Taking the Dutch to Oude Molen

Xperience 18

I have a strange soft spot for museums. One of my earliest memories was dragging my poor dad to the museum in Hartenbos. To me a magical place caught in a time bubble, now that I think back, not exactly what my dad had envisioned when they booked our seaside vacation.

So new town means new museum too and off I went. Swellendam has an interesting history and museum to go with it, but this was not the new xperience.

Something I didn’t know was that there’s a blueberry farm just outside the town. I know it’s not season, but after I saw the sign, I had to follow. I found a little farm called Wildebraam. They do not only grow blueberries, but make jam and liqueurs from all kinds of fruit which they buy in. Here comes the best part – tasting! I tasted Pineapple & Granadilla Jam, Sundried Tomato Mustard, Hazelnut Liqueur, Sweet Pepper Jam and I’m sure there was a Chili Chocolate Liqueur. For a change, these weren’t my new xperiences either.

Back at the backpackers I started talking to a Dutch guest touring our country for 4 months. I couldn’t help to mention he must have the best boss in the world, taking leave for 4 months? Jasper confessed he resigned his job to travel. During this whole conversation I invited him to join me for dinner at the Oude Molen, a small restaurant that came highly recommended by a friend.

Now I thought this was going to be my new xperience for the day. While having dinner at this wonderful little place just outside the town, Jasper threw a spanner in the works. My new xperience was not the restaurant, no. My new xperience was inviting a total stranger out for dinner. We only introduced ourselves after the first glass of wine. I know, I know, but it was only while we were ordering we realized we don’t even know each other’s names.

Looking back now, it seems Jasper and Natasha both pointed out a very important point. Every new xperience might have more than one dimension. Thanks to a stranger and a trusted friend, I’m now looking out for 2D (or maybe even 3D) xperiences.

 

The Lonesome Trip

Xperience 17

It seems I’ve been so close to my own xperiences, I’ve lost a bit of perspective.

On Tuesday I thought my new experience was Swellendam, a small town I always see the sign for, as I drive down the N2 and hometown of a close friend.

It was my friend Natasha who reminded me that the new xperience, actually, was going on a road trip by myself. She’s right.

I’ve found myself to look for the more literal new xperiences, however small, rather than my original intention, to xperience not only the tangible (and frankly, a lot of times, tasty), but also the more insubstantial. Those seem to be quite a bit more difficult to spot and to plan. Maybe that’s just it, don’t plan it, but keep my eyes open for when it happens? At least then I would be able to write a better post about it?

The first day of my Lonesome Trip was hardly anything to mention. I was bushed from the 4 day outdoor party, and pretty much got myself cleaned, fed and crashed for about 14 hours when I got to my destination. During the drive to Swellendam though, it did feel quite empowering to realize I could go and do whatever I felt like. I made no reservations, I listened to a CD of Verdi’s best arias and if it had a few more I might even have driven on to the next town. I confess I did feel a bit lonely while shopping for some sandwich goodies, it lasted about 2 minutes until I spent an obscene amount on a small piece of cheese.

While sitting next to a big warm fire in the backpackers and talking to some other travelers, I realized, I might be alone, but I was by no means lonely.