hurt, that those closest to us will ultimately forgive and support us.

Too often – though we are all guilty of making mistakes – we are too quick to judge others, to condemn and vilify them, and to say that given a similar situation we most likely would not have acted in the same way. It is human nature, you might say, to judge people and to compare ourselves to others and to find them wanting in comparison to ourselves. However, I would argue that just as strong as this characteristic of human nature is, so too are the characteristically human traits of compassion, forgiveness and empathy.

We all have these characteristics inside us; though sadly in our society they often remain unexercised and rusty from underutilisation. It is often easier to point the finger of righteous indignation and contempt, than it is to stop and place yourself in the other person’s position and to try to understand their intentions and motivations. While some mistakes are virtually unforgiveable, we can all agree that none of us are exempt from making them and that everyone deserves at least some degree of empathy and compassion – if not for their actions, at least for the consequences they must suffer.

This month, as we approach Easter, I propose that we all spend a little extra time exercising our understanding and empathy for others, and giving kindness where we can. These are, after all, the type of emotions that cannot help but multiply and spread when used, and one day in the future we may be extremely grateful to be on the receiving end of them ourselves should we make our own very human mistake.

Enjoy the read.

Noeleen

editor@bluetrainmag.co.za

THE BLUE TRAIN www.bluetrain.co.za Pretoria, Gauteng Tel: +27 12 334 8459 Fax: +27 12 334 8464 Cape Town Tel: +27 21 449 2672 Fax: +27 21 449 3338 United Kingdom Tel: +44 1403 243619 Fax: +44 1403 217558 Central Europe Tel: +44 2089 245126 Fax: +44 2089 245126 United States Tel: 001 305 864 4569 Fax: 001 305 675 7693 PUBLISHER Deidre Theron-Loots deidre@africanspiritmedia.co.za African Spirit Media (Pty) Ltd PO Box 11273, Hatfield, 0028 Tel: +27 861 THE MAG (843 624) Fax: +27 88 012 346 2367 mail@africanspiritmedia.co.za

EDITOR Noeleen Maholwana-Sangqu editor@bluetrainmag.co.za MANAGING EDITOR Nicky Furniss nicky@tcbgroup.co.za ADVERTISING SALES national sales manager Bryan Kayavhu+27 78 248 5245 bryan@tcbgroup.co.za Images © iStockphoto.com Cover Image © Desroches Islands DESIGN & LAYOUT Joanne Mc Laren joanne@virtualdavinci.co.za Virtual Da Vinci Creative Room

PRINTING Business Print Centre, Pretoria CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE Lisa Witepski, Lesley Stones, Nick van der Leek, Bernard Hellberg, Nicky Furniss, Cadine Pillay/mediaclubsouthafrica.com, Niki Moore, Beth Cooper Howell, Nicola Weir The Blue Train Magazine is published monthly by African Spirit Media (Pty) Ltd. Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of African Spirit Media (Pty) Ltd, The Blue Train or any of their clients.

Information has been included in good faith by the publisher and is believed to be correct at the time of going to print. No responsibility can be accepted for errors and omissions. No material (articles or photographs) in this publication may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without specific written permission from the Publisher.

Copyright © 2013. All copyright for material appearing in this magazine belongs to African Spirit Media (Pty) Ltd and/or the individual contributors.

All rights reserved.

news

The Blue Train Steams Ahead in Africa

The Blue Train was recently named “Africa’s Leading Luxury Train” at the World Travel Awards 2012 – an accolade it has now enjoyed for four consecutive years.

Hanlie Kotze, The Blue Train’s Executive Manager, could not hide her excitement: “We are thrilled and very proud to yet again be named amongst the crème de la crème of the African continent. The World Travel Awards are hailed as the ‘Oscars’ of the travel industry and aim to reward those travel brands that have excelled and made a great contribution to the industry. This award is evidence of the hard work everyone has been putting in – especially over the last couple of months. It also serves as a signal that our plans to take this brand to another level are on the right track,” she said.

“This award qualifies us for the Grand Finale, which will take place in New Delhi, India on 12th December 2012, where The Blue Train will compete with the world’s best for the coveted ‘World’s Leading Luxury Train’ award. We will be keeping our fingers crossed!” Hanlie concludes.

The Blue Train Wins Silver The Blue Train is delighted to have been announced as the second placed Runner Up at the exclusive Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel Awards in the category of “Favourite Specialist Train Operator”.

This prestigious awards ceremony was hosted at The British Museum in September 2012. The Blue Train previously won Gold in 2010, and came fifth in 2011. This year, the top prize went to The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, which is a worthy winner.

Other trains in the Top Ten included The Palace on Wheels, The Maharajas’ Express and Deccan Odyssey in India, The Rocky Mountaineer and Royal Canadian in Canada, The Hiram Bingham in Peru and The Old Patagonian Express in Argentina. Rovos Rail, the other specialist train in South Africa, won tenth place which is fantastic news for South Africa – playing host to two of the world’s Top Ten trains.

“We are truly delighted with this achievement. The nomination alone in these prestigious awards is a great honour for us,” comments Hanlie Kotze, the Executive Manager of The Blue Train. “We always strive to meet and possibly exceed all of our guests’ expectations, every time, all the time. It is through great nominations and awards

such as the Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Travel awards that one finds time to reflect and iron out any shortcomings or complacency that may have crept in on our service standards,” she adds.

Condé Nast Traveller is a highly respected publication that is largely regarded as the only authority on travel and lifestyle in the UK. Its ‘Truth in Travel’ ethos along with its policy of never accepting sponsored press invitations means that the publication never yields to pressure and is a magazine readers trust.

The Blue Train Magazine in the Spotlight The Blue Train Magazine once again did us proud at the recent 2012 SA Publication Forum Awards which reward excellence in custom publishing. The magazine was awarded certificates of excellence in two judging categories, namely design and communication, and was not only selected as a finalist in the Communication category but went on to place third overall in the category, which included over 150 other corporate publications. The magazine was also selected – for the first time – as a finalist for the award of “Best External Magazine Category A” (magazines with a higher budget).

This effectively recognises The Blue Train as one of the best external corporate publications in South Africa – an accolade which the magazine’s production team are extremely proud of.

Business “Unusual” Charters A special tailor-made, all-inclusive charter on The Blue Train is a wonderful way for guests to explore South Africa’s landscapes and landmarks, lasting from a few hours to several nights. From a VIP cocktail breakfast, lunch or dinner, to a business “unusual” conference, a product launch with a difference, a special wedding reception, staff incentives or even a birthday celebration, the experience is up to you.

The Blue Train follows any route, provided the rail networks are compatible to its technology.

The Blue Train is now a Heart Save Area Several Blue Train staff have completed a Heart Saver CPR/AED Course and are now proficient in the necessary knowledge and practical skills to recognise life threatening cardio-pulmonary emergencies on board. This will enable them to respond swiftly and effectively in the event of an emergency. The staff will be aided by the Samaritan Pad 500P with CPR Advisor, which is a small, portable and easy to use device, which helps to restore a pulse in most heart attack victims. It also aids rescuers by giving precise visual and voice instructions on how to use the device and how to administer effective CPR.

For Further Information For more information on The Blue Train’s exciting packages and to read the booking conditions for advance reservations, visit www.bluetrain.co.za or contact The Blue Train reservation office in Pretoria on +27 12 334 8459 or Cape Town on +27 21 449 2672. Email any general enquiries or feedback to info@bluetrain.co.za. n

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From the Mail Bag

Passenger Letters & Comments

We thoroughly enjoyed The Blue Train experience and will do it again.

Mrs & Miss Martin, South Africa The meals were outstanding. Simon (dining waiter) provided very friendly and helpful service. Fritz (butler) was very professional and always friendly and helpful. I will be pleased to share my experience with my travel colleagues in the USA and Canada.

Miss M Dienna, USA This has been the best trip for my family. We will definitely be back.

Mr PT Duncan, South Africa Thank you for a wonderful experience. I will be back again.

Mrs Ikota, Japan Even though we are from South Africa and not tourists, we received the same outstanding treatment as the others. Thanks very much for an awesome experience.

Ms M Campher, South Africa The quality of the meals was excellent. The decor in the bathroom was great. Thanks to all of the friendly and helpful staff – all our needs were met. It was a wonderful experience and a great chance to see South Africa.

Mr Ross-Smith & Mr Coombs, Australia I have known many of the staff for five years, and they are still the same – very friendly and helpful. This was yet another pleasant experience.

Mr CJ Bekker, South Africa The experience was better than expected. All the staff were brilliant and the stop at Matjiesfontein was super.

Mr & Mrs D Booth, USA This was our first luxury train journey and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Mr & Mrs AW Cross, South Africa Chef Esther provided a great selection of meals. Leon (dining waiter) was very friendly and helpful. Eunice and Joyce (lounge waiters) were very professional. Our butler Angela was also excellent.

Mr & Mrs Dealey, USA

Do you have a complaint or comment that you would like to share with us?

Please fill in the guest questionnaire that is available in your suite or alternatively send an email to info@bluetrain.co.za.

Please also feel free to send your photos from your trip on The Blue Train to the same address.

Comments may be edited, shortened or translated from the original language.

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events An Extra Special Easter Cape Town’s One&Only Hotel will be celebrating Easter in style this year.

For younger guests, the Easter Bunny is due to make a special appearance on 31st March, with a fun-filled Easter egg hunt in the morning. Children dining at Reuben’s and Vista will also have a chance to search for foiled Lindt chocolate treasures at 15h00 on Easter Sunday afternoon. With a special focus on younger guests during this period, there will also be Easter egg painting, Easter sand art and many more themed activities at KidsOnly, the in-house children’s club, which is open from 10h00 to 19h00 daily. Adults will also be catered for with an extravagant Easter Bunny Afternoon Tea Buffet on 30th and 31st March, as well as 1st April. Reuben’s will be hosting a special Easter Sunday Buffet featuring a lavish display of Cape-influenced culinary delights. For more information, visit www.oneandonlycapetown.com.

On Pointe South African Mzansi Ballet’s first major production for 2013 kicks off in spectacular style when the company’s full-length classical showpiece, Don Quixote, opens at the Joburg Theatre on 8th March. Acclaimed as one of the great 19th century Russian ballet classics, the scintillating Don Quixote is set in bustling Barcelona and tells the story of the triumph of young love over parental matchmaking, while featuring some of the most celebrated showpieces in the ballet world. The lead roles will be danced by leading South African-based dancers as well as guest artists, among them young American star Michaela DePrince. Other guest artists include Australian Aaron Smyth, and The Washington Ballet’s Brooklyn Mack.

Don Quixote will run until 24th March. Tickets are available from the Joburg Theatre on 0861 670 670 or by visiting www.joburgtheatre.com.

Summertime Wine and Dine Celebrate the last few days of summer in style and head off to Franschhoek’s Leopard’s Leap Family Vineyards on 16th March for the annual Franschhoek Summer Wines. Regarded as one of South Africa’s leading wine destinations, more than 30 of the Franschhoek Valley’s finest wineries will be showcasing their top summer wines at this exclusive event. The participating wineries include, among others, La Bri, Morena, Colmant, Môreson, Franschhoek Cellars, Bellingham, Noble Hill, Leopard’s Leap, La Motte, Solms-Delta and Haut Espoir. Wine lovers will have the opportunity to browse at their leisure or engage with the winemakers.

Visitors will also be able to purchase mouth-watering deli-style food from the Harvest Table, prepared by the chefs in the Leopard’s Leap Kitchen. Tickets can be purchased directly from www.webtickets.co.za. For more information, contact the Franschhoek Wine Valley offices on +27 21 876 2861.

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events Word Play The fourth annual Knysna Literary Festival will once again celebrate the written word from 19th to 24th March in the beautiful Garden Route town of Knysna. This year’s line-up includes talks by South African crime thriller writer Deon Meyer and Ivo Vegter (author of Extreme Environment), as well as historical writer Rob Caskie. Another highlight of the programme will be the Delicious Word Journey, which will be hosted by cookbook author Sarah Graham. Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy a light dinner and sample some of South Africa’s top wines presented by wine ambassador Jane Simon while experiencing Pezula Estate’s exquisite homes. They will be hosted

by Sarah Graham along with authors Riaan Manser, Mandy Rossouw, Adriaan Basson and McIntosh Polela. Beneficiaries of the Knysna Literary Festival include the e’Pap Children’s Feeding Project and the TSiBA Eden Campus scholarship programme. Visit www.knysnaliteraryfestival.co.za for more information.

Take to the Streets In Stellenbosch, visitors and locals alike can now revel in the true pulse of this vibrant oak-lined town during communal Street Soirees, which will be held on 13th and 27th March. These social Stellenbosch Street Soirees will transform the lower part of Church Street into a colourful gourmet and grape hub, with complimentary wine tastings offered by various estates, live music and delicious dishes from some of the city’s best restaurants. Each Stellenbosch Street Soiree will feature a different selection of cellars and caterers. Entrance is free and each event will run from 17h00 until 19h30. For more information, contact +27 21 886 8275 or visit www.wineroute.co.za.

And All that Jazz This year’s much anticipated Cape Town International Jazz Festival will boast nearly 40 world-class acts from 12 countries who will be performing a diverse line-up of live music from traditional jazz to funk, pop and soul. Jazz aficionada’s can look forward to a top quality selection of US greats, including Grammy Awardwinning jazz guitarist Norman Brown, Grammy Award-winning jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum and renowned jazz trumpeter Rick Braun. Adding some international flair will be Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club from Cuba, and Chano Domínguez from Spain, as well as a varied selection of South African talent. This includes SAMA-nominated Auriol Hays; leading jazz drummer Louis Moholo; jazz pianist, composer and singer Ibrahim Khalil Shihab; as well as last year’s Standard Bank Young Artist Award winner Afrika Mkhize. The festival will take place on 5th and 6th April at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Tickets are available from Computicket. For more information, visit www.capetownjazzfest.com.

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bits A Zambian Hideaway Royal Chundu is a haven of quiet solitude and untouched beauty and the first Relais & Châteaux property in Zambia. Comprising of two luxurious lodges on the banks of the Zambezi River, Royal Chundu is situated just upstream from the magnificent Victoria Falls on a 15-kilometre stretch of private waterway which is protected by two sets of rapids. As well as luxurious accommodation and sumptuous pan-African cuisine, visitors can also look forward to visiting the famous Falls, enjoying a spot of game viewing in the nearby Chobe National Park in Botswana, as well as bird watching safaris and river rafting. Access from South Africa is also now even more convenient as guests can now fly from Cape Town or Kruger to Livingstone onboard SA Airlink (www.flyairlink.com). For more information or to make a booking, call +27 87 700 8310 or +27 13 751 1038, email reservations@royalchundu.com or visit www.royalchundu.com.

Are You Game for Great Wine?

Graham Beck Wines’ latest varietal range represents their environmental conservation efforts. Named “The Game Reserve” after the conservation area that adjoins the Graham Beck Robertson estate, the wines are elegant and flavoursome, deriving in many cases from special vineyard pockets. Each label features a hand-drawn animal or plant indigenous to the reserve. The Game Reserve Shiraz depicts the Eland; Africa’s largest antelope and probably the most impressive of the reintroduced species. Red berries, black cherry, white pepper and sweet spice appear on a beautifully piquant palate. The Stellenbosch vineyard’s gravelly, clay-based soils are ideal for the variety while the 2009 vintage is considered one of the best for producing Shiraz of superior quality.

The Game Reserve Shiraz can be found in fine wine stores nationwide.

A Johannesburg Icon The Monarch Hotel is a prominent heritage landmark on Oxford Road in the heart of bustling Rosebank, Johannesburg. Set in an iconic 1930s building that once hosted the Saxonwold Post Office, the Monarch Hotel boasts a glamorous setting reminiscent of a bygone era. Here you enter a world of luxury with wrought iron entrances, wood-panelled walls and ceilings, and rich fabrics, all perfectly balanced by contemporary finishes that provide guests with the ultimate discreet urban sanctuary for both business or leisure travel. The Monarch’s 12 exquisite suites are masterpieces of comfort and opulence, perfectly complemented by the service excellence for which the Mantis Group is renowned the world over. For more information, contact +27 11 341 2000 or email reservations@monarchhotel.co.za.

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bits Lazy Lunches Leopard’s Leap Family Vineyards in Franschhoek has recently introduced a relaxed food-and-wine experience focusing on uncomplicated, fresh and seasonal food, full of flavour and beautifully complemented by Leopard’s Leap wines.

Rotisserie-based lunches with juicy meats are served with an array of freshly baked breads as well as a delicious selection of side dishes such as seasonal salads and roasted vegetables, sourced from the farm’s organic vegetable and herb garden.

Dessert offers a tempting choice of individual portions such as cake lollies, baked mini-cheesecakes and baby meringues. With its wide veranda, contemporary open spaces and stretched out lawn, Leopard’s Leap caters for the whole family, and also offers a breakfast selection of pastries and freshly brewed coffee (or some Leopard’s Leap bubbly) as well as seductive sunset wine cocktails over weekends.

The restaurant is open from Wednesdays to Sundays, from 10h00 to 17h00. For more information, visit www.leopards-leap.com.

For Tea Connoisseurs The tea masters at Toni Glass have travelled far in pursuit of the very best tea the world has to offer, and in doing so have tried to emulate the true ancient masters of this age-old art form. The Toni Glass Collection is a remarkable infusion of traditional and new age tea drinking. It offers the perfect blend of modern sophistication and style coupled with the true legacy of the leaf. All of their teas are the finest full leaf teas available, and have been handselected to create an ensemble of flavour. Visit www.toniglasscollection.co.za or contact 0861 11 15 54 to purchase your own gourmet hot or iced tea.

The Heart of the Mother City Three Cities Mandela Rhodes Place Hotel & Spa is conveniently situated in the heart of historic Cape Town. This apartment-style hotel offers full service or self-catering options, while its underlying philosophy of “ubuntu” (kindness towards one another) means that their friendly staff have a welcome in every smile. Guests can choose to stay in studio, one or two-bedroomed units, all of which offer guests space and easy access. Certain apartments also offer facilities for private board meetings. Add to that the Wellness Club Spa and Doppio Zero – renowned for its fresh and authentic Italian fare – as well as Motherland Coffee, and the hotel forms the ideal base for both business and leisure travellers. For more information, contact +27 21 481 4000, visit www.mandelarhodesplace.co.za, or follow @hotelmrp on Twitter.

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Travel

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Travel

The Perfect

Island Exile

Desroches Island

Pirates of yore were rather fond of punishing insubordinates by dropping them off on secluded tropical islands where they would inevitably spend the rest of their days listlessly scanning the horizon for passing ships. Desroches Island in the Seychelles is suitably secluded to make the perfect island exile. 230 km south of the capital Mahe, it is only accessible by air, or by a very slow cargo ship that stops here only once a month. But unlike abandoned sailors of yesteryear, those who are lucky enough to find themselves marooned in the five-star luxury of Desroches these days pray not to be rescued.

Text: Nicky Furniss Images: © St John Haw, Nicky Furniss & Desroches Island

Arriving on Desroches is an adventure in itself. Taking off from the sea-bordered runway at Mahe’s international airport, the windows on either side of the little eight seater plane are filled with views of an impossibly blue sea dotted liberally with islands. As the little plane chugs its way onwards, the colour of the sea changes to a darker blue, and with it comes the distinct feeling of venturing far beyond the extending fingers of civilisation and connectivity.

Finally, Desroches materialises on the horizon, a delicious squiggle of an island, all seductive curves and palm fringed beaches; its surrounding waters smudged in light turquoises and dark blues where coral reefs meet swaying patches of shadowy turtle grass. A small runway runs across the island’s plump, pear shaped bottom; beach on one side and an island welcoming committee on the other ready to shake hands, furnish tropical drinks and whisk guests off to their luxurious suites or villas.

A Place to Rest Your Head Along the island’s southern beach, 18 beach suites slumber in the shade of palm trees, overlooked by the proprietary eyes of Jonah – a life-sized driftwood sculpture of a whale skeleton – and Caroline, one of the island’s resident giant tortoises whose need for friendly attention and love of apples has resulted in her calling this patch of the island home. The suites ensure every island desire is catered for, from sultry open air bathrooms and blissfully air conditioned king sized beds, to day beds overlooking a private garden that trails onto the beach, complete with conveniently placed deck chairs.

On the island’s west coast a selection of luxurious beach villas and retreats amp the pamper levels up further thanks to large open-plan living areas, private pools, kitchens and five elegantly

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Travel

decorated en suite master bedrooms. These retreats can be rented out in their entirety (or even purchased, for those who prefer to own their own little piece of paradise) or by room, with a choice to cater for yourself or hop on a passing golf cart to dine at the hotel.

All accommodation options come complete with a pair of bicycles parked outside and the added implication/invitation of: “Get out there and EXPLORE!” For while there are plenty of opportunities to just put your feet up, guests who choose just to lie in sun will miss most, if not all, of Desroches’ special kind of magic. This is an island that begs exploration and happily yields up spectacular discoveries to those content to leave the deck chairs behind.

Adventures Galore At 6 km long and, on average, 1 km wide, Desroches is big enough to keep island explorers entertained for days, while still being small enough so as not to be too daunting for those guests who haven’t hopped on a bike for a while! As a reward for puffing cyclists, Madame Zabre Beach offers up turquoise lapped sands and shady overhanging palm trees, as well as one of the best snorkelling sites on the island – if not the Seychelles – teeming with coral and an underwater Imax of brightly coloured fish. Following the sandy track further North brings you to The Aquarium, another favourite snorkelling spot, and one which is also likely to provide the occasional turtle sighting.

While the rest of the island is still covered by palm trees (once the island’s bread and butter), the north boasts lush indigenous forest.

Pedalling through this hushed primordial green, ducking beneath gigantic spider webs and dodging curious land crabs (who think the sound of an approaching bicycle tyre signals the ideal opportunity to pop out of their holes for a look around), you cannot help but feel deliciously detached from civilisation.

An old metal lighthouse – now abandoned to the elements – signals the island’s northernmost point and its furthest from the “bright lights” of the hotel. Here, you can happily stroll for hours without seeing a single other person. There is something deliciously liberating about walking on a beach where yours are the only set of footprints in the sand. Plus you may be rewarded – as we were – with the spectacular sight of a female Loggerhead turtle quietly going about the business of laying her eggs at the crest of a nearby sandbank. Desroches is one of the only places in the world where Loggerhead turtles feel safe enough to lay their eggs during daylight hours. And with seldom more than a couple of people on any of its beaches at any given time, it’s not hard to see why.

For those wanting to learn more about the island’s nesting turtles, and indeed all of its natural inhabitants, the man to see is Tony Jupiter, the Island Conservation Society supervisor. He runs two hour conservation walks by prior appointment. Tony is the quintessential “beach bum”, having spent all of his adult life working as a conservation officer on many of the Seychelles’ 115 islands. Loping sedately through the indigenous forest, pointing out luminous green lizards and scarlet breasted birds, Tony explains how he and his team of volunteers are responsible for monitoring the beaches (all 14 km of them), and documenting all of the turtles and nests they encounter

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Feature

here. They are also responsible for a Giant tortoise breeding programme which has resulted in many of these gentle creatures living happily on the island. Others, like the aptly named Big Boy, are kept in a breeding pen to encourage more frequent courtship than may otherwise happen in the wild. Visitors are welcome to stop by at any time of the day to give the tortoises a pat on the back or a neck scratch – apparently the ultimate G-spot for a Giant tortoise.

Despite their name, Giant tortoises do start off quite weenie, and remain small for the first decade of their lives, and so the littlies are kept separate from their giant siblings in a fenced Tortoise Nursery. Guests are invited to visit at 16h00 every day to watch them being fed. If you do, you are likely to meet Shelly, a particularly friendly little girl who would much rather hang with the humans and have her neck scratched than make sure she gets her full share of the delicious leaves on offer.

The Call of the Sea While the island is full of discoveries, many more await in its surrounding waters. The best introduction to these adventures is via the friendly and helpful staff at the Cast-A-Way activity centre. A Mecca for all things water sport related on the island, the guys here can organise kayaks and windsurfers, guided snorkelling trips and even romantic sunset cruises and overnight trips on the resident catamaran, A’mani.

As enticing as the watery fun is on the ocean’s surface, scuba divers will be rewarded exponentially when they drop beneath it. As Desroches sits atop a 38 km ring of sunken coral atoll, the real fun for divers is exploring where this plateau falls away at what is affectionately called the “Desroches Drop”. Here, divers will find pinnacles and tunnels, large caves and swim-throughs that yield up heart-pumping discoveries. These include the unmistakeable undulating swish of a shark’s tail, the flap of wings as a large Ribbon Tailed ray settles into the sand, or even a pair of ghostly white nurse sharks sleeping head to tail on a shadowy rock ledge. Then, of course, there are the perpetual sheer cliffs of the drop itself which are home to all manner of corals and aquatic plants, brightly coloured reef fish, moray eels and even the odd turtle out for a nibble. This combination of terrain and sea life, a huge variety of dive sites (no less than 14 classified so

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far) as well as balmy water and great visibility undoubtedly make Desroches one of the world’s best diving sites.

As if that wasn’t already an accolade worth being proud of, this little island also has the distinction of being one of the world’s best fishing destinations. Thanks to the 1,300 m Amirante Trench, which runs through the Amirante Group of islands, the sea here is literally teeming with both reef and pelagic fish, including Sailfish, Dogtooth and Yellowfin tuna, Wahoo and Grouper. Even amateurs such as ourselves were reeling in Wahoo and Yellowfin tuna after a mere hour on our fishing charter, so you can just imagine the kind of fireside tales experienced fishermen come back with after a day spent out on the water.

As well as the sheer proliferation of game fish in these waters, keen fishermen are also attracted by the great variety of fishing options on offer: From trawling, spinning and jigging out in the ocean, to onshore spinning, and for the truly adept, offshore fly fishing. As well as the teeming waters surrounding Desroches, fishermen can also opt for day trips to the nearby islands of Poivre and St Joseph’s, both of which offer excellent opportunities to catch Bonefish and Indo-Pacific Permit.

While the majority of fishing around the Amirante Islands is on a catch and release basis, guests can elect to keep a tasty fish or two. Desroche’s resident head chef will happily whip it up into a delicious dish (or even some sashimi), best served in your own private “love nest”: a private table on the beach surrounded by romantically billowing curtains of white muslin and lit only by the gentle glow of candlelight.

On our final evening on Desroches we strolled along the beach, watching the sky turn from cornflower blue to pink. Little eagle rays played in the shallows, occasionally lifting out a black wing to salute us. Far off in the distance, clouds gathered. We scanned the horizon – not for a passing ship that may come to rescue us, but rather for heavy rain and the hope that storms may ground our plane the next day. Remote and isolated though it may be, Desroches is certainly not the type of deserted tropical island one would ever want to be rescued from.

For reservations, contact +27 21 418 3581 or email bookings@desroches-island.com. For more information, visit www.desroches-island.com. n

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Neighbourhood

Navigating Explore your World

While overseas trips and out-of-town getaways are wonderful ways to discover more of the world around you, there is also a whole lot of life to savour in and around your very own neighbourhood.

Text: Lesley Stones Images: Š Lesley Stones

44 Stanley is just one of Johannesburg’s many hidden gems just waiting to be discovered by residents and visitors alike

It is a common joke that people never bother to visit attractions in their own backyards. New Yorkers ignore the Statue of Liberty and Parisians barely glance at the Eiffel Tower.

Yet forgetting to play the tourist in our own territory means missing out on cheap but simple pleasures that get you out of your rut and out and about.

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Explore your own Backyard When did you last take a walk on the wild side?

I am not talking about anything seedy; I am talking about exploring the little-known nature trail on a dramatic ridge dividing rich Houghton from poor Yeoville in Johannesburg. The paved walkways of The Wilds lead to glorious views over the city

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Joburgers can enjoy a completely different view of the city from The Wilds

in splendid isolation. I rambled happily around The Wilds one Sunday, and realised I had lived in Johannesburg for 15 years without even knowing it existed.

I bet most Durbanites have not picnicked at The Kloof for years or scaled the spectacular Moses Mabhida stadium.

Capetonians may boast about the mountain, but most studiously avoid it. Have you taken a boat out on a lake recently, or jumped on a harbour cruise just for fun?

Cape Town has the intriguing attraction of underground tunnels which can be explored with Good Hope Adventures, who run subterranean tours beneath the city centre. The tunnels date from the 17th century when rivers and canals formed the local transport system.

But you don’t have to don your wellies to have offbeat adventures in your every day surroundings.

A Change is as Good as a Holiday If you always end up eating at the same restaurants, grab a magazine like Eat Out and a pin. Then, every week, stick the pin into one of the pages covering your city, and make a booking at that restaurant. I have allowed myself an opt-out clause if it is too expensive, and then I just pick another a restaurant from that page instead, so I am always discovering somewhere different and out of the ordinary.

Likewise if you have some recipe books lying around. Open them up and put that pin into action again. This will force you to buy different ingredients, perhaps even by visiting some speciality food shops, to rustle up a recipe your family has not tried before.

It is easy to drift into routines that eventually become a rut, and we need shaking up to reawaken that lost sense of adventure and the thrill of discovering something new. And If it happens to be somewhere close to home, all the better.

Health experts encourage us to take small amounts of time out to relieve stress or alleviate boredom, and there are plenty of ways to do that. Yet we spend weeks and fortunes planning annual holidays that are all over in two weeks, and neglect the small treats that make every day more entertaining.

Living in Durban gives you the perfect opportunity to scale the beautiful Moses Mabhida Stadium or experience the thrill of the stadium swing

Get Out and About Go to the theatre – there are many good shows in some fabulous venues, if you make the effort to look and book. The cinema is even easier, since you can just turn up and pick what you fancy. So if you find yourself reaching for the TV remote again, put it down and put your shoes on. And do not chicken out if you have nobody to go with. I love going to the movies alone, because I don’t have to apologise to anyone if I have chosen a dud!

There are plenty of craft or farmers markets to visit at weekends, almost always with a heavy focus on food, so that you can combine a bit of shopping with some artisan exotica for lunch. It is a simple way of enlivening your routine by doing something different. If you want something more time-consuming and rewarding, sign up for a class in digital photography, or find an evening class to learn kung-fu or Zulu.

If you are feeling inspired already, make a change instantly and take a different route to work tomorrow. Allow a few extra minutes in case it does not turn out to be traffic friendly, but at least you will have new scenery to look at.

It is surprisingly easy to find out what’s on by consulting local websites. Subscribing to their newsletters gives you a weekly lowdown on what is happening, and a regular nudge to sample something new. Among the best are www.jhblive.co.za and its sister sites for Durban, Cape Town and Soweto, all ending with a “live.com” tag. They cover events, concerts, galleries, restaurants and anything else that is hip and happening. If you really get hooked on this local exploration initiative, you can write reviews for them too.

Other good round-ups come from joburg. co.za, durbs.co.za and cape.town.co.za.

Cape Town also has www.whatsonincapetown.com and www.capetownmagazine.com, while Artlink.co.za covers upcoming theatrical events and concerts across the country, as well as containing reviews of current shows.

I am laying down a challenge: Find two new things to do, see, eat or visit this week or this weekend, and see how much you enjoy it! n

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Positioned in the most romantic valley on earth, Franschhoek Country House & Villas is an exclusive boutique hotel reminiscent of a village in Provence yet with an elegant Cape sensibility. Set in gardens of lemon trees, lavender and vines – with fynbos draping the nearby mountains – the original, charming country maison includes 14 standard and luxury rooms as well as the award-winning Monneaux Restaurant while the 12 Villa suites are havens of privacy & understated opulence. Swimming pools, a candle-lit cellar, a treatment room and sun-down verandas are all a traveller needs as you live la vie extraordinaire.

For more information and current special offers visit our website at www.fch.co.za Tel: +27 (0)21 876 3386 email: info@fch.co.za

Thinking in

Neon Colours The Benefits of Creative Thinking

Text: Lisa Witepski Images: ©iStockphoto.com

“Think left and think right, and think low and think high. Oh the things you can think if only you try.” So said legendary children’s author Dr Seuss, who certainly proved that magic happens when you start thinking creatively.

But although we typically think of such luminaries as Seuss (or even more commonly, people related to the arts like Van Gogh, Mozart or even ballerina Margot Fonteyn) when we consider creativity, the truth is that each of us is driven by an urge to make and to do. Not convinced? Remember how, as a child, you could spend hours immersed in your colouring-in book or playing “Teacher, teacher”? How does that differ from the rush of pride you get when presenting a complicated dessert to your dinner guests or showing your manager an innovative way of addressing a business problem?

In fact, if you were to think back on your days, you would see that each is lit by a small moment of creativity, whether it is singing in the shower or trying on an outfit you usually would not look at twice. These are probably the moments when you feel most enthusiastic, excited and energised. That is one of the great things about creativity: It truly grants you a fresh window on the world, and lifts the veil on the mundane.

Of course, it has other advantages too; practical ones that can make a real difference. For example, if you have noticed that your budget is tighter than usual, a little out-the-box thinking could make sure that your money does not finish before the month does. It could also help to build your resilience: If your usual way of dealing with a problem is not helping, trying a different approach probably will. Plus if you are able to see outside your own experience to imagine how other people might be thinking and to empathise with them, you will also be able to develop stronger relationships.

It is refreshing to realise that creativity is not the sole preserve of great minds like Steve Jobs and Isaac Newton, or even people who are called upon to exercise it throughout their working day, such as writers or architects. What is surprising, though, is that it is only relatively recently that this fact has been acknowledged. Plato himself denounced the concept of creativity (rather ironically, since he was one of the world’s finest thinkers), saying that painters did not make things, but rather that they merely imitated them. In his time, art was viewed as a process of discovery, rather than creativity. And if it sounds like

the Ancient Greeks and Romans took a hard line when it came to saluting people’s inner originality and inventiveness, consider that the early Judeo-Christian traditions held that creativity was gifted only to God. Only He could create, or so the theory went; humans could but give expression to His works.

These views all started changing during the Renaissance, which is understandable if you think about the huge emphasis placed on objects of beauty during that time. Could any other milieu have given rise to such works as Michelangelo’s David, or the Mona Lisa?

Of course, not all of us are as fortunate to have sponsors like the Medici family to accommodate our artistic whims. On the other hand, we do have corporates that are eager to harness the power of innovation, and are trying their very best to encourage people to think differently.

Then again, even if your company is not the type to host brainstorming sessions or reward novel ideas, there is a lot you can do to boost your personal creativity quotient. Start with something as simple as making a small change: If you usually take a short cut to work, try the scenic route, and take note of the many minor details that come together to make your surrounds.

Or, next time you eat out, ditch the Italian and opt for Mexican instead. New experiences are often the catalyst for fresh thoughts.

You could also start your own tradition of what Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, calls the “morning pages”: Swap your morning espresso for a pen and, before your eyes are properly open, start jotting down the first things that come to mind. You are bound to get the ideas flowing. Then turn thought into action by putting an end to procrastination and tackling your to-do list – it is the removal of mental blocks that will enhance your creativity. Alternatively, you could seek out inspiration by drawing on the creativity of others. Visit your local museum, check out what is on at the art movie circuit, or treat yourself to a night at the symphony. Or simply join forces with a colleague who thinks very differently to you, and enjoy the process of sparking off each other.

There are hundreds of other ways to unleash your creative potential. Find your own, and you are already halfway there. n

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Travel

I Heart Art South Africa’s Best Art Galleries

Research has shown that the brain’s “reward system” is stimulated when you look at beautiful art. This is the same part of your grey matter that experiences a rush when you indulge in a spot of gambling. Luckily, there is a wide selection of superb galleries in South Africa where you can go to get your next fix.

Text: Lisa Witepski Images: © South African National Gallery, The Creative Block Gallery & The KZNSA Gallery

Cape Town and Joburg’s Artistic Aristocracy There is no arguing that the South African National Gallery (SANG) is the grande dame of the country’s art scene. Housed in one of Cape Town’s most gracious and historic buildings, this is the first port of call for those wishing to explore the trajectory and development of the country’s aesthetic. In addition to important local works, the SANG also boasts around 3,000 pieces from the rest of the continent, and the collection is so diverse it includes beadwork and carvings in bone.

The African Collection is one of the gallery’s permanent exhibitions. Others include a nod to the modernists, featuring works by such prominent local artists as Irma Stern, Gerard Sekoto and Jacobus Pierneef. There is also a historic collection, a legacy from the days of the gallery’s establishment in 1871, when works from South Africa’s colonial “founders” were highly prized. Fans of modern day art, meanwhile, will delight in the Contemporary Collection, where you will find the current South African greats, including William Kentridge, Kendall Greer, Noria Mabasa and Mary Sibande.

If you would like to see a piece by one of these masters hanging on your own walls, best make your way to the Goodman Gallery, which is a regular host to groundbreaking exhibitions. For example, it was the gallery’s Johannesburg space which recently sparked a furore as the temporary home to Brett Murray’s controversial The Spear, surely the most talked about South African artwork of the decade.

The Everard Read Gallery, which also has premises in

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This sculpture, entitled The Reign (2010) by Mary Sibande is one of the new acquisitions to the Iziko Permanent Art Collection and is currently on display at the South African National Gallery

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both Cape Town and Johannesburg, is similarly renowned as one of South Africa’s leading fine art dealers. The Cape Town gallery is a particular treat for those looking for that something special, as it also houses Die Kunskamer, the city’s oldest dealership.

In Johannesburg, the Standard Bank Art Gallery is another that has gained a well deserved reputation for “firsts”. It is most famous for bringing Picasso’s African inspired oeuvre to the continent, and prides itself on holding regular exhibitions of a similar calibre. Most recently, these have included an exploration of the human form by the masters of the 20th Century. Small wonder, then, that those with an interest in art that is as thought-provoking as it is beautiful keep a watchful eye out for its latest exhibitions.

No exploration of Johannesburg’s art scene would be complete without mention of Arts on Main. This is the beating heart of the city’s arts scene, a cluster of galleries that makes Johannesburg’s Maboneng Precinct a visual feast. Highlights include galleries like David Krut Projects and the Bailey Seippel Gallery – to name but a few – which provide an ongoing showcase.

The Creative Block Gallery – in another of Johannesburg’s arts hubs, the Juta Precinct – is an interesting venture. This unique concept was established as a dedicated space for the Creative Block Project, an initiative which strives to create a platform for South African artists by inviting them to use the medium of their choice to transform a blank block into an artwork. The Creative Block Gallery is a collector’s dream, and offers a rich and diverse display of these affordable pieces.

Durban’s Arty Areas Of course, not all art purchases are of the highbrow variety.

Often, enormous pleasure is derived from buying an item that is simply unusual or quirky, decidedly different from those available in malls. If distinctively designed ceramics, jewellery, crafts, photography and textiles appeal to you, then a visit to the KZNSA Gallery in Durban is a must.

It is not surprising that Durban’s thriving design culture has given rise to a number of upcoming art spaces. While those intent on viewing the city’s most famous collections will relish meandering through the Durban Art Gallery, those on the lookout for the fresh and the novel will enjoy such venues as The Collective, an exhibition space which also features a coffee shop and a work space for visitors.

The façade of the South African National Gallery with an artwork

by Anthony Ward entitled Like Water for Chocolate which forms part of the French Season exhibition, Rendez -Vous12, on show until 24th March 2013

Durban’s KZNSA Gallery boasts a pleasant coffee shop and a craft store full of great gift ideas, in addition to its dedicated gallery space

The Eastern Cape’s Creative Spaces The Eastern Cape’s arts lovers also have a number of venues where they can indulge their passion. The province’s premier arts destination is the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Art Museum in Port Elizabeth, where collections range from local and British artworks to Oriental art (including such unusual mediums as Chinese textiles and Indian miniatures).

In East London, it is the Vincent Art Gallery that will catch the enthusiast’s eye. Here you will find all the big names, from Frans Claerhout to Gregoire Boonzaaier. But what the gallery truly prides itself on is a framing department that will ensure your new artwork has the perfect foil.

If art is one of life’s great pleasures, then these galleries are nothing short of havens. n

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Johannesburg’s Creative Block Gallery is helping to make art affordable to more South Africans

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Solar Powered

Studying Getting Internet from the Sun

Many of South Africa’s pupils find themselves unable to access basic services such as electricity, let alone the Internet. This reality served as the motivation for Samsung to create a solar-powered Internet classroom which they donated to the community of Phomolong Township near Johannesburg.

Text: Cadine Pillay/mediaclubsouthafrica.com Images: © Samsung Electronics

The Solar Powered Internet School at Phomolong Secondary – which won the African Solar Project of the Year award at the Africa Energy Awards last year – is a mobile container powered by solar panels, which allows pupils to access the Internet. It was first installed in October 2011, and was of great benefit to the school’s 2012 matric pupils.

Thierry Boulanger, Director for Samsung’s IT Solutions Africa, explained that his company was inspired to do something different, as they realised that many projects that are intended to give pupils access to new technology often fail due to the lack of a sustainable energy supply.

A Sustainable Solution Boulanger believes that introducing something like this solar-powered facility will address many challenges faced by educational institutions throughout the country. “We’re moving

away from the ‘Here’s a notebook’ or ‘Here’s a prize’ mentality to ‘Here’s a sustainable solution’.”

The ability to download educational software means that schools will save on the costs and resources needed to order, transport and store textbooks; and ensures efficient resources are readily available.

The container can accommodate up to 21 pupils at a time, and is fitted with an interactive e-board, and a LED touch screen in place of a blackboard, as well as web-connected Samsung notebooks. It can run for up to three days without sunlight.

Boulanger says that the classroom was built to be sustainable and had to be completely independent of utility power. The solar panels on the roof and sides are made of a robust rubber-like material, rather than conventional panels, so that the unit can be easily transported without the risk of breakage.

With a server that can accommodate the school curriculum

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from Grades 1 to 12, pupils and teachers from other schools in the community will also be able to use the centre for their Internet needs. This is something that IT Solutions Africa encourages so that the community feels a sense of ownership towards the facility, thus helping to eradicate the possibility of vandalism.

Another good thing about the container is its mobile value, as it can be wheeled anywhere on the school premises where there is sufficient lighting, if the need arises. In the event of overcast weather conditions, the pupils can charge the notebooks individually to gain at least one hour’s use for every two hours of charging.

small factory in Midrand to build more of the mobile containers.

The first prototype took eight weeks to build, but construction is now down to six weeks with more container projects expected to be rolled out soon. With these centres, the company aims to reach 2.5 million pupils across Africa over the next five years.

Because the unit is a new concept, the prototype was tested around the country so that Samsung could get feedback on its feasibility. The project will soon be taken to Nigeria, and according to Boulanger, there has been lots of interest from ministries of education across the continent and even as far afield as Pakistan.

Deserving Candidate

Discovering Career Paths

Using information and communications technology (ICT) solutions to give poor communities access to technology that was otherwise only available to people living in urban areas has long been a goal of governments and organisations tasked with the development of such areas. However, hurdles such as illiteracy, a lack of computer skills, low income and no access to proper infrastructure means that this is not always feasible.

Phomolong Secondary is the only high school in a community of 350,000 people and while it was designed to accommodate 1,200 pupils, it currently has 1,900 pupils enrolled. Over 500 of these are orphans, and even those who live with their parents often cannot afford to pay school fees.

Despite these and other challenges, the school managed to achieve an average 89% matric pass rate, and two years ago won an award for the most improved secondary school in a township.

Samsung has undertaken to train three of the school’s 70 teachers in IT skills, who will then pass these on to their colleagues.

Phomolong’s principal, Mocheke Thoka, says that the project has opened up a new world for the pupils. “They can visit the centre during their free periods and it has assisted them greatly with their projects,” he says.

For 16-year-old Musa Mavuso, the centre has not only helped him to achieve better results with his schoolwork, but has opened him up to a future career path. “I didn’t even know such a job as a mine surveyor existed before I began researching it on the Internet. Now that’s what I want to be!”

He says that he knew little about computing previously, but that web resources are now more helpful than the library.

With the Internet he saves time and gets more done. “It’s more productive,” says Mavuso, “I gain more information through the Internet than through books.”

Boulanger stresses that ICT is an enabler rather than an overarching solution, and the mentality has to shift from simply giving schools a notebook and walking away. “Technology provides access to an environment students wouldn’t otherwise experience,” he says. “This is how we are going to create the future for Africa – through education.” n

Giving Access to Africa Since the implementation of the project, Samsung has set up a

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Tradition

Love, Passion,

Saint Valentine’s Day on the Palace on Wheels “Passion is the atmosphere, the noise, the time, the taste, the smell, and the sense of being. I think it’s being alive at a point where it’s so joyful it can almost be painful.” – Author Unknown

Text: Bernard Hellberg Images © Virtual da Vinci Creative Room

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In today’s world, the more traditional way of celebrating Saint Valentine’s Day by secretly declaring one’s love in a handwritten note, or preparing a sumptuous picnic, has unceremoniously fallen victim to an abundance of sickly sweet greeting cards, plastic heart-shaped trinkets and skyrocketing chocolate sales.

While the loss of romance, passion, tradition and ultimately, love, can be witnessed everywhere, a handful of dapper romantics recently celebrated their love for love in a most traditional way with a Saint Valentine’s Day dinner aboard The Blue Train.

Renowned for its luxury, old-fashioned splendour and exquisite cuisine, The Blue Train is unsurpassed as one of the most romantic and endearing experiences you and your sweetheart could possibly share. So, on the day when everyone else celebrated the memory of the ill-fated early Christian, Saint Valentinus – who healed the daughter of his Roman jailer, Asterius, and famously wrote his farewell ode “from your Valentine” to the young lady before being executed for his ministry – elegantly-dressed ladies and gentleman departed Pretoria Station for an evening of top-shelf silver service, uncompromising attention to detail, and fine cuisine. It was truly a magnificent experience from when the very first glass of Method Cap Classique was savoured in the observation car until the sumptuous dinner’s last crumb was served.

The South African-inspired cuisine – prepared by The Blue

Train’s award-winning culinary team – set the tone for a most romantic evening. A personal highlight was the chef’s splendid red velvet hazelnut dessert followed by a South African cheese selection specially chosen for variety, quality and taste.

Saint Valentine’s Day has symbolised romantic love since Geoffrey Chaucer wrote extensively of it during the Middle Ages, and although it has been marketed and commercialised almost beyond saving, it is heartening to know that for some, romance, tradition and love became real again, albeit for one night only, aboard South Africa’s own Palace on Wheels. n

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Unbelievable

African

Experiences

There are roads in Africa that lead to places that are more than just mere destinations. These are the places that have the same allure now as they did when explorers first uncovered them, and still to this day beg to be rediscovered and experienced by modern day adventurers.

Text: Nicola Weir Images: Š iStockphoto.com & Premier Safaris

Get Up Close and Personal in Rwanda No longer out of bounds, the Ruanda-Congo region in West Africa is giving travellers many reasons to pack their bags and explore this area teeming with natural wonders, including the opportunity to track endangered Mountain gorillas.

The best place for spotting these majestic beasts is Volcanoes National Park. This is where American researcher Dian Fossey researched and wrote her renowned book Gorillas in the Mist.

The Volcanoes National Park contains the Virunga Mountain range which extends into Rwanda, the Congo and Uganda and is home to half of the world’s remaining Mountain gorillas.

They have become a lucrative source of tourism income and employment for the region but a limited number of permits are available and even at $500 each for an hour long encounter, they are highly sought after.

Typically, a choice between an easy (30 minute) and more difficult (two to three hour) trek is offered with the accompaniment of one to three guides. Although the trek may be hard, it all becomes worth it once the mist lifts and the jungle gives way to a band of gorillas going about their daily routines. Suddenly the time, effort and money spent are worth it as you find yourself unprepared for what many describe as an unexpectedly emotional encounter.

Several companies such as Congo Gorilla Tours (www.congogorillatours.com) and XA Wildlife Safaris (www.xasafaris.com) offer touring services and can also assist in booking accommodation in the area.

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Search for Desert Gold in the Kalahari Under the endless sands of the Kalahari lies a hidden treasure – the Kalahari truffle. Known as desert gold, Kalahari truffles are not to be confused with their European cousins, which are far denser and more flavoured. The desert variety are naturally occurring and cannot be grown or cultivated. They are named after the Kalahari region where they were first discovered by European settlers.

Many describe the taste of these truffles as being similar to a Porcini mushroom. They are very nutritious, and extremely high in protein.

The truffles appear erratically, about once every four years, between April and May, depending on rainfall. The truffle season is brief, lasting only until the first frost.

A truffle safari can be quite an adventure as they grow beneath the ground, hidden by sand and long grass, and only betray their presence by a small crack on the surface. If you are lucky enough to find some though, there are many recipes for delicious truffle infused dishes.

There are several accommodation options in the vicinity of Upington that offer truffle foraging excursions including Tswalu Kalahari Reserve which offers a Truffle Safari Package – visit www.tswalu.com for more information. The last truffle forage took place in 2010 so enthusiasts will have to wait until 2014 for the next one. It is worth it though to start making enquiries now as the safaris have limited space and the waiting list can be long.

Witness an Epic Run in the Serengeti Around 1.5 million wildebeest migrate across the plains of East Africa every year, making the Serengeti Migration one of the Ten Natural Travel Wonders of the World and a safari experience definitely not to be missed.

There is no specific time of year that is ideal for seeing this natural spectacle as the migration continues throughout the year – it just depends which part of the migration you would most like to see. The herds of wildebeest, interspersed with zebra, stay on the short-grass plains in the southern part of Tanzania from January to March and calf births can be seen during a short window in mid-February. The herd then gradually spreads out as the rains end in May and their migration begins as they head north-west towards the Grumeti River. They typically linger in this area until June before moving north to arrive on the Kenyan border in late July and August where they remain for the rest of the dry season. As the short rains begin in November the wildebeest once again start to move south and arrive back on the plains in December.

Expert Africa can assist with booking tours and accommodation along the entire route of the migration, where visitors can also expect to see zebras, cheetahs, elephants, giraffe, assorted antelope, hippos, a multitude of bird species and of course – well known and feared among wildebeest – crocodiles. Visit www.expertafrica.com for more information.

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Plunge over the Edge in Zimbabwe Known to locals as “The Smoke that Thunders”, the Victoria Falls are among the most spectacular natural sights in the world. The falls – a UNESCO World Heritage site – are located along the boundary of Zambia and Zimbabwe where the Zambezi River falls 128 m to create the largest curtain of falling water in the world. The falls are 1.7 km wide and almost 550 million litres of water cascade over them every minute. As a result, the spray is visible from up to 30 km away, and visitors can hear the thrilling rumble of the falls long before they reach them.

The town of Victoria Falls offers many expeditions focused around this incredible natural wonder. You can don a raincoat and explore the waterfall’s lush and beautiful surrounds, or you can take a canoe trip on the river upstream from the falls, which is a relatively placid expanse of water, home to hippos and crocodiles. For the more adventurous, the Victoria Falls bungee jump is among the highest commercial jumps in the world. Alternatively, you can fly a micro light over the falls, or go white-water rafting in the Batoka Gorge below them, braving the most thrilling commercially runnable rapids in the world.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth in Tanzania The Ngorongoro Crater in Northern Tanzania, once a gigantic volcano, is the largest intact caldera in the world and shelters one of the most beautiful wildlife havens on earth. This literal Garden of Eden is noted as one of the Ten Natural Travel Wonders of the World and is the ideal destination for avid game spotters.

An estimated 25,000 large mammals are resident in this bowl of plenty, including large herds of wildebeest, endangered black rhino and lions. Nomadic cheetah move in and out of the area and leopard are often encountered in the Lerai Forest. Both golden and black-backed jackal are abundant, while normally shy and nocturnal serval are frequently spotted during daylight hours. Vast numbers of buffalo, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle also occur. When the grasses are short in winter, it is easy to spot even small predators such as caracal.

The Lerai Forest, the permanent marshes on the crater floor and the highland meadows provide the best sightings of elephant in the crater area. The dense forests on the slopes and rim of the crater provide shelter for them, as they pass silently through the forest depths. In a triumph of conservation efforts buffalo, which were once completely absent from the crater floor, have returned in large numbers. The saline waters of Lake Magadi attract both the lesser and the greater flamingo, with flocks of several thousand forming when the lake is low. Other bird species on the crater floor include ostrich and Kori bustard, the world’s heaviest flying bird.

AndBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge sits right on the edge of the crater, offering unbeatable views over Ngorongoro.

Three separate and intimate camps totaling just 30 suites provide guests with exclusive luxury accommodation. Visit www.andbeyond.com for more information. n

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Between the Salt Water and the

Sea Shore Tintswalo Atlantic

Holiday enthusiasts will agree that a getaway right on the Atlantic Ocean’s doorstep is not only wonderfully mesmerising and relaxing, but is certainly a tick-off item that should be included on everyone’s bucket list.

Text & Images: © Tintswalo Atlantic

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Nestled at the base of Chapman’s Peak within the Table Mountain National Park, the tucked-away gem of Tintswalo Atlantic offers an awe-inspiring panorama of the picturesque fishing village, Hout Bay. Owing to its exclusive location as the only lodge on the edge of this part of the Atlantic Ocean, guests are treated to a front row seat of paradise.

Guests can not only look forward to experiencing first-hand the elegance and style for which the lodge is renowned, but also the unsurpassed view of Sentinel Peak, which provides the perfect tranquil blue and turquoise backdrop.

The tropical ambience in every sea-fronted, airconditioned suite is heightened by authentic décor that emulates the experiences, flavours and colours of various

islands around the world.

The Ithica Island Suite, for example, was inspired by Greece, with crisp blues and indigos that are offset with white, cream and natural organic textures. By contrast, the Robben Island Suite pays tribute to the fact that one of South Africa’s esteemed former presidents, Nelson Mandela, was imprisoned on this island for 27 years. The suite provides a quirky yet very real reminder to those who wish to reflect on the country’s transition.

All 11 island-themed suites open to the glory of the ocean, a breathtaking scene at both sunrise and sunset, while even the spacious en suite bathrooms provide an unhindered ocean vista.

From the supreme comfort and privacy of the suites, guests can indulge in whale watching as Southern Right

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whales are frequently spotted from this part of the South African coast. These gentle giants migrate from the icy southern Antarctic Ocean, appearing off local shores from May through to November annually and utilising the bay area as calving and nursery grounds, thus regularly gracing Tintswalo Atlantic’s shoreline with their presence.

Those who have more of an affinity for dolphins will also be able to see a variety of species seen in the south and south-western Cape seas, including Bottlenose and Dusky dolphins.

These memorable experiences, however, are not just limited to the confines of the suites as Tintswalo Atlantic’s wooden deck, designed to blend harmoniously with its natural surrounds, is the perfect place for guests to bask in the sun while sipping on decadent cocktails.

The elongated wooden deck boasts an aquatic sanctuary with a heated Jacuzzi, refreshing pool and comfortable loungers. Guests will feel elevated and completely at ease in the majestic and tranquil setting provided by the rich natural wonders surrounding this private escape.

An added benefit to staying at Tintswalo Atlantic is that Cape Town, and its many attractions, is only a few minutes away, with a comfortable chauffeured vehicle available to transport guests to all of the city’s noted landmarks.

Discover the historical significance of Robben Island, admire the inhabitants of Seal Island, sample the delicious fish at Hout Bay harbour, and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere and premier shopping experience of the V&A Waterfront.

After a vibrant day exploring Cape Town’s treasures, guests can unwind by enjoying a gourmet meal prepared by one of Tintswalo Atlantic’s executive chefs.

For holidaymakers seeking serenity and absolute tranquillity, Tintswalo Atlantic should be a definite first on your bucket list of holidays to experience.

For more information, visit www.tintswalo.com/atlantic/ n

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Adventures on

Horseback The Ride

Barry Armitage and Joe Dawson know a little something about adventure, having ridden their horses over thousands of kilometres of rough and unchartered terrain and straight into the hearts and imaginations of South African television audiences at the same time.

We recently sat down with The Ride team to find out why they do it, what their next adventure is, and how to be adventurous in your own life.

Text: Niki Moore Images: Š The Ride

Mongolian horses tethered and waiting for the riders at one of the pony stations

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Mongolian Magic Let’s set the scene. The Mongolian Steppes, with endless plains of waving grass, dark hillocks and a Mongolian yurt on the eastern horizon. Far in the west, a small group of horsemen approach. They are following the route of the ancient Silk Road, a network of tracks linking Europe and Africa to Asia.

Under the strong leadership of Mongol warlord Genghis Khan, the Silk Road has been secured for trade. A 1,000-mile-long postal system across Mongolia, called the Yam, is studded with permanent way-stations to provide fresh horses for the transport riders. For the first time in centuries, travel is safe for everyone, and this artery of Khan’s empire has brought East and West closer together.

Could this small group of horsemen be 17-year-old Marco Polo and his father, on their way to visit Genghis’ grandson the Kublai Khan? Well, actually, no. This is not the 13th Century. It is 800 years later, and the group of horsemen travelling fast towards us are taking part in The Mongol Derby, the world’s longest and toughest horse race. For eight days and over 1,000 miles, 34 riders will brave a dangerous course requiring a combination of horse riding skill, navigational ability, tremendous endurance, luck, timing, teamwork, and an appetite for yak butter.

South Africa was represented in this race for the second time in 2012 by Joe Dawson and Barry Armitage, the horse riding duo well known to South African television viewers from their series The Ride.

“We set out to win,” says Joe, “but due to bad luck we came fifth. Barry crossed the finish line first, but got a penalty that set us back.” The eventual winner of the race, which was established in 2009 to recreate Genghis Khan’s empire-busting postal system, was Irish jockey Donal Fahey.

“It was the absolute highlight of the race for me,” says Barry, “crossing that finishing line first. But it only lasted about eight minutes because my horse went lame, and so I got a two-hour penalty. So the absolute high and the absolute low of the race took place a few minutes apart!”

“Mongolia is a strange environment,” says Joe. “You are out

Joe and Barry ready to ride at the start of the race and looking remarkably cheerful considering that they have eight gruelling days and over 1,000 miles of hard riding in front of them

there on a semi-wild pony, riding over rough terrain where anything can happen at any moment; you’re completely alone in this vast and empty steppe. But there are nomad’s houses dotted around the landscape, and you know that if you went to a household and asked for help, you would be taken in and given anything they are able to give. It’s a hostile territory on the one hand, and a strangely nurturing one on the other.”

For eight days the competitors live rough and ride hard.

There is no road, only a GPS for navigation. A rider can end up on the wrong side of a river and have to retrace his or her steps.

Pony stations are 40 km apart, but between these outposts a rider is on their own. They might have a backpack with some emergency supplies, food and a jacket. They run the risk of getting lost or trapped. They could fall off their horse, which might then bolt, leaving them stranded. The organisers of the race are not exaggerating when they say this is likely the most dangerous thing the contestants have ever done.

“You spend the eight days of the race completely in the moment,” says Joe. “It’s a departure from normal life, your body is stressed, you are riding on a series of unfamiliar horses that might do anything – you are just in basic survival mode.

It goes from high adventure, from outrageously exciting where things can go horribly wrong, to dreadfully dull pacing over the empty waste.”

A Wild Idea But endurance and high adventure is commonplace to brothers-in-law Barry and Joe, who both grew up in Durban with a keen sense of adventure and an unwillingness to be ordinary.

Their relationship with horses began in 2008 when they teamed up to run a nature reserve in the Natal Midlands.

“When you live in a natural

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Mongolian herders demonstrate how they catch their often high spirited horses with the help of a lasso

Joe passes a typical cairn marking the crest of all mountain passes in Mongolia

environment like that, the horse riding comes naturally,” says Joe. “It’s the right way to manage land; it’s the right way to feel your surroundings. Barry and my passion for horses just grew with that.”

After winning several sustainability awards and taking the reserve to maturity, Barry and Joe starting looking around for the next adventure.

“It was over Christmas lunch that I suddenly decided I was going to ride my horses from the Midlands to Cape Town,” says Barry. “And once the idea had taken hold, the next step was to document this journey. Some of our most thrilling historical tales come from horse rides, so the idea grew into a plan to recreate some of our most famous horse rides – like Deneys Reitz on Commando, Harry Smith’s ride, and Dick King’s ride – and to make a television series out of it.”

And that they did. The first three series of The Ride were produced by Justin Bonello of Cooked in Africa Films. “Justin was the perfect fit,” says Barry. “He’s exactly the kind of guy who could make a crazy idea like this work. And the response we have had from the public has been incredible – people come up to us all the time to tell us how much we have inspired them.”

The first series of The Ride recreated Dick King’s dash from Port Natal to Grahamstown to alert the garrison of the Zulu siege of Durban. The third series showcases Harry Smith’s ride from Cape Town to Grahamstown to take charge of the garrison during the Frontier Wars. The one in the middle is the hardcore Mongol Derby, which is – perhaps a curious case of odd-man-out.

“No, there’s actually a very neat link,” says Joe. “Genghis Khan set up his postal message system across Asia to hold his empire together, and ever since, the success of an empire has depended on its message system. And the routes that Dick King and Harry Smith used on their historic rides were, effectively, the British postal routes across South Africa.”

Mongolia is big sky country

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The third series of The Ride (which aired late last year) featured a re-enactment of Harry Smith’s journey across the Cape to Grahamstown, with plenty of history, drama and commentary along the way.

Embracing Adventure “Doing The Ride changed me in many fundamental ways,” says Joe. “There is something very basic about a man and a horse. Many people ask us if we ever experience danger, or feel threatened, but the reverse is the case. There is something so different, so atavistic about a man on horseback, and we got the most amazing responses from people.”

“The scariest thing that ever happened to us,” adds Barry, “is when we were doing a charity horse ride along the Wild Coast, and we came to the Chalumna River. We had missed our timing, and the river was this churning mass of swirling water with floating tree trunks and who knows what else. There was nothing for it, we just had to swim across. So we rode our horses into the water until they swam, then we slipped off and swam behind them. You could hear the Jaws music! It was an all-enveloping fear. But when we reached the other side and realised we had made it, it was the most amazing feeling of success.”

With series three in the can, Joe and Barry are setting up horse trails for adventurers who want to join them on their journeys.

One trail winds along the Wild Coast from Port St John’s to Kei Mouth, and another is intended to take a different look at the Western Cape Winelands. One thing is for sure, though, neither Joe nor Barry will ever go back to a normal day job.

“There’s adventure everywhere,” says Joe. “It can range from the small things that happen every day, to throwing caution to the wind and changing one’s entire lifestyle. But it needs a willingness to let go of what one regards as security. You must decide what you want your adventure to be, and then go for it.” n

Travel

By George!

Getting Out and About Around George

George may seem like a sleepy little town to some, but there is a surprisingly large array of things to do in and around this Garden Route town.

Text & Images: © Nick van der Leek

Chill Out in Klein Brak If there is something compelling about the coastal strip, the muscular shoulders of the Outeniqua Mountains and the rivers around George, there is good reason. It is said that 123,000 years ago our ancestors came close to extinction, but a few hundred families survived the Ice Age in the coastal caves in this area.

The abundance of life seems particularly splendid around the Klein Brak River. Although flooding can take place in winter, in summer the whole area shines like a green gem. The pristine lagoon is a pretty picture next to the swooping N2 highway, a road that connects Mossel Bay to George and Plettenberg Bay. What is wonderful about Klein Brak is its sedate understatement

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and tranquillity. The river flows slowly, even as the tides come in and out, and the many camp sites and self-catering units are here for a reason – it’s a beautiful spot, especially on the long, sandy beach where the river flows into the sea.

The area has a calm vitality about it, and its mixture of forest, lagoon and glittering sea invites simple activities, such as luxuriating in the sun, lazy seaside walks, or canoeing. The river is navigable for almost 20 km, and has decent stocks of freshwater fish. The beach is also a good fishing spot. And if you don’t feel like eating your catch right there and then, you can wander up the beach for a bit where you will come across a wonderfully rustic restaurant perched on the dune vegetation.

Another worthwhile spot in the area, on the other side of Mossel Bay (just 20 minutes from George International Airport),

Travel

Klein Brak is perfect for leisurely strolls on the beach or impromptu lunches at its dune-perched restaurant

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is Pinnacle Point, which boasts a rolling green carpet in the form of one of the world’s best manicured golf courses. Visitors also have an opportunity here to journey back in time. The breathtaking views of sheer cliffs falling into the churning sea hint at scenes hunter-gatherers may also have gazed upon thousands of years ago. It is here that scientists discovered the earliest evidence of what they describe as “the systematic exploitation of shell fish”, along with cave paintings and cooking – in other words the precursors to life as we now know it.

Get Back to Nature at Botlierskop If beaches, fishing and water sport are not your cup of tea, pop around to Botlierskop Private Game Reserve. They offer Big Five game drives, although the stars of the show are undoubtedly the elephants. Visitors are invited to feed them by hand, or even hitch a ride on one of these ex-circus elephants which were rescued from Zimbabwe. Because they are so used to being around people, the reserve presents a rare opportunity to get up close and personal with Africa’s largest animal. Holding onto a tusk with one hand and putting an apple straight into an elephant’s mouth with the other is one of those experiences you will not easily forget.

The mountain at Botlierskop is interesting because of the fires which used to be lit here (Lord of the Ring’s style) to alert the local inhabitants whenever supply ships arrived at Mossel Bay. Botlierskop also offers helicopter trips, providing a spectacular view of Klein Brak's beach. For those looking to overnight, the reserve has luxury tented suites.

residents to feel intimate without being crowded, social without being isolated. It is the warm water cousin of a similarly sized, nearly secret beach: Llandudno in Cape Town. Like Llandudno, Herold’s Bay has rocky cliffs, a fringe of forest and some of South Africa’s most exclusive and expensive houses. Best of all, Herold’s Bay is dog friendly. There is something special about taking the dogs to the beach. It awakens the fun element in you, and allows you to chase and shout and simply run around for the sheer thrill of being outside. Herold’s Bay is just the sort of place where you can let your hair down. n Once a favourite spot of Hansie Cronje’s, secluded Herold’s Bay is perfect for a bit of R&R

Enjoy the Simple Pleasures of Life in Herold’s Bay Situated just 15 km from George Airport, it is strange that so few people know about Herold’s Bay, tucked away between sheltered cliffs on the Garden Route. This beachside hamlet is named after a pastor from George, and remains a mostly Afrikaans speaking community.

Mussel crackers are often pulled out in this area, especially at popular fishing holes such as “Skotsebank” and “Rooikransies”.

This was one of the late Hansie Cronjé’s favourite places to unwind, just around the corner from the Fancourt Golf Estate, and it is plain to see why. Herold’s Bay boasts a saltwater pool, and just enough As the elephants at Botlierskop are ex-circus elephants, they are used to human contact and are happy to allow visitors to feed them

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Chef

All Things

Italian Chef Fortunato Mazzone

Though he was born and raised in South Africa, Chef Fortunato Mazzone is about Italian as you can get. For Forti (as he likes to be called), family comes first, as does hard work. He has a passion for opera and art, a keen interest in wine and an all encompassing love of Italian cuisine. And it is all of these passions combined that have made him such a successful chef, restaurateur, and businessman.

Text: Nicky Furniss Images © Fortunato Mazzone

Tradition Cooking is certainly something that is in Forti’s blood – in fact, he is the fifth generation in his family to pursue the art of preparing food as a livelihood. His great grandparents owned a small coffee bar restaurant – famed for its homemade ice cream – which was run by subsequent generations until 1965. After the end of WWII, Forti’s father, Giovanni, immigrated to South Africa to seek his fortune and within two years, he had a hair salon, a cafe and was working as a pizza man in a restaurant in Rosebank. With this kind of hardworking mentality, it was not long before Giovanni had his own restaurant and

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Chef

was garnering attention for his superb talent in the kitchen. “My father arrived in this country with only a suitcase and from that he built something to be proud of,” says Forti.

Despite this legacy, Giovanni was not keen for his son to follow him into the restaurant business and Forti duly headed to Wits before taking up a career as a lecturer and teacher. But the call of the restaurant was never far away. “I grew up in a kitchen. Where other kids went home after school, we went to the restaurant. Italian children do their homework in the restaurant and help where help is needed,” he explains. It was only a matter of time then, until he eventually answered the call and joined the family business.

Since then, the father and son team have opened Ritrovo Restaurant in Pretoria – widely regarded as one of the best Italian restaurants in Gauteng, if not the country.

Food One of the secrets to their success is undoubtedly their love of fine Italian cuisine.

Forti trained under his father and was also lucky enough to have befriended and worked with a number of the world’s best chefs, including James Martin and Brian Turner. Despite having excellent training, however, Forti believes that to be a great chef you also need an inherent talent to start off with – something which clearly comes to him from his very culinary-centred family tree. “You can teach someone how to be a chef but you have to already have that inherent ability to be able to mix flavours and taste things in your head before you’ve even created them.”

Forti also believes that great chefs know how to focus their skills. “About seven years ago, I bought a house in Italy and it really refocused me on what is important in cooking. I realised that the greatest restaurants in Italy are those that are true to the classic kitchen.” As a result, Forti’s cuisine focuses very much on traditional techniques: “I use only the best ingredients and I cook them the old school way. You are welcome to come into my kitchen at any time and you won’t find a powder, a stock cube, or anything pre-prepared. You won’t even find a piece of frozen fish. We work from scratch with all of our ingredients.”

And herein lies the difficulty of preparing excellent Italian cuisine – a style of cooking that many people consider to be quite simple. “Italian food is simple food but the irony is that the simpler the food, the higher your chance of screwing it up.

It takes a lot of skill to cook a little piece of veal really well and serve it perfectly at the right temperature, the right degree of doneness with the right balance

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of flavour. What looks superficially simple is actually the most difficult type of cooking because it’s so completely exposed – you can’t hide any deficiency in your base ingredient. Italian cooking is by nature simple, because the essence of cooking is to showcase the quality of the base ingredient.”

Family Giovanni and Forti’s passionate approach to the tenets of traditional Italian cooking has clearly paid off as Ritrovo is often fully booked. Once they have experienced the Mazzone’s particular brand of hospitality, many guests return – and do so regularly. “Probably 50% of my clients eat here two or three times a week,” says Forti proudly. “That’s what it’s about it – a restaurant is about the relationships you build.”

Diners here return often, because when they do, they become part of this big happy Italian family – a family that includes not only the Mazzones themselves but the restaurant’s staff as well. “We have two staff members with over 30 years’ service and six with over 20 years’ service. Plus in a period of 18 years of business we have only lost two staff members,” says Forti. “Our staff doesn’t leave us; they stay with us their entire career and then bring the next generation in.”

Part of this family mentality is ensuring that the family business continues to grow. This explains why in between running a busy restaurant Forti took time out to start a chain of kitchen supply stores. Several years ago, he also saw a gap in the market and promptly filled it. “There was nowhere that made decent coffee or Italian bread in my opinion.” And so he created his own coffee shop called BICCCS (Bread, Ice Cream, Cake, Coffee and Sandwich).

It started off small, but its simple, yet delicious breakfast, lunch and tea options have proved to be so popular that Forti has since opened two more – at the Cape Quarter in Cape Town and in Franschhoek – with a fourth soon to be added in Midrand.

Art, Wine and Opera But with all of this ambition and industry, any good Italian still needs to take time out for the things that he loves. This is why you will sometimes find Forti engrossed in a painting or scouring galleries to add to his art collection, in between periodically breaking into song (he licensured in Opera at Wits). Several years ago – inspired by his passion for wine – he completed a Cape Wine Academy diploma and even spent a couple of harvests working at various wine farms. Then about eight years ago, he entered into a partnership with Nick van Huysteen, owner of Saronsberg Wines, to produce their very own wine together, aptly named Nick and Forti’s. The wine is a collaborative effort between the two partners and Saronsberg’s winemaker Dewalt Heyns, and, as well as being Forti’s pride and joy, has also impressed enough palates to rack up an impressive selection of accolades.

Not content to produce his own wine, Forti is now branching out into olive oil and has plans to open even more BICCCS stores in the years to come. And yet, in between his tireless plans to grow the Mazzone culinary empire, Forti still has time to put his restaurant family first by giving them a warm welcome every time they step through the door and bursting into song to mark special occasions. But then again, isn’t that exactly what you’d expect from an Italian? n

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Century The Car of the

Iconic British sports car brand Aston Martin is marking the start of its birthday celebrations with the unveiling of a bespoke new Centenary Edition Vanquish.

Text & Images: Š Aston Martin

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The luxury brand’s ultimate GT car showcases a painstakingly created Centenary Edition specification that will be available worldwide on just 100 examples of each of the car maker’s model lines: V8 Vantage, DB9, Rapide and Vanquish.

Featuring a unique graduated paint finish, solid sterling silver Aston Martin wings badges with tailored “trans flux” enamel inlay and a special Aston Martin hallmark, the exterior represents an exclusive new celebration of the company’s 100-year history.

Aston Martin CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez, played a key role in the creation of the unique paint treatment, tasking Design Director Marek Reichman and his team with the development of a suitably exclusive and desirable specification. “Clearly, the centenary of Aston Martin is a great occasion for our business, our customers, and our fans around the world. It is only right, then, that we have developed these exceptional Centenary Edition models which will, I am sure, quickly become highly desirable and sought-after,” Bez explained.

“The chance to own and enjoy such a stunning piece of Aston Martin’s heritage is made all the more rare by the fact that we are limiting numbers to just 100 of each model line.

I am sure supporters and enthusiasts of the brand worldwide will be anxious to secure their chosen model quickly!” he added.

A Centenary Edition Aston Martin is identified inside by its exclusive and luxurious treatment. Deep, soft, black leather – previously featuring only in the One-77 hypercar – with contrasting silver stitching, a special silver thread embroidery of the Aston Martin wings on the head restraints and individually numbered solid sterling silver sill plaques are among the features unique to the car.

Each Centenary Edition model will also be supplied with a presentation box containing a number of exclusive gifts to mark the first 100 years of the company. These include two glass keys, two bespoke key pouches made from leather, which matches the car’s interior trim, solid silver cufflinks featuring the Aston Martin script, a solid silver Rollerball pen and high quality Bang & Olufsen headphones. The gift box will also include a silver polishing cloth to help owners ensure the silver centenary wings badges and sill plaques on their cars keep their lustre.

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Some specification details will vary around the world but all of the centenary editions will, as ever, be painstakingly handcrafted at Aston Martin’s global headquarters and stateof-the-art manufacturing facility at Gaydon, in Warwickshire.

The process of creating the unique Centenary Edition paint finish, for example, clearly demonstrates the brand’s commitment to bespoke luxury. Adding an average of 18 hours to a paint process that can already take more than 50 hours to complete, the unique graduated finish is meticulously built by adding special “tinters” to create the darker inner colour. This custom-made mixture is then applied to each panel by hand using a special mini-jet spray gun.

“The team has looked closely at the individual contour lines of each of the cars to determine not only the right colours and shades, but also to create a template by which the paint changes from dark to light and where the graduated effect sits,” explained Aston Martin Design Director Marek Reichman.

Available to order now, prices for the Centenary Edition models are obtainable on application from the Daytona Group through their dedicated Aston Martin dealerships in Sandton and Cape Town.

For more information, contact Aston Martin Sandton Isle, Johannesburg, on +27 11 301 7100 or Aston Martin, Cape Town, on +27 21 425 2007. n

Accommodation Guide

Azanzi

Beach Hotel

An intimate, all-suite boutique hotel on the eastern shoreline of the mystical Zanzibar Island.

The central guest entertainment and guest areas of Azanzi flow into vast uninterrupted stretches of silk-like sand. The hotel suites feature an array of guest comforts designed to pamper you during the quieter moments of your fun-filled days. Your hosts will be delighted to arrange any number of activities for you, including snorkeling, diving, dhow trips and historic village tours. Alternatively, you may simply want to laze in the shallows of the water’s edge or cool off in the pool.

Mkokotoni Matenwe

Kiwengwa Mangapwani

Contact

Pongwe

Azanzi Beach Hotel • Call: +27 11 781 1661 • E-mail: res@anthology.co.za • Website: www.azanzibeachhotel.com Stone Town

WiFi

Universal AC

Spa/Pool/Gym

S,P

Smoking Rooms

Disabled Access

Room Service

Child Friendly

Guided Drive/Walk

Air-conditioning

Malaria Free

Conference Facilities

Wheelchair Friendly

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Chwaka

Bwejuu Paje Jambiani Makunduchi

Kizimkazi

Accommodation Guide

A fusion of contemporary luxury and classic charm, the Mount Grace Country House & Spa is an elegant countryside hideaway.

A fusion of contemporary luxury and classic charm, the Mount Grace Country House & Spa is an elegant countryside hideaway. The picturesque hotel started life as a private residence and farmhouse and has hosted a number of dignitaries and A-list visitors over the years. Located on a hillside with un-spoilt views of the valley and boasting some ten acres of manicured gardens as well as pristine bushveld, the sprawling property is a balm for the city-weary soul.

Contact

access 45 minutes drive from Pretoria

Mount Grace Country House and Spa • Call: +27 14 577 5600 • E-mail: reservations@mountgrace.co.za • Website: www.mountgrace.co.za

WiFi

Universal AC

Spa/Pool/Gym

Smoking Rooms

Disabled Access

Room Service

Child-Friendly

Guided Drive/Walk

Air-conditioning

Malaria-Free

Conferencing Facilities

Wheelchair-friendly

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Restaurant Guide

Bosman’s Grande Roche Hotel

An aura of timeless elegance sets the tone for Bosman's Restaurant at the five-star Grande Roche Hotel, where fine dining and attentive service are the order of the day.

Situated in the Manor House at the Grande Roche Hotel in the Paarl Winelands, this 70-seater restaurant and terrace has a multitude of awards to its name including being listed as one of the top ten restaurants in South Africa, as well as one of the top 100 restaurants in the world. These richly-deserved accolades are recognition of the superb harmony of flavours and textures that are the hallmark of a truly magnificent dining experience combined with unsurpassable service and spectacular views across the Paarl Valley.

Contact

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Bosman's Grande Roche Hotel, Paarl Winelands • Call: +27 21 863 5100 • Email: reserve@granderoche.co.za • Website: www.granderoche.com

The Blue Train

access 50-minute drive from Cape Town

Restaurant Guide

Dutch East Franschhoek

The menu of homely but stylish Dutch East Restaurant is inspired by the seasons, combining local produce with eastern flavours.

Dutch East Restaurant serves a variety of simple, eastern-inspired dishes. Head Chef Pasch du Plooy was introduced to eastern ingredients, flavours and combinations at a very young age. Later on he started to incorporate these ingredients into his style of cooking. Techniques like pickling and searing, as well as ingredients such as soy mirin and sesame have become staples in his kitchen. This makes for an eclectic and exciting dining experience in the heart of Franschhoek.

Contact

access One hour drive from Cape Town

Dutch East Restaurant – Franschhoek • Call: +27 21 876 3547 • Email: info@dutcheast.co.za • Website: www.dutcheast.co.za

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History

In the Tracks of a

Legend The History of The Blue Train

For over half a century, The Blue Train in South Africa has enjoyed an international reputation as one of the world’s pre-eminent travelling experiences. Officially named The Blue Train in 1946, the train’s predecessors trace their history to the 1890s and the discovery of diamonds and gold.

Text & Images: © The Blue Train

For the empire builders of old, the unchartered African interior was the landscape of a dream in the making. A dream that would etch its course in parallel lines that snaked their way northward from the Atlantic shoreline, conquering the distance from Cape Town to Cairo.

This dream was not to be, as the Great African Railway reached only as far as a bridge across the gorge of the Zambezi River, overlooking the thundering smoke of the Victoria Falls. But in the fading years of the 19th century, the discovery of gold and diamonds drew thousands to the edge of the continent, and those lines of tempered steel began to bear the burden of industry, commerce, and society on the move.

Soon, as the moneyed classes made their presence felt, the network added leisure travel to its list of duties, and in the slipstream of leisure came luxury. The Union Limited and the Union Express, ferrying passengers between the mailships of Cape Town harbour and the goldfields of the Witwatersrand, were the standardbearers of steam-powered opulence in the easy-living heyday of the 1920s, boasting everything from card tables to hot and cold water on tap. A coat of royal blue and cream would later give the trains their distinctive livery, and it was from this line, in these shades, that The Blue Train – a “Palace on Wheels” – would ride the rails to legendary status.

Withdrawn from service during the dark days of World War Two, extensively refurbished and modernised in the seventies and nineties, The Blue Train went on to define a new era of luxury travel, making the switch from steam to electric and diesel, linking veld to sea, and tradition to progress, with a sense of style, grace, and mesmerising power that have never come close to being matched.

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The Blue Train

History

Keeping Up With Technology From the Age of Steam to the Age of the Internet, The Blue Train has kept on track with ever-changing technology. In the process, it has lost none of the charm that anchors it to a bygone era. In its earliest incarnation, as a direct descendant of the Union Limited and Union Express that plied their way between Johannesburg and the Cape coast, The Blue Train thundered down the rails at the command of a mighty steam locomotive. A wisp of romance still lingers from that coal-fired era, clouding the memory of an energy source that proved to be less powerful, less efficient, and far more difficult to maintain than its whisper-quiet replacement. Today, the dual Blue Train sets, differentiated only by their number of suites and the option of a Conference Car that doubles as an Observation Lounge, are hauled by a fleet of diesel or electric locomotives. Whatever the motive, The Blue Train glides through the countryside at a maximum service speed of 90 km/h, ensuring that the noise level of 55 decibels, somewhere between the sound of soft rainfall and normal conversation, is never exceeded. Inter-suite sealing ensures utter privacy for guests.

In the world of ever-shrinking boundaries, ever-intensifying demands, rail travel in the grand old tradition has become a luxury in itself. The luxury of time: time to indulge, time to reflect, time to savour sights, sounds, senses and sensations. You’ll feel it from the moment you step into your suite, transformed by a magical act of alchemy from an elegant, spacious lounge by day, into a sanctuary of comfort and slumber by night.

Bringing together cultures and travellers from across the globe, The Blue Train is an exclusive society on the move – one that will undoubtedly prevail for years to come. n

March 2013

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Train Layout

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The Blue Train

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