December 1960 - January 1961- Johannesburg, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Wales, New York. Cleveland.
My mother, who had recently married a Canadian-American, came to South Africa to take me to live with them in Cleveland, Ohio in the US. After a visit to my brother in the then-Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and Christmas with my Welsh family, we crossed the very rough Atlantic ocean on the Queen Mary. I was quite ill with seasickness, so don't remember much about it. We were in New York for a few days, I was amazed by the skyscrapers and excited about buying a Davy Crockett hat. I'll never forget the bitter cold. Coming from the South African summer to the grip of winter was a jolt.
Over the New Year, we were staying in George where I was born. We had arrived in Johannesburg the day after Christmas and stayed until Dec.30th when we flew to George. The town itself is not a tourist attraction, except for train lovers, where the train museum is fascinating. There is a Botanical garden near the neighborhood where I was born, and I feel sure this contibuted to my love of natural beauty. It is an outstandingly beautiful area, with a backdrop of the Outeniqua mountains,one of the few remaining virgin rainforests, and close to the coast with its pristine beaches. The drive down to Capetown along "The Garden Route" is the most beautiful scenic drive one can imagine.
My father was stationed in George during the war, training with the South African Air Force, after having been wounded in North Africa. We went around to the areas my mother talked about so enthusiastically, and I could see why. I kept thinking what it must have been like for her in the January she spent waiting to give birth to me. Being summertime, she probably spent her birthday on the 6th lying out on a comfortable chaise longue and staying close to home enjoying the view of the mountain and perhaps walking around the Botanical Gardens.
From George we drove down to Capetown and spent a very happy time there with family and friends, going to the top spots such as Table Mountain, the V&A waterfront, Blouberg with it's incredible view of Table Mountain and the ocean, and on our last day, spectacular Cape Point. 50 years before, I had left family in Capetown to go to the USA and 50 years later I was doing the same thing.
My father was stationed in George during the war, training with the South African Air Force, after having been wounded in North Africa. We went around to the areas my mother talked about so enthusiastically, and I could see why. I kept thinking what it must have been like for her in the January she spent waiting to give birth to me. Being summertime, she probably spent her birthday on the 6th lying out on a comfortable chaise longue and staying close to home enjoying the view of the mountain and perhaps walking around the Botanical Gardens.
From George we drove down to Capetown and spent a very happy time there with family and friends, going to the top spots such as Table Mountain, the V&A waterfront, Blouberg with it's incredible view of Table Mountain and the ocean, and on our last day, spectacular Cape Point. 50 years before, I had left family in Capetown to go to the USA and 50 years later I was doing the same thing.
