Freedom Day at the Union Buildings

Yesterday was Freedom Day which commemorates the first democratic election held in South Africa twenty years ago on April 27. But since the 27th fell on a Sunday this year, Monday was the day off instead. We took advantage of the lack of traffic and business to take the puppies up to Pretoria and visit the new statue of Nelson Mandela which was unveiled in the formal terraced gardens in front of the Union Buildings after his funeral last December.

The Union Buildings is the primary seat of the South African government and houses the office of the President. From its vantage point high above Pretoria, you can see all the way across the city  to the Voortrekker Monument. It was pretty quiet on the grounds of the Union Buildings today. Yesterday was the official celebration - the theme was “South Africa – A Better Place to live in” - and they were still disassembling the parade bleachers and tents where President Zuma gave his Freedom Day address on the south lawn in the shadow of Nelson Mandela.

The buildings themselves were designed by Sir Herbert Baker in 1908 and completed five years later to house the newly established government in charge of the newly united Union of South Africa. In 1994, almost 80 years later, it is where Nelson Mandela gave his inaugural address heralding his ground-breaking presidency and the dawn of a new democratic South Africa and last December it is also where he lay in state after his death and was visited by thousands of mourners.

Vince and I both agree we like this statue more than his dancing version in nearby Mandela Square which coincidentally was originally commissioned to stand at the newly re-christened Nelson Mandela Amphitheater where Mandela gave his inaugural speech 20 years ago on these very grounds. And this version replaces another statue originally sited here, a figure of former prime minister James Barry Hertzog, which was moved to a new spot in the garden in order to accommodate it. Kinda like a huge Gauteng chess match.

Last night we watched Kevin Kline and Denzel Washington (and Downton Abbey's Mrs. Crawley!) in the film Cry Freedom! No question. South Africa now is a better place to live in than then.

Saint John Paul II

Today the Blessed Popes John Paul II and John XXIII are being canonized by Pope Francis in Rome. This is cool for me because it means I have been in the presence of a real live Saint. Twice.

Once when my family attended midnight Mass officiated by Pope John Paul II on Christmas Eve in 1984 ...

... and the second time when we visited as pilgrims during the Jubilee year 2000 ...










... where we attended a service in St. Peter's Square.







 

Bringing it back to South Africa ... Pope John Paul II visited here twice during his lifetime. Once officially and once accidentally. In 1988 the papal plane he was traveling in was forced to land in SA because of bad weather conditions. Apparently on that visit he angered the apartheid government when he refused to kiss the ground.

Seven years later in 1995, Pope John Paul II came back and celebrated a papal mass in Joburg as he began his six day tour of Africa. During his visit in 1995, the Pope said: "Today my journey brings me to a new South Africa, a 'rainbow nation,' indicating the diversity of races, ethnic groups, languages and culture which characterize it." To which the newly minted  President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela said: "To say this visit is long overdue is to pay tribute to your own abhorrence of the system of apartheid," 

Our parish priest reminisced about John Paul II's visit to South Africa this morning during his homily. He spoke about being among the more than 100,000 who attended the outdoor Mass that day in nearby Gosforth Park. Blessed be Saint John Paul II.

Happy Easter from Valley Lodge

ebony cross with new Palm Sunday palms

Easter tabletop tree

Easter ostrich

At least an Easter ostrich actually lays eggs ... As opposed to an Easter bunny.

Easter rhino

Easter shark

Easter rondavel basket and inside ...

filled with Easter goodies

Easter in Joburg

We didn't spend Easter in Joburg ... but it doesn't mean it didn't happen here ... big time. There were plenty of celebrations, festivals and food events.

There were holiday weekend celebrations at the mega and mini-malls like Sandton City where there was a Bunny Garden, kiddie rides on an electric train, chocolate workshops, children's coloring competitions, and of course shopping for that perfect Easter bonnet.

Over in the CBD, the folks at Dlala Nje put on an old fashioned Easter egg hunt at Ponte City. The hunt was for the kids in the building as well as some needy ones in shelters in and around Hillbrow. All in all, they organized a good ol' fashioned Easter Sunday scramble for at least 600 kids.




Easter dining options? There were plenty.

At Piccolo Mondo in the Michelangelo Hotel you had a choice of an "Egg"stensive Easter celebration buffet lunch or the Chef's Easter special choice menu with wine pairings. Central One restaurant at the Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel offered a 3 course Easter Menu with a complimentary bottle of house wine.

For a more bucolic setting for Easter, there was the Granita Restaurant at the Kievits Kroon Country Estate in Kameeldrift in the Winelands in Gauteng, Or the Maropeng Boutique Hotel in the Cradle of Mankind with many "egg"citing events for the whole family to enjoy with Easter themed activities and visits by the Easter bunny. TSG Fourways provided the perfect Easter Sunday meal at its Leaping Frog Garden Centre. The Easter Bunny was there too for an Easter egg hunt.



Then there were the festivals.

A Tuscan Easter? On the beach? You had it at the Montecasino Easter Beach Festival. That's right, the Montecasino Outdoor Piazza was transformed into a beach paradise for the weekend and was the site of their Easter festivities. Not to be outdone, Emperor's Palace had an Easter Garden and Easter egg hunt on Sunday in their earlier Roman venue (as in Jesus's time), the D'Oreale Gardens Of Vespasian.

Pop-up markets were huge too over the long holiday weekend. The Rand Show at the Joburg Expo Centre and Kamers in Bryanston to name two. They looked like fun.

Now in its 5th year, the Nissan Easter Festival once again delivered 10 days worth of celebrations with equestrian events, entertainment and fun for the whole family. Dressage and showjumping and the InterAfrica Cup.

I am mostly sorry though that we missed a chance to see and hear Joyous Celebration, South Africa`s leading gospel ensemble with traditional and contemporary spiritual hymns and original compositions. Joyous Celebration is the Multi - Platinum selling, 40 plus member ensemble featuring the cream of South Africa`s gospel talent including Mthunzi Namba, Jabu Hlongwane, Charisma and Xolani Mdlalose just to name a few, and conducted by Lindelani Mkhiz. Next year I hope (although we will probably head out again, this time to Madagascar or Mauritius or maybe the Seychelles for Easter.)

some crafts for sale at the Organic Market

Our local haunts also celebrated the Easter season in their own ways. Bryanston Organic Market offered Easter crafts and activities during their regular market hours on Holy Thursday and Saturday.

Or I could have promenaded and worn my Easter bonnet at the weekly Neighbourgoods Market on Easter Sunday itself.

Baby white lion cubs play with Easter eggs at the Lion Park

It's Africa, right? There were more than just the same old Easter bunnies and chicks hopping around. How about the Easter white lions at the Lion Park? Or the Easter rhino at the Johannesburg Zoo. Talk about a wild Easter!

Boa Páscoa in MZ

Our private lagoon

Our Easter hut master suite

Our rustic kitchen

Our Easter orchids grew in the trees!

We found a Catholic Church right in our little beach village.

It was decidedly lower key than St. Patrick's Cathedral.

But the music was just as awesome ...

Mozambican Easter bonnets in church ...

and in the Easter parade!

After Mass we took a boat across the lagoon to the Indian Ocean for some snorkeling and scuba diving ...

Beyond that spit of sand, the Indian Ocean!

nature's decorated eggs

Instead of pastel colored Easter eggs, we had colorful fishing boats for decorations.

Fishing boats meant that instead of our usual Easter fare like salmon, veal and lamb, we had Mozambican prawns, calamari and langosta in stews, curries and on platters. Fresh off the boat!

Found so many of these large seeds from the Monkey Ladder trees on the beach. After I clean and polish them, they will make great decorations hanging on next year's Easter tabletop tree.

Sushi a Go Go

Blackanese puts on monthly pop-up penthouse dinners. Although I was told last night that they have become so popular, they've increased them to bi-monthly. How did I not know this?

Well I do now and that is the important thing. Last night's dinner featured a Glenfiddich whisky tasting too. Whisky and sushi? Okay.

with Gerald and AFAR magazine Ambassador Nina Dietzel

It is the place to be as evidenced by the appearance of local Joburg expert and man-about-town Gerald Garner. (Gerald is downtown Joburg's walking tour operator and author of JoburgSpaces and the soon to be released SandtonPlaces.) Check out Blackanese's Facebook page for future dinners. Check out Gerald's Facebook page for tours and books.