Much earlier in the year, before the winter rains, I headed north up the West Coast and spent my third weekend at friends' thatch cottage at the Het Kruis railway crossing, about 40km beyond Piketburg. There the sky is big, the stars bright and the vegetation subdued.
Back then the region was dry-baked and unpleasant to be outdoors during the day.
In a few hours time I'll be leaving a cool and storm-lashed Cape Town - I'll be sure to see snow on the mountains as I head up the sparse West Coast that I love so much.
It's the flower season; it will be my first experience of the coast's famous flower spring extravaganza despite having travelled this unique and sparse land many times in as many years, including a coastline-hugging flight in a small plane up to the diamond-haunted Skeleton Coast in 1999.
My destination is Vanrhynsdorp, about three hours from the city, where I'll be based for the weekend.
I've been resentful of this upcoming trip, mainly because I'm under pressure at work, and thought that escaping for the weekend would only add to my load. Now that I've packed a book, some wine and meat for the braai (barbeque) I'm looking forward to peace, silence and the perspective that a trip rewards one with.
Happy Friday. Spring is next week... .
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