Hi there! It’s Fred Bullock again, keeping warm on these Winter evenings.
Many people complain about the weather on the mountain, but I think we have great weather here. That is, apart from some periods during summer when that grey mist comes down and creeps into every bone in your body. It was not for nothing that this area was called ‘The Land of the Silver Mist’ and having earned that reputation, it is not surprising that the ‘weather gods’ feel that this tradition should be continued.
Of course, those misty days, when you can’t go out sight-seeing, are ideal to do a round of the local taverns and sit somewhere warm and enjoy a toasted sandwich and a glass of warming red wine. Now, I am the last one to encourage you to go carousing and then have to drive home, especially if it’s misty. Do what some of my mates down under do and that is to nominate one member of your group as the ‘driver for the day’ and he or she would just have to bear the pain of temporary abstinence knowing that they would be off duty on the next day or days.
Our autumn, winter and spring days are glorious and a touch of overnight frost never did anyone any harm.
Talking of toasted sandwiches, I have been updating myself recently on which local pub, restaurant or tavern serves the best chips. I like chips with my toasted sandwich or with a rare steak – Oh my! Prices are soaring! – and sometimes I prefer a serving of good crispy chips and sometimes that good old South African stalwart, the ‘slap’ chip. A ‘slap’ chip, for those who don’t speak Afrikaans, is one that is floppy, slightly soggy and quite delicious!
There are no prizes on offer but, next time you have a plate of chips on the Mountain, let us know if your chips were exactly what you wanted. Why not try three different places and decide which one serves your favourite ones. We promise not to publish the names of any eating house which clearly serves the least appetizing chips!
If you thought that MCC stood for the Marylebone Cricket Club, you would be partly right. In the Land of the Silver Mist, it stands for the Mountain Chip Challenge and entries close at the end of September.
Next time, we will take a look at one of the most attractive dams in the entire province and talk about the difficulty of enjoying its facilities. Meanwhile let me assure you that, despite the chilly days, you will always find a warm welcome on our Mountain. And, no matter where you live, we are not that far away!
And them’s my sentiments!
Fred Bullock
