Unfortunately
I am one of those people who gets winter blues, quite badly. I think it’s
called seasonal affective disorder of some sort. The thing is that it’s not as
much the cold that bothers me – cold I can deal with. It’s the dark and the
grey and the dead and the dry. Soulkillers.
So, as a
Joburger, I am always looking for things to do in winter just to get outdoors
and soak up as much sun as I possibly can that isn’t too far. On Saturday my
husband took us on a spontaneous roadtrip. He got up real early, 7:30, which is
flipping early for him, especially in winter and especially over a weekend. He
told me to get ready and off we went. We stopped in Vereeniging for some
business, but Flip indulged me and we stopped at every little thing that I
wanted to take pictures of.
I soon
realised that we also couldn’t have been that far from Potchefstroom, my alma
mater and realised that it’s a place other Joburgers should also visit. So if
you’re looking for something to do this weekend, go visit Potch!
Potchefstroom
is really a fantastic getaway for the day, or even to stay the weekend. It is
only a little more than an hour’s drive from the city and if you go during the
right time of the year – like now – there are hardly any students, making it a
sleepy little town.
The
oaklined streets are so inviting and there are coffee shops and interesting
little galleries abound on Tom street – the name has since changed, but I’m not
sure what to. I was a little saddened by all the new developments around the
university, where 100-year old houses used to stand, flattened to make way for
student housing.
But I was
happy to see the old university again and to show Flip all the spots I used to
gather with friends, study, work late nights in the computer lab and spent a good
three years at.
We also
stopped at River Café, at the edge of the town and on the edge of the dam. For
about R250, two people can have a happy meal. Flip and I were both really
satisfied after our meals. Oh and when you are there, do try the Mermaid’s
Cocktail.
You can
also spend the day next to the dam, but make sure to pack a picknick basket and
relax under a willow tree for the day. To get in, you will have to pay about
R33 per person, which is much cheaper than sitting in a dark, cold movie
theatre, right?
