There are two ways to find out how cold it is in South Africa, without scanning the thermometer. If the ice cubes in your gin and soda water don’t melt and last for another drink is option one. Secondly is when Pieter greets you with ‘goojie morge’ wearing long pants.

We were in Barkley East in South Africa’s Eastern Cape which is known to be one of the coldest places in South Africa. These New England highlands border the Lesotho Mountains, the highest kingdom in the world.

The alarm bells rang around 2 am in my wee cabin in Ingogo, I call the Adendorff Castle. Pieter and I are going on a road trip, hooray. A supermarket in Barkley-East is opening a bakery soon and the machinery needed a last check up. Pieter installs replaces, or fixes ovens, mixers, slicers, and all kinds of mechanical and electrical equipment in bakeries and butcheries all across Southern Africa. More importantly, we needed to show a young baking crew how to mix and mold, prove, and bake bread and rolls. So, us two bakers jumped in the bakkie around 3 am on a 10-hour journey south. The iron gates had icy particles covering the metal as I opened them for Pieter to drive by. It was a tad chilly this morning.

South African streets have a high accident rate, particularly overnight. Cattle and wildlife cause a serious threat, but more so broken-down trucks. Common sense and traffic safety are often nonexistent in this part of the world, it’s Helter Skelter in many ways. I stayed awake as the outside temperature gauge reached down to -5 degrees Celsius in the Free State. The sunrise shone golden over grain flats as we passed the mountain range to the east, reflecting in our rearview mirrors. Little by little, grassy fields defrosted by the energy of the sun.

We stopped in Lady Grey for lunch on a glorious sunny day. Pieter has never been here before. There aren’t many places in South Africa he hasn’t been to this date.

A picturesque church drew my attention to get Rick airborne. It would have been a crime if I hadn’t taken this opportunity.

Blue sunny skies enhanced the church’s colors magnificently. Whilst snow-covered peaks of the Lesotho mountains sweetened the icing on the cake.

We arrived at the supermarket shortly after lunch and inspected the bakery and its equipment. Is it bake-worthy? It was far from it. The oven door lever was loose and didn’t catch the release handle when the door was opened or closed. The mixer was timed in reverse mixing and the emergency button fell into the mixing bowl. Pieter, the Toolman Taylor, gave it his best shot so that we could at least mix and bake the next day.

Young girl Lana was thrown into very cold water to run the bakery side of this supermarket sometime in the near future. But first, we needed to connect water to the sink, all trays and tins needed a thorough clean and grease, and handy baking tools needed to be organized. It is those little things that make the big difference.

Pieter had already shared my tasty nickname ‘The Doughwhisperer’ with staff and told stories about a bread dough with 100% hydration.

A slippery customer that needs careful handling. Could I whisper a ciabatta here? Of course, I could.

We stayed at the picturesque and very friendly ‘Sir Henry Barkley B&B’, only a few blocks south of downtown.

It was a most enjoyable experience and is a highly recommended port-of-call. Friendly, secure, and warm.

Heidi has been running this accommodation for over a decade.

She welcomed us with open arms as she does with all guests. The breakfast room was heated with an open fire, cozy and warm whilst bacon, eggs, sausages, and hash brownies were freshly prepared. The atmosphere within staff and guests was happy and relaxing, what better start could one get on a chilly sunny day.

We were invited, alongside other guests, for a homemade dinner meal. The food was delicious and it felt like we all were friends for a very long time. Experiences were shared with icy cold beverages and plenty of laughter.

I had my eyes set on some new friends.

I fell in love.

Sometimes that’s just the way it goes. Unexpected and straight-faced.

Not once, not twice, but three times. All good things come in three. They certainly do here.

It’s those eyes that always get me.

Or was it the fluffy ears?

Or just the adorable appearance?

Whilst everyone else chatted about stories of old and new, I entertained the sausage crew.

Oh, how cute. Zettie, Lola, and Peanut.

Peanut is the oldest and longest resident here. On four legs.

He doesn’t trust strangers. But we weren’t strange for long.

There is nothing like a belly rub.

Followed by a session of ‘tug of war’. Pup Sisters Lettie and Lola joined the fun. It was an awesome foursome.

Lola appeared like a sausage leopard on tiny legs.

Her twin sister Lettie was born deaf, one wouldn’t know until being told. She followed me all around.

An after-dinner cuddle was a sweet treat for both of us.

And she followed me for breakfast the next morning.

The oodie kept us both warm. I should have slipped her in my pocket and…!?

It was another beautiful morning at ‘Sir Henry Barkley’. The temperature was rather mild in comparison to yesterday. Pieter and I didn’t have to be anywhere apart from getting home sometime in the evening. Everyone was relaxed and cheerful as we farewelled and made our way out of the gate.

A big thank you goes out to Heidi and her friendly staff. And to Peanut, Lola, and Lettie of course.

We drove along the eastern side of the Lesotho Mountains on our way north, via Kokstadt and Underburg.

The scenery was thoroughly impressive and remarkable. We passed through river valleys and mountain passes along the Drakensberg Mountains, some still covered in snow. We had good music, good coffee, and good company. And sunny weather.

Tin house settlements gathered around communities. These used to be fertile farmlands not so long ago.

Pieter is a world of knowledge. We covered history and mystery, Gandhi and Churchill, rugby and cricket, politics and corruption, stupidity and common sense, frustration and greed.

Ach, I can’t even remember all the topics but, I remember that we got home in no time.