Travel dreams shattered but memories of trips before Covid remain in our hearts forever!
Our little bnb has thus far survived the onslaught of a deadly second Covid wave with some cancellations over the peak holiday season.
I feel we're still in for a bumpy ride though as the number of cases increase and the available hospital beds decrease!
Fortunately the local training centre opened early and our regular motoring companies are back in full force, so we're truly thankful for that, even though it's a load of hard work with having to sanitize everything all of the time, sweating inside the PPE's in the midst of summer!
Units are deep-cleaned before and after guest changeovers, but we no longer offer a daily cleaning service as per guidelines from the tourism bodies to minimize contact, so it makes our task easier in that respect!
I really miss the interaction with guests, but we still manage to have the odd short chats all masked up from a distance or by cell phone!
The son made sure Mom and Dad now have the best medical grade masks which were being sold online when our Covid curve flattened.
Our live-in staff member came back from his vacation but is in quarantine for another week before he can help indoors!
We thankfully had one long booking by a family that's survived real stormy weather; a car crash claimed the life of a young mother with two gorgeous little girls, then granny who now takes care of them, lost her husband unexpectedly.
Mother and son with the two little ones came to stay at Lily's Cottage for a lengthy holiday which they extended, thus saving us when cancellations took place after the beaches were closed for bathing and walking, and a stricter curfew was announced.
Our pool provided much fun for this family during some real steamy hot days!
Never under-estimate the will of a strong woman though; granny discovered that all they needed to step onto the beach, was a fishing license and fishing rods, as angling is still permitted.
Although I do not encourage breaking the rules I find prohibiting people from being outdoors on the beaches really ludicrous, as sun and fresh air is what we need now during this pandemic!
I do understand closures that were initially imposed for public holidays, as that was to avoid over-crowding, but to still have that in place now, really in nonsensical!
Hubby being a keen fisherman provided the gear; the little ones had their fishing nets and they fished on the beach between rock pools to their hearts' content a little south of Durban:)
Pictorial Memories of 2019 travels
Some of you have already read about our trip to the Western Cape, and this post sums up a real special time with good friends just before our hard lockdown during the first Covid wave in March 2019.
Our trip started with a flight to Cape Town, from where we took a three hour road trip to the secluded Stonehill River Lodge outside the historic little town of Swellendam in the Overberg region.
Farming landscape framed by the Langeberg Mountain range
Swellendam
Drostdy Museum in Swellendam
One of the most photographed churches in SA, the historic Dutch Reformed Church in Swellendam
Cogmanskloof Pass
Route 62
Die Kloof Padstal
Wine Experience at Platform 62 outside Ashton
Struisbaai
We did many road trips down that way, and our next destination was the little fishing village of Struisbaai, where we stayed in an authentic fisherman's cottage with mod cons; bought Yellowtail straight from the fishermen's boats and drank in the fresh sea air.
Cape Agulhas
We visited the southernmost tip of Africa and Mr 
Wind-blown where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet
Quaint Suiderhart Coffee House
Mossel Bay
We stopped by our friend's sister whose apartment overlooks the misty harbour area and enjoyed a delicious Yellowtail Curry.
Graceful historic Prince Vincent & Co Building
We were sad when the plane took off from Cape Town again to fly back to Durban as news started coming in that Covid was on the rise here in our country.
Little did we know then just what a devastating effect this was going to have on the entire planet, with tourism being one of the hardest hit of all business sectors!
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