TOWN
My mother was born and raised in Ladismith and I've been coming here on holiday my whole life. She passed away recently, so when I was asked to write this story I saw it as a chance to revisit some old haunts and celebrate her life.
All along the Klein-Swartberg, you'll find fertile valleys fed by mountain water, and farms with the most beautiful names: Voorbaat, Dwarsrivier, Buffelskloof, Hoeko… Voorbaat, at the foot of Towerkop, was my Ouma Emmie's farm – my mom's mom. To me, it was the physical manifestation of Canaan, the Promised Land in the Bible. The bunches of grapes were longer than my arm and my dad picked cling peaches in the orchard and offered each of us a slice on the blade of his pocketknife. After a visit
