June 2021. Peter Giddy Guided Tours; Hikes; Walks and general transport services.
Tuesday 1st June 2021. Rain in the morning prevents outdoor activity. This afternoon sees Ally and I joining Sally; Aletheia; Ronel; Tracey and friend; and Dominique for a Grassroof walk / run.
Grassroof 5k run with Ally. Here is Dominique and Ronel. Nicky met Dominique in London and later it turns out that they live as neighbours in Durbanville. Dominique tells me he had an international events company which he sold just before the advent of Covid in February 2020.
Nicky takes Zara and Mia for an evening walk
Elephant teeth found at Kabeljous. This means that hundreds of years ago the Elephants roamed this area.
Wednesday 2nd. Morning rain. I have reecntly started a new assignment. Doing Transcribing. People undergo interviews and a video / voice recording is made of the interview. This is then sent to me to put into typed format. Not easy as the voices can be indistinct and I do not have the required equipment to go back to check on what was said. The interviews are supposed to be 45minutes. And each 15 minutes of spoken word can take me an (interrupted with tea breaks) hour or more. I use my phone to listen and my laptop to type onto a spreadsheet. And that is another issue as I am not able to space with paragraphs as the template is quite restrictive. The Interviewee has a question which may require a simple Yes No Answer. He then goes on with a long story which takes 20 lines of text instead of one.
I start the day with a hike up the Lady Slipper from the Falcon Rock side. On the hike today -- Robin; Jan; Andre; Dave and Heather; Dave and Naomi; Eugene; Jurgen; Charlotte; Aletheia; Siobhan; Pat, Margie and her daughter Lisa; Russell and Debbie.
After the hike we run around the Labyrinth. Debbie, Aletheia and I.
The Labyrinth is at the start of the trail.
Relaxing at the top of the hill with the Two Daves and wives -- Noami and Heather.
Looking across from the first hill as the front group are on their way to the summit.
Leucadendron? Common Sunshine Conebush
Leucadendron. Common Sunshine Conebushes
Climbing the first of two hills. Stamina is a factor on this hike.
Aletheia and Siobhan
On the trail with Pa; Lisa; Margie and Debbie
Looking Westwards the mountain seems to go on for ever
The trail starts with a steep climb and soon people are out of breath.
Thursday 3rd June. My day starts with the first walk with BR of the month. I have this new assignment... Transcribing video interviews. I have to type out the interview verbatem. Probably be a lot easier if I had a machine that I could switch the voice on and off and rewind. The interviewee is indistinct and the sentences difficult to follow. So this task takes me at least one hour for 15 minutes of talk.
In NZ Cathy will be making dry flower arrangements for her Oh Goodie options.
Ally goes out for dinner and I make us a Spanish Omlette.
Friday 4th June . . Walk 5km with BR and then run 8km with Megan and Cameron. Two things -- BR and I manage to walk under 51 minutes for the five kay for the first time ever. It is the coldest it has been this season at 7 degrees when we leave home. And then Megan and Cameron add an extra kay to our run. Up to now it has been 7km and today we do 8 km. Our run is to the Harbour Wall and back. Then to Something good and back to Hobie beach = 8km.
Annabell has a project book called Roots: It is a family history. Telling the story of her grandparents and her own family.
Annabell makes Mancoons -- A biscuit made from Egg White, Sugar and Coconut.
Baked as a school project.
A kestrel has been attacking the birds in Barbara's Avary. Not getting to the birds but scaring them that they do damage to themselves.
Run to the Harbour wall. By the time we start at 7.30am the sun is warm and we are in T Shirts.
Saturday 5th June 2021. Hiking the Maitlands forest with Ally and 30 friends. In the group: Belinda and Sonja; Ritva; Cheryl; Wendy and Chris; Rina and Liz; Nombulelo; Kholeka; Janny; Brenda; Gillian and Seelan; Dominique and Ronel; Sally; Vanessa; Patricia; Rochelle; Chris;
A 2.5 hour walk started at 9.00am and finished 11.30am. Then to the Windfarm for a snack and coffee.
We do the DeStades 9km hiking trail.
Three trails on offer. Sir Perrigrine; Ngolomi and DeStades
Completing the trail
Looking down to the cars below. We now have 30 minutes hike ahead of us.
Ally and Sino on the trail. Ally was hike leader today.
View from the trail. Looking down to the Maitlands River Mouth.
Our hike group today. Over 30 people in the group
The parking area for this hike.
Saturday evening Pork Sausages Braai.
Sunday 6th June. Myrun at the Humewood Golf Course. Ally and I run a 15k training run - 2 x around the 5km Myrun route and then 5km on the Marine Drive to Summerstrand and back. We end the morning with breakfast at the clubhouse with Bertus; Christien and Jackie.
Ally and I are on the Humewood Golf Course for the Sunday morning Myrun.
We run a 15k training run. 6km outside of the Golf Course. All part of our 21k Comrades virtual run for the end of next week. Ally was placed in overall FIRST position today.
| /33 | Ally Giddy
Female | my20+
Female 20-29 | 1/5 | 00:29:49
5:57 min/km | |
| /33 | Peter Giddy
Male | myLegends
Male 70+ | 1/2 | 00:29:55
5:59 min/km |
Ally placed First overall today. First Lady; First in Age group and first of the 33 participants who took part today.
Monday 7.6.2021. Barbara goes to a Rhino Poaching support group at a court case prosecuting poachers. I start my day with a 5k with BR. On days like today we experience two sunrises. The early one bringing the orange skies and then about 20 minutes later the sun rises with a red sky.
Tuesday 8th. Walk 5k with BR. Cycle 20k on the beachfront. My first time on the bike since the Bloemfontein Triathlon March 2021. Complete some University Moderation. Evaluations at I store and at Engen.
Blue-legged Sylvan Katydid
Wednesday 9th. Walk 5k with BR. Walk with the Wednesday walkers. Cape Recife.
On the Cape Recife hiking trail. Robin; Di; Jimmy; Michael; Julian; Jurgen; Steve; Jan and Leone; Chandre; Sheena; Pat and Margie; Siobhan and Aletheia; Dave and Heather; Philipa and Zanele; Maatie; Anne Marie; Russell; Pat; Errol & Mo; David; Ian; Magriet; Alwyn; Richie; Patrick and Carol; Helmuth; Jenny; Fiona; Debbie and Debbie; Dennis; Andre; Peter; = 41
Bird Hide... Unfortunately no water
The first dune. Easy with steps.
Thursday 9th June. Walking with BR. Run 21k with Ally. This is a Comrades Virtual run. Supposed to be on Sunday 13th but I have another event so we bring it forward few days. Ally and I meet at Hobie beach Pier. We run to Kings beach and do a loop. Run back to Hobie for a drink of water. Mistake is that we do not take a bottle of water with us. Nor do we have masks so we are not able to go into a shopping mall for water later on. We run up to the Beacon at Admiralty. Up Admiralty and into the University. Loops around the University and then up Gomery, Down Admiralty and left into Marine Drive to the Golf Course. Loop back and back to Hobie. 21k. Both of us tired legs. Ally has a really nasty blister causing her pain. I am simply leg weary.
We meet Chris and Elmarie at the beach. Chris has not been well and suffered terribly with Covid. He is still weak and becomes tired quickly. It will take about three months for him to recover fully.
I have a dentist appointment and then do some Mystery Shopping stuff in Motherwell.
This evening I go to Blue Waters Cafe to meet up with the people who are going to the Namibia Tour. Janny; Gail; Malcolm; Gerlinda; Margie; Sally and Ritva.
Tom has a basket ball game. He scores three hoops and their team win by just a few points.
It is Jacqui's birthday They are in Ein Kerem ... A village near to Jerusalem.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel. He has visited his people. He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour in the house of David his servant as he promised by the lips of holy men. Those who were his prophets from of old. A Saviour who would free us from our foes. from the hands of all who hate us. So his love for our fathers is fulfilled. And his holy covenant remembered. He swore to Abraham our father to grant us that free from fear and saved from the hands of our foes we might serve him, in holiness and justice all the days of our life in his presence. As for you little child, you shall be called a prophet of God the most high. You shall go ahead of the Lord to prepare his way before him. To make known to his people their salvation. Through forgiveness of all their sins. The loving kindness of the heart of our God who visits us like the dawn from on high. He will give light to those in darkness those who dwell in the shadow of death and guide us into the way of peace.
The prayer is on these walls in many languages.
Jacqui is being spoiled with her family in Ein Kerem .... A luxury hotel. A special family outing.
Saturday 12th June . Lady Slipper Hiking trail from the North Side.
Approaching the summit of the Lady Slipper.
Sunday 13th June. Comrades Day. Ally and I signed up for the 21k. We were able to sign up for any distance from 5k to 90k. We had to run on Thursday as I have another event today. Nicky is at Tygervalley Lining up to run the Virtual Comrades 90k.
Werner has dedicated the day to seconding Nicky
Natalie and Nicky at the start
I take part in the NMB Duathlon trials. Run 5/ cycle 20 and Ryn 2.5. Time 1.38.
| Pos | Name | Time |
|---|
| 1 | Chris VILJOEN | 01:34:15 |
| 2 | Peter GIDDY | 01:36:55 |
Nicky continues on the Comrades run. All around Cape Town to Stellenbosch and back.
Having fun on the run.
still looking strong
Starting to tire
Now I am really gat vol
Earlier in the morning.
Comrades Shuffle
Running strongly -- with a group... Makes a huge difference
Thats me. At 70k I am done
This is not the best photo taken of me yesterday, but I know how I was feeling and I want to be reminded.
I felt like the hill I was climbing would never end! I felt alone, even though I was surrounded by people. I felt like I should be running, but I just couldn't. I felt like I was failing.
Then my mind shifted and I felt grateful and loved and proud. I was running my own race. Listening to my own dialogue, respecting my own body.
Next year, I'll try again!
Finished. In every way possible..... I am finished.
Nicky writes on Facebook
I really just wanted to post one photo to sum up yesterday, but each of these photos holds a memory that I want to relive every year.
I was teary before I even left the house and then sobbed ugly tears during the National Anthem, Shosholoza and Chariots of Fire. The cock crows broke me properly. Thank you
Wietse for giving us those moments and planning a spectacular route!!
I had the most fun until about 50km when it felt my socks were eating my toes and I had to strap up some blisters. Fell behind the group and the next 20km I ran solo.
Werner was with me every step of the way and was joined by his parents,
Chris and
Estelle, who literally drove beside me for about 15km! I was surrounded by love and support. Thank you to
Chris for running beside me for a few km. Your calm presence was amazing!
At 65km I called my Dad,
Peter, I needed some reassurance about my decision to stop. I walked pretty much the last 4kms. I just wanted to get to 70km and call it a day.
The last photo of me sitting on the rail is that moment. I was sobbing, but also just so grateful that I was able to get that far.
Natalie, you are a freaking QUEEN! I cannot think of watching you finish without bawling my eyes out. (Yesterday was the most I've cried in years!)
Reading this is quite emotional for me. One thing that I realised is that the Comrades friendships on the road and the Comrades supporters as so important to completing a 90km event. I am so super proud of Nicky for the distance and the way she did it.
I know why it is that I have stopped running long distance. And give myself achievable goals such as the Myrun on Sunday, half distance Triathlon or Duathlon. What a pleasure to be finished the event in under two hours.
Emily sets up for a concert in Israel
Barbara completes her Sunflower Painting
Joshua starts his first job at Mc Donalds in Aukland NZ
Cathy makes Bobotie in Aukland NZ
Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th June Walk 5km with BR; Admin... New tyres for the bakkie; Post office stuff. Still pretty exhausted from Sunday.
Zara was commissioned to paint this picture.
Wednesday 16th June. Public Holiday in SA: Big hike group for Port St Francis to Cape St Francis and back.
Thursday 17th. Friday 18th. Walking 5K with BR. Cycling 20k ... Training for the SA Duathlon Champs.
Saturday 19th June 2021. Hiking the TsiTsikamma waterfall and Suspension Bridges Trails
On the Tsitsikamma waterfall trail with Ally
Sunday 20th June. 2021. Fathers Day. I have a small group for the Sacramento hiking trail from the Canon at Schoenmakerskop. We leave at just after 9am and are back by about 11.45.
Sacramento Trail. Dogs are allowed but must be on a leash. This rule is not adheared to and the dogs are allowed to run around.
Starting off the trail. Ahead are fairly long Dune Climbs and sandy beach walking.
Dave Thompson -- Wednesday walkers -- set up this view point poster in January 2021
Wednesday walkers
Berries? Christmas Berries.
Berry plant Christmas Berries.
the berries are edible. The berries must be cooked to release the toxic compounds. Add sugar to cooked berries to make jam. Native Californians used the leaves of the Christmas berry for medicinal teas to treat stomach aches. They also dried the leaves and stored them to make into porridge. Coastal tribes wilted the berries in hot ash and ate them by the handful.Girls -- Umi and Zanib stand on the whale bone
Beautiful coves on the trail
Tess and Wendy join us for the first time
Scott has been on a couple of hikes
Faye leads the walk today
The soft sand makes this hike difficult.
Cheryl has a new hat.
Monday 21st June 2021. Walk 5k with BR. Run 5k and Cycle 20k. Training for Duathlon. My third Cycle. Some Admin stuff. Eye Specialist -- Dr Goosen -- Philip Finestone is on holiday. I have this Floater which makes lights flash and looks like I have a Gogga swimming in my eye. He says not to worry. It will go away by itself.
Sunday 20th June 2021. Fathers Day. I spoil myslelf with a Filet Steak Braai
Monday 21st 5k Morning Walk with BR.
Cycle the Duathlon Route. 5 k run followed by a 20k cycle.
Tuesday 22nd. Walk 5k with BR; Cycle at Grassroof at 3pm followed by the 5k parkrun walk route.
Wednesday 23rd Walk the 5k with BR. Our best time ever at 50.30min. Marginally over 10 min a kay. Then I run the 5k Duathlon route in 31 minutes.
Thursday 24th. Walk 5k with BR. Run the 5k Duathlon trail. Later today I hear that the Duathlon has been canceled. Very upsetting. I wallow in self pity for an hour or so and then decide to arrange a hike for Saturday.
Barbara has four puppies like this which she has taken care of for the past few weeks. Now they are ready to be sold.
Zara has a new creation daily.
Friday 25th. Walk 5k with BR. Cold and no race on Saturday puts me off running this morning.
Saturday 26th June. Heritage and Fynbos hiking trails at Schoenmakerskop.
The Heritage hiking trail from the Canon at Schoenmakerskop. On the trail today: Gillian; Sehlon; Asen; Jenny R; Sally P; Sally K & Rupert with Gail and Rosie; Scott; Unathi, Sima and Ngqosh; Zoliswa; Ayanda, Lungi and Vuyo; Sasa and Nono; Hebe; Helouise, Lene and Louwrens; Liyaquat; Aisha; Mahommed; Achme; Zanib and Umi; Ronel; Gail Brown; 30 people and three dogs. Meet up with Terry Pattison.
Retha's trail makes for a great ending to the hike
Blombos in flower
Coastal Fynbos is at its best
The view across the open seas is quite breathtaking.
Combo Trail. Heritage and Fynbos.
The hike is about 2.5 hours / 8km. After the walk we stop at the Sacramento Restaurant for tea.
Werner and Star working on the boundary wall in Riebeek Kasteel.
Werner and Nicky building the Boundary Wall. From Scratch!
Ally and I are on the way up.
Sunday 27th June. Ally and I are on a Hike with a group. We do the Van Stadens Rail bridge and dams hike.
Aaron; Mia; Zara; Christian. A good looking set of grand children.
Sunday evening. Perfect warm no wind winters evening.
Monday 28th. Walk 5k with BR; Run 6k with MH. Eye test for PDP application; Card collection at the bank. Shopping for my tour on Wednesday; No Ivermectim available at the CO Op.
Tuesday 29th. 7k Running with MH. Harbour wall and back. Preparation for Garden Route Tour. Walk 5k at Grass Roof.
Wednesday 30th June 2021. Pick up Michelle and Brittany from Ahoy for a 3 day Garden Route Tour. Storms River Bridge; Segway at Storms River Village. Lunch at Storms River Village. We have to use Take Away boxes as there are restrictions in place at Restaurants. No power so only cash accepted. No internet and no credit cards. At the Bungy Michelle tries to register but no Credit Card access. We continue to Plett, Put all our stuff into 8 Hill House. Order supper at Moby's (Matthew). 1.5 hour beach walk on Robberg and BI Beaches. Supper out of takeaway boxes on the stoep.
Sunset at Plettenbergbay and Sunset on June 2021.
Peter Giddy's hiking and tours group..... To enjoy the outdoors and to discover and explore places you have never seen or experienced. Meet people and make new friends. I understand that not everyone is at the same level of fitness and ability. So I accommodate everyone but providing hikes to suite the individual. No one is left behind.
SA Guided Tours and Peter Giddy Guided Tours -- Shore Excursions -- Addo Elephant and other Wildlife Reserves -- Garden Route. Flowers of Namaqualand --
0027 (0) 82 55 03 714 Whatsup
peter.giddy@gmail.com
Addo Elephant Park Day Visit and Night drive.
- Kragga Kamma Wildlife Reserve
- Daniel Cheetah Project
- Pumba; Shamwari; Amakhala; Kariega -- Day trips Private Reserves.
- Three day tour of Mountain Zebra Park. Graaff Reinet, Nieu Bethesda and Addo.
- City Historical and Cultural Tours,
- Horse riding for both experienced and inexperienced riders
- Hikes and Walks around Port Elizabeth (2 hour Nature and Coastal walks)
- Garden Route Adventure Tours (Zip Lines; Segway in the Forest; Adventure Quad Biking; Bridge Walks; Bungy Jump; Knysna Elephant Park; Monkey Land and Birds of Eden; Big Cats Sanctuary; Oudtshoorn Cango Caves and Ostrich farms)
- Shore Excursions from Passengers ships
- Transfers. Airport; Hotel and Wildlife Reserve.
- Flowers of Namaqualand. Seven days of adventure and exploring places and sights you never even knew existed. History and natural beauty of the South West of South Africa
- Karoo to Garden Route. Six days of fun and activities. Prince Albert; Swartberg Pass; Die Hell; Oudtshoorn; Prince Alfred pass; Plett and Tsitsikamma.
Website -- petergiddyguidedtours.wordpress.com
For tours and bookings.. email me at. peter.giddy@gmail.com
Contact me on Whatsup.... 0027 082 550 3174
Naftali Bennett, who appears likely to become Israel's next prime minister, is a former commando and self-made tech millionaire who says he is further to the right than Benjamin Netanyahu and rejects the concept of a Palestinian state.
Mr Bennett has long held ambitions to be prime minister, but his expected nomination is remarkable given his right-wing nationalist party, Yamina, won only a handful of seats in the last general election.
Despite his faction coming joint fifth, with seven MPs, Mr Bennett was propelled into the position of kingmaker, with his support vital if either of the two rival blocs competing for power were to be able to form a viable governing coalition.
He was offered the premiership as a shared role by both Mr Netanyahu, who has been in power since 2009, and the centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid. In the end, Mr Bennett sided with Mr Lapid, despite their wide ideological differences.
Naftali Bennett, 49, was once considered a protégé of Mr Netanyahu, whom he served as chief of staff from 2006 to 2008, until the pair fell out. He left Mr Netanyahu's Likud party and joined the right-wing national religious Jewish Home party, entering parliament after leading it to success in the 2013 election.
He went on to serve as a minister in every coalition government until 2019, when his newly formed New Right alliance failed to win any seats in that year's election. Just 11 months later, Mr Bennett reversed the loss, returning to parliament as head of Yamina (Hebrew for "rightwards").
Often labelled an ultra-nationalist (he has described himself as "more right-wing" than Mr Netanyahu), Naftali Bennett is outspoken in his advocacy of Israel as the Jewish nation state and Jewish historical and religious claims to the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Syrian Golan Heights - territory occupied by Israel since the 1967 Middle East war.
He has long championed the right of Jewish settlement in the West Bank (he was once the head of the Yesha Council, the political representative group for Jewish settlers), although he has said Israel has no claims on Gaza (from which Israel withdrew troops and settlers in 2005). More than 600,000 Jews live in about 140 settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, considered illegal by almost the entire international community, though Israel disputes this.
The fate of the settlements is one of the most contentious issues between Israel and the Palestinians, who seek their removal and the establishment of an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Interfering in, let alone halting, settlement activity is anathema to Mr Bennett, who considered the pro-settlement Mr Netanyahu as untrustworthy on the issue
Fluent in English and media-savvy, Mr Bennett frequently appears on foreign TV networks, defending Israel's actions. Blunt talking and combative, in a domestic television debate he once admonished an Israeli Arab member of parliament for saying Jews had no right to settle in the West Bank, telling him: "When you were still swinging from trees, we had a Jewish state here."
Mr Bennett rejects the notion of the creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel - the so-called two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (an issue he has likened to "shrapnel in the buttocks") advocated by much of the international community, including US President Joe Biden.
"As long as I have any power and control, I won't hand over one centimetre of land of the Land of Israel. Period," he said in an interview in February 2021. Rather, Mr Bennett advocates strengthening Israel's hold on the West Bank - territory he refers to by its Biblical Hebrew name of Judea and Samaria - by annexing most of it.
Mr Bennett has also taken a hard line towards dealing with the threat from Palestinian militants, for whom he has said he supports the death penalty. This has never been applied in Israel apart from in the case of Adolf Eichmann, a Nazi architect of the Holocaust who was convicted in Jerusalem in 1961 and hanged the following year.
He objected to a truce with Gaza's Hamas rulers which ended a flare-up of fighting in 2018, and accused the group of effectively murdering dozens of its own civilians killed in Israeli air strikes carried out in response to rocket fire from Gaza in renewed hostilities in May 2021.
The theme of Jewish pride and national self-confidence is one which Mr Bennett, who wears the kippah head-covering of religious Jews, has made his signature. In a 2014 party campaign, he parodied the New York Times and Israel's left-wing Haaretz newspaper for criticising Israeli actions, appearing in a social media video disguised as a hipster Israeli repeatedly saying "sorry", before revealing himself and declaring: "Starting today, we stop apologising."
Mr Bennett's political ascent follows earlier distinctions in the military and in business. He served in two branches of the Israeli special forces during his army service, before setting up and selling hi-tech companies, becoming a multi-millionaire in the process.
Speaking about his wealth in an interview in 2014, he said: "I don't eat 17 steaks and I don't have a private plane or yacht. It simply bought me freedom to do what I want."
Forts of the Eastern Cape.
SAMILITARYHISTORY.ORG
South African Military History Society - Journal- ANGLO-BOER WAR TOWN
GUARD FORTS IN THE
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PEHistory/permalink/5750371328338164/?sfnsn=scwspwa
Cathy sends these pics that she found
Jacqui on the cat walk
Up up and away wth Michael
Barbara in Bellbottoms
Bedroom
Not sure?
Collegiate uniform
Nicky wins a Baby competition
Allan and Peter Giddy; Ian Spence; Beatrice Giddy (AAllan's mother; Bridgette? Alice Spence.
Wener builing a wall at Riebeek Kasteel. Star
Ally at Clarendon Park Primary
Jacqui?
Nicky on the catwalk
Barbara and Michael.
Baby pics of Ally
Nicky and Jacqui
Nicky gives birth to Christian
Nicky wins the baby comp
Ally and ?
No Idea
Barbara with Nicky; Jacqui and Michael
Former President Jacob Zuma is called to answer tothe Vonstitutional Court. He refuses and is sentenced to 15 months Prison
Aaron; Mia; Zara and Christian
Aaron
Christian. Zara; Mia and Aaron
Zara
Old pics of Daniel. Annabell and Emily
Tom and Daniel. Probably around 2017
