Doing Nothing at Far Niente on South Africa’s Garden Route
We arrived in a little village called Wilderness under gray, foreboding skies. It was our first stop on the “Garden Route” — the picturesque coastal road that winds its way east of Cape Town past craggy mountain ranges, broad pastures, and windswept beaches. We pulled up in front of the place we’d rented, a 1930s Cape Dutch house smack on a wide, gorgeous beach. The house is christened “Far Niente” — literally, “doing nothing” in Italian. Far Niente has been owned by the same family since it was built 80 years ago and, thankfully, the owners haven’t sterilized the house for their renters. Pictures of beach holidays from decades past line the walls; footprints of the grandchildren toddle across the back porch cement. It feels like a friend handed you the keys to their family’s beach getaway. The house is available to rent in its entirety or as one of two units. We rented the smaller unit, but the owner graciously said we could have the run of the place if we would like.
We were there in July, the middle of winter, and the lousy weather rarely let up for our stay. The weather may have been cold and rainy, but the welcome we got from Glenda and Abby, Far Niente’s caretakers, was warm and genial. Since it wasn’t exactly beach weather, we spent our time reading, playing the ancient version of Trivial Pursuit we found in a cabinet (“How was I supposed to know the answer was East Germany — that country hasn’t existed in 25 years!”), and chatting with Glenda and Abby. We talked about the house, their grandchildren, and how South Africa has changed in their lifetimes. Abby, in particular, was curious about Americans: “Are the children there naughty?” “Is it true you supersize your meals?” One of his daughters had traveled to America once, to Disney World, and reported back that one American she saw didn’t know how to use a knife and fork! We assured him that plenty of Americans raise well-mannered children who eat their vegetables like civilized people. I think he was actually a bit disappointed by our answer. I fear I dismayed Abby upon first arrival, too, because he said he was hoping the “Skyler” he’d corresponded with would be a cowboy from Texas.
When cabin fever loomed, we went for a drive and found a great little spot called Timberlake Organic Village. It’s a collection of cute, ramshackle buildings that house shops selling artisanal foods and a great restaurant called Zucchini that serves organic, healthy food. We ate a wonderful salad — all from their own garden — for lunch and, using dubious logic, rewarded our restraint with a big piece of chocolate cake from the bakery next door.
Far Niente has a snug, familial vibe, and our only regret: that we couldn’t fly our families over to share in our “do nothing” beach getaway.
Disclaimer: Far Niente sponsored our stay in part. As always, the writing and opinions here are our own.
