Babylon Stories

Once upon a time in a strange and faraway land there was a farm called Babylonstoren in a range of mountains of the same curious name...

With all kinds of magical things to observe including a large golden Cinderella pumpkin growing among the tender tendrils of a young vine

Under a brilliant blue Southern hemisphere sky where a fabled gabled farmhouse snuggles sleepily under the trees as it has done since 1777

And a flirtatious  flower peeks shyly and a little coyly through the leaves 
in a mysterious green lily pond

A magical lotus bud  blushing pink as the dawn on a young girl's cheeks

And a whole menagerie of bird houses on tall bamboo poles in the middle of an endless vista of waving corn wecomes stray warblers, humming birds and Cape thrushes

A field of golden sunflowers radiant as the sun and 
beds of waiting-to-be-plucked vegetables just perfect for delicious salads

And a young Princess


In a nest of canes on a cushion of silk stuffed with the softest downiest feathers

And a Cook in a striped apron and a Gardener in a pretty hat

And many more smiling horticulturalists wielding hoes and spades and singing while they work among the beans and the berries, the ducks and the chickens, the almonds and the bees

To create a gaden of such practical and inspired magic as might take one's breath quite away!

With roses clambering over pergolas and arbours and mazes and paths and wild bits and semi-formal gardens, mulberries and stone fruit, grape vines and a river walk

All nestled in a backdrop of mountains as sheltering as a father's love for his precious Princess

Where you can walk in the shade and 
chose your own lunch from amongst the leaves and the herbs

And for a few moments the King and Queen forget all their troubles and are happy

Tripping gaily over flowers and leaves of grass, marvelling like Marvell, 
at a "green thought in a green shade"

Wandering blithely up lavender scented paths redolent of our visits to Italy & Provence

Observing the hard-baked earth of Africa, cunningly crafted into parterres and raised beds in which camomile and mint and rosemary and other edible plants grow with expert attention and endless watering

 
A maze of wild prickly pears with their thorny exteriors and juicy golden middles - 
an apt metaphor for this arid land with its honeyed beauty

A tea garden, lotus ponds, a guava avenue, olives, apples and pears

White-washed guest cottages, former workers' accomodation - for all this was once built by slaves - in a shaded avenue of old oaks with long memories

Converted into the most stylish B & B lauded in all the best 'overseas' mags

 Where we ask for a quick look from a very charming chamber maid

 And amidst this perfect setting

We discover dream kitchens

Fitted out with every luxury - though not sure quite how much cooking actually goes on here

Glass extensions carefully grafted onto the original Cape cottages

And the beautiful Babel restaurant - a place of many privileged tongues from all across the world


A former cowshed - where we sit beneath a bucolic bovine tiled mural

Under an intelligent-looking cow - hope he's not on the menu...

Drinking fresh spring water and ice-cold sauvignon blanc
with our lovely Princess P in her Dad's hat

Oh but the delicious flavours of this green-fingered fairy-tale place - a salad of fennel, asparagus, apple, pears, home-grown green beans and pretty green-hued flowers

And a red one, of water melon, plums, beets, russet leaves, strawberries, raspberries, scarlet tomatoes and blueberries

A perfect lunch of golden thrice-fried chips cured meats and fresh vegetables

A little shop with choice offerings of uncommon fruits presented in a super-stylish mélange of farmhouse chic and jet-set allure created by former magazine editor Karen Roos and her tycoon husband

Not a detail left untouched - a perfect espresso in an adorable pink demi-tasse with wonderfully crafted silverware


Fresh mint tea in rosey tea-cup

Mr P thinks it's been a fun day and our sun blushed Princess P agrees

The Chance Muse is amused at this brief moment of perfect accord

In this beautiful place on the trade routes of Africa, where East meets West, 
but home is always best

As we are reminded by the exquisite blue and white Chinese porcelain displayed under glass and found in the grounds, pointing to those adventurous Dutch souls who moved fearlessly between India and Europe via the Cape, leaving a legacy of fine furniture, food and farmsteads -
and tainted politics

I guess if there's a message here in this blue vista-ed haven with its dreams and desires,
its past and its hopes for the uncertain future
 

It is carpe diem - seize the day!