Just when my confidence had soared to such heights as to allow me to face a few oncoming cars, and kept on cycling, albeit with a back like a ramrod and a heart that fluttered like a frightened bird, it was time to say goodbye to this beautiful country, and to my beautiful kids, and go home!
The last two weeks were spent picking walnuts that were hanging like green jewels on the rows of trees along the footpath where we had earlier picked the berries. We ignored all the advice on cleaning the walnuts,specially the bit on wearing strong gloves, as walnuts dye the skin, and Irma found us two pairs of thin, hairdyeing ones, and we started peeling with much enthusiasm! We laughed about all the old woman stories about black fingers that had to wear of, as nothing lifted walnut dye, but after about three hours of peeling, this not an easy task, the thin gloves long since discarded, we did notice a light brown tinge on our fingers. By dinnertime they were dark brown, and the next morning we woke up with pitch black fingers!
And nothing would lift it! We scrubbed, and used all the chemical cleaners we could find, but to no avail, and I must admit, my believe in old woman stories were restored!
Karel's family were absolutely delightful, and we spent a lot of time with them. The Saturday before I left, Jan, Karel's brother invited us over for his prize waffles, proper Belgian ones, and I ate my fill! Actually so much, as they were delicious, and I had way to much, that I was queasy for two days! Then Karel's Mum asked us over for a 'kaas skotel' (cheese meal), and she had some wonderful kinds of cheese that I had never even seen, South Africa not yet up to scratch when it came to dairy products. I ate so much, and the cheeses were so rich, that I had a really bad tummy the next day!
Now I am back in good old South Africa, where the sun welcomed me with its warm rays as I came out of the airport building, and the smiles on my two grandsons's faces when they spotted me made me feel warm and wanted. I spent a few days with them, then drove back home, the bare dry scenery of the Karroo looking even more dry and arrid after the lush greens of Belgium
As when I came back from Scotland before, the beasties had taken over my house, and after inspecting the onions to see if Bush had kept them alive, which he did, I set to on clearing away the cobwebs and dead insects, while the huge rainspiders watched me disgustedly! Or so I thought! Some of these spiders are as big as my hand, but as they are not poisonous, I let them be, and they were actually like companions, sitting on the walls or hanging on the thatch, watching me come and go!.