TULBAGH , THE PLACE WHERE ART IS CREATED

Tulbagh is not far from Cape Town, it took us around 2 hours to get there. Upon entering Church Street, you know that you have entered a historic town. As we drove down the road we admired the largest number of Cape Dutch, Edwardian and Victorian provincial heritage sites in one street in South Africa, as I was told.

 

Our accommodation, Wittedrift Art Manor, is an old Victorian style house with it's art and antique furniture, a true beauty. The rooms were comfortable, white linen and rosemary on the pillows to add an extra touch. There were two single beds in our room with still enough space to move around. The kitchen is spacious and really takes you back in time, real old style. There is a stoep outside the kitchen right opposite the pool so you can relax in the evenings, with a bottle and just chill.

The 5th annual Tulbagh Arts Festival was celebrated and we got ready to attend the opening which started only minutes we arrived and it definitely was a rush for us, but we were glad we made it in time.

This exhibition was held at the Mission Church and featured a number of artist’s present. Wine and snacks created a great vibe to the opening. It was well attended by many locals and guests that travelled from outside the town. 

I just felt that each of the artists who exhibited should have been represented and introduced. I also think that part of the programme should have included a five minute video of ether what could be expected or what it was like last year. As the social media platform was being populated , many asked questions re the event.  Definitely something I would look into re marketing.

 

The Festival offered weekend activities that included music from different genres, art exhibitions, literary discussions, concerts, walkabouts, wine-tastings, crafts market, food stalls, live entertainment, etc. Looking at the programme it was clear that much effort went into it. This for me must be complemented with my reasoning above. 

 

After the opening I headed off to the De Oude Kerk Volksmuseum in Church Street where Rocco de Villiers, a pianist was going to perform tunes from his latest release. This was my first time that I was introduced to him but simply loved this entertainer. He is witty, funny and truly knows how to captivate his audience. The venue, a beautiful architectural building was the perfect setting for the hymns, pity that it was not packed. Fabulous show indeed.

 

 

It was late into the evening, but it was far from over. Time to meet the town’s very own popular group called, Witzenbergies , consisting of farmers and entrepreneurs. Chris Kreef is the leader of the pack and also owns Saronsberg Theatre / restaurant. Looks can be deceiving but they rocked the event and got people off their feet. I hope to see them at the International Cape Town Jazz festival in 2016.  Attendees are in for chocolate with nutty ice-cream, mouth-watering for those who indulge like myself. 

The next morning, it was an early breakfast and we had the privilege of meeting renowned violist Hezron Chetty. What a gentleman and musician. He played on the violin to give us a taste of what was on offer later that morning. 

 

One of the members fell ill and we needed to get an Asthavent pump. To my surprise the chemist had no stock of most items; I wasn’t sure what was happening as the racks were empty. We had to drive to Ceres, which was 25 kilometers away, not cool. This is another important element that the organizers will need to address even though the doctor in the town was on duty.  

In the town there was a buzz of activity from the crafts to the bazaar. We meandered around and finally ended up at the Readers Restaurant for the craft beer tasting with the performance by Hezron Chetty. The combination of the two was an amazing idea and with the cheese stall right there we combined all the elements to make for an unforgettable hour. It was not well attended and I felt that this man needed a far bigger audience to have appreciated his efforts. My eye is on him for the footprints he is making in South Africa and the globe.

 

 

Next we went on a walkabout of the town and our steps led us to Kuierbossie restaurant. As you enter I felt that I was at an upmarket Spur, a place of diversity and families. The exhibition complimented the ambiance of the venue and the owner, a hands on lady that interacts with all her patrons with the help of her son and family. In the evenings entertainment is provided and the surprise element is that the owner forms part of a trio called Arida. I enjoyed the food and atmosphere and definitely recommend them. They are very proud of their community involvement and a patrons comment bore testament of this. 

 

This town had so many art exhibitions and one starts to appreciate creativity and the efforts of this festival. Wish there were more people to behold the beauty.  

 

 

 

 

  

     

 

The evening we attended the gala concert where we were in for a treat of a lifetime, with the ever popular Vivaldi’s Four Seasons performing (Violin was played by Petrus de Beer, Accordion by Stanislav Angelov, Double bass by Schalk Joubert joined by one of the local acclaimed blues guitarist Albert Frost).

This show cannot be described in words; it was that moment heaven opened. The venue was Morgansvlei Country Estate and the setting completely complemented the performance. What a wonderful art exhibitions they displayed, really intriguing. 

 

The night was set and started on a high note.  

 I popped over to Saronsberg Theatre to see the Valiant Swart Band performing. This was well supported by the locals and I could see a definite hit with them. By this time I was exhausted and wanted to hit the sack.  

 

The next morning we had breakfast at Readers Restaurant, where the cat lady and her cats, welcomed us. Norman Collins a resident photographer and co-owner of the restaurant had his exhibition the previous evening outside the restaurant. He has such talent and captures more than what the normal eye sees.                             

We immediately had to leave for Waverley Hills who produces organic wine,   infused by distinctive fynbos. A special 5-course, creative food and wine pairing were created especially for the festival. One of my best ever pairings and I can’t describe how much each dish left an impression on my palate and memory. This all can be enjoyed while at the foothills of the breath-taking Witzenberg Mountain Range which forms the backdrop for the scene. 

  

 

Our afternoon ended off discussing possibilities for the future as well as having an ice-cream tasting at Readers Restaurant. OMG , this festival wanted to send me off in style and how! The flavours born in this restaurant can only be described by saying, visit them and indulge. Don’t talk about the curry flavour and the mint. Don’t get me going here; ice-cream is one of my favourite foods.  

 

Thanks to everyone that made this possible. Follow @TravelingMedia for regular updates or check me out @D7events. 

See you next time for more discoveries and possibilities.