Winter in the good old days ...

Dear KuierKos Friends,

Can you believe we are nearly in the middle of the year? These first couple of months of 2026 have passed by at lightning speed. It feels like we just packed away the Christmas decorations, and now many of you are already starting to think about summer holidays and travel plans.

We love staying in Bloemendaal during summer. Most of the inhabitants disappear to their summer houses or warmer destinations, and the village becomes wonderfully quiet. The weather has also been so beautiful lately that you can almost pretend you are back in Joburg. Winter weather was always the best there: cold nights, but beautiful clear skies during the day.

Even now, I still love sleeping in a cold room. In summer, I sleep with a fan blowing directly on me. Growing up, we did not have fancy duvets, electric blankets, or central heating. We had those heavy wool blankets from Pep Stores. Real proper blankets. Nowadays, people tell you to buy weighted blankets to sleep better. I always want to tell them there is nothing new about that. We already knew all about it in the 70s and 80s.

On the farm, our house was never properly insulated, so Annetjie, our helper, would always add an extra blanket to my bed whenever I came home from boarding school. It was just perfect.

One thing I still do not miss, though, is a South African bathroom in winter, especially after sleeping under a mountain of blankets. I always made my brother go first so he could get warm water running. I thought I was very clever. By the time it was my turn, the water was finally warm, and when you washed your face, your eyelids did not freeze off.

So, if any of you are planning a trip to South Africa during our summer and their winter, brace yourselves for the cold houses and icy bathrooms. It is better to spend the days outside in the sunshine. It will probably feel like summer compared to the Netherlands!

Sometimes it is the smallest memories that stay with us forever.
Wishing all of you a wonderful week ahead, wherever you may be, whether travelling far away or simply enjoying the beauty close to home.

Lots of love,
Marnella en Andreas