An impromptu day out with my bestie to take a drive up to Heidi's in Botha's Hill, along the 1000 Hills Tourism Route, turned into a memorable experience, and one I would recommend to anyone visiting Durban and its surrounds.
It's always a treat driving through the leafy suburbs along that route, which also happens to be part of the 88-kilometer Comrades Marathon, and attracts top runners from all over the world.
The air becomes fresher the higher one climbs, and the landscape changes from urban to rural with green hills and valleys on both sides of the road. This is a mere 40 minutes from home! Hubby and I took many jaunts along this tourist route, some of which I've shared here on Hive.
The Valley of 1000 Hills lies on one side of the route, while Heidi's overlooks farmland.
View from Heidi's
View of part of the 1000 Hills, taken from Phezulu, a little higher up and on the opposite side of the Old Main Road.
Josh and I were both hungry, so we only took a quick glimpse at the crafts on offer at Heidi's.
We made a beeline for The Brown Cat Café. We had stopped at their old venue on a previous occasion but their menu did not appeal to my friend's son who was with us that day. Heidi's is a way better home for this quaint café with vintage decor, much of it based on automobiles of days gone by; not quite what one would expect to find in a rural setting, but it worked!
it looks like the driver had one too many and drove right through the wall ;)
I loved the way they did the flooring.
This traffic light's been revamped but is permanently out of order, so nothing is stopping you from overindulging, or grabbing the guitar and making music!
A touch of the USA, the King of Pop Michael Jackson and James Dean both hail from the state of Indiana - and some interesting car registrations!
My favourite James Dean who we all know was tragically killed in a car crash at a young age!
Clever use of vinyl records, some real old-fashioned glass jugs, and other memorabilia.
We found a table on their deck which overlooks a kiddies' playground and glorious views of a green valley and farmland.
The kids can make-believe they're on a race track or have fun on the jungle gym while Moms and Dads enjoy their meal.
Finally, the food arrived - we both ordered a Sourdough toastie - Brown Cat Special Chicken Mayo served with crispy potato fries.
We then went browsing handcrafts - from handmade soaps, lotions and potions, clothing, leatherwork - bags, shoes, belts, home and garden decor, homemade cookies, jams, honey, plants, books, and even a small charity shop.
Apparently, each crafter pays for their space which is a nice way to reduce overheads.
'Talk like a South African' keyrings
Leather bags
Honey & kids' gear
I bagged a bottle of honey and the 'Welcome to our Garden' sign
More garden decor
Heidi's for sure is a must-see when travelling along the 1000 Hills Tourism route; the views, crisp fresh air, arts and crafts, garden section, the quaint café with good food and good company, made a delightful day out in the countryside!
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Artwork by @artywink
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