The island of La Réunion is located right next to the famous holiday paradise of Mauritius. In an attempt to find trade routes to India, the island was colonised by the French in 1648. It all began with 217 inhabitants; today the island has over 850,000 inhabitants. The two neighbours could not be more different. Mauritius is flat and framed by beautiful white sandy beaches. The green volcanic island of La Réunion has its own beauty with its rugged and majestic mountain landscapes and the famous active volcano. Once again we have arrived in Europe, because La Réunion belongs to France and is France! Only the hot and humid tropical climate reminds us that we are not in the French mountains. Otherwise, it’s just like home. Volcano lovers and hikers get their money’s worth here.
There are beautiful hiking trails with waterfalls, breathtaking views of the sea and lava fields that spill into it, as the Piton de la Fournaise is a volcano that was last active in 2019 and has also frequently sprayed large amounts of lava in the past.
We completely surrender to the pleasures of natural beauty and French cuisine and are delighted to receive answers in French for a change, as English is, interestingly enough, not a very common language here. After our stay in France, time is pressing and between the non-stopping cyclones, the never-ending rainy season in the Indian Ocean and the storms around the Cape of Good Hope, we have to leave the island and make our way to Cape Town. This happens at some point and in April the ship finally rounds the Cape, happy and undamaged, and reaches the beautiful marina on the Waterfront in Cape Town.
And what is life like in South Africa?
Mild climate, no time difference, marvellous coastal and mountain landscapes, wine in abundance and fantastic cuisine, what more could you want to feel like you’re in paradise? The horrors of the past seem to have been overcome, at least in the Western Cape. Construction is underway, the infrastructure is excellent and there is good medical care everywhere. What’s the catch, you ask yourself, in view of the beaming holiday faces and satisfied expressions? What is it like to live in this country, which I last visited over thirty years ago and which, until recently, I still believed that stones were thrown from motorway bridges, people barricaded themselves in their homes and you had to be afraid of being dragged out of your car and robbed at any time? The touristic perspective is a milder one, because none of this really seems to exist anymore. Townships still exist but the situation is increasingly changing and the living and housing conditions for the black population are improving.
After savouring the delights of the Stellenbosch, Franschoek and Paarl wine regions, we are also drawn to the Garden Route as far as Knysna.
Royal blossoms
We are lucky enough to be able to visit a farm there, away from our travel programme. Royal proteas grow here and are shipped to Holland, where they fetch a handsome price at the flower market in Rotterdam. The naive non-biologist in me believes that nature takes care of everything by itself, but I would never have thought that growing this majestic flower would involve so much work. Each flower has to be covered with a protective film to protect it from temperature fluctuations. The main harvesting season on the Cape is from April to September. During this time, the flowers are expertly pruned so that new shoots and flowers soon form again. Everything is done by hand and requires a lot of patience. It also requires the right location, sufficient water and good plants, which the farmers themselves genetically modify so that they become resistant and grow taller than those of their competitors. The friendly manager didn’t want to explain to us exactly how this is done, but he is happy with the business and full of energy and joy about his beautiful ‘product’.
We had previously met a completely different voice in the Seychelles, in the harbour of Victoria. Richard lives on his catamaran and would like to leave his home country of South Africa in favour of a property in the Seychelles. He does not have a good word for the South African situation and is of the opinion that corruption and legal uncertainty are still not a good basis for an investment in this part of the world. He is the founder of a private game reserve in the Kwazulu Natal region and tells us that he gave up his company because he no longer felt safe.
It’s the mix that makes the difference
Each story is individual and characterised by personal experiences. Visitors are presented with a dream setting that combines the sea, mountains, nature and wildlife. Nowhere else in Africa are there so many national parks, 22 in total. The possibilities are varied and easy to organise, the people are hospitable, helpful and lovable. It is a fantastic holiday destination for all generations. We also meet many older people on our trip, whom my son likes to call ‘silverbacks’. This is a very respectful description of anyone who has reached retirement age which you can tell, in this case, buy the hair colour. In earlier times, old age was synonymous with uselessness, but today people are discovering that the experience gained with a great deal of resilience is a real treasure that is worth passing on. The time between 60 and 90 is just as long as the time between 30 and 60, so why shouldn’t there be just as much potential? Many Instagrammers who have discovered this topic for themselves, such as ‘Greta Silver’, ‘still sprakeling’ etc., say so. They have a lot of followers and I also couldn’t agree more. To quote my mother-in-law’s answer to the spontaneous question of what the best time of her life was: the years after 60. Who would have thought it? In South Africa, people seem to treat acquired experience with particular respect. Vitality and high quality of life are the result!
Boulders Beach, Capetown
Not forgetting the picture-perfect dream family who, to the applause of their twin babies, jogged and sprinted around the hotel fountain while the other generation ate their breakfast with relish. It’s all in the mix!
Benguela Cove, Hermanus
