Off the beaten path

Journeys shaped by curiosity, not convention

In 1915, American poet Robert Frost wrote a poem titled “The Road not Taken”. This poem has travelled with me throughout my adult years and has influenced many a last-minute decision…

I was fortunate to have married Paddy - for a thousand and one reasons, but importantly, like me, he is a journey person and not a destination person. We both far prefer to travel down unbeaten paths, meet interesting people, and see things that most people miss. Having grown up with a dad who was always in a rush to get to the destination, one who seldom stopped and was curious, Paddy’s approach to life was refreshing and intoxicating!

Because of this attitude, we have stumbled upon the most interesting people and places and have learned so much about life and about ourselves.

Life’s little surprises

Some time ago, a Monday morning saw us winding along back roads on the journey home after a long weekend filled with both work and fun…

With coffee very much on my mind, I noticed a plume of smoke curling into the sky from a little building tucked amongst a copse of trees. As we sped past, a sign caught my eye - coffee, a nursery, and pottery…three of my favourite things!

Up ahead, I turned our vehicle around and headed back. We parked beneath the trees and stepped into one of those unexpected pauses that lingers long after you’ve left.

We met Victoria, and from the moment she stepped into the sun with a tray piled high of freshly baked breads, I knew that she had a story to tell. She walked us into this space where a few tables were dotted around, sunlight streaming into the space, chickens walking through, a woodfired stove with a huge enamel kettle puffing steam into the morning air, and the most soulful music playing. We talked. We ate her bread with homemade butter and preserves, we drank a pot of coffee that she ground right there, and we shared life’s wisdoms. We left richer!

There have been other unforgettable moments… I remember driving back to Cape Town after a visit to Rhodes in the Eastern Cape. One of us spotted a place on the map called Morriston, so we decided to see what secrets it held. I think I was driving because Paddy is much better at reading a map and navigating (these were the days before Google maps). We eventually found ourselves on a gravel road, driving alongside farmlands with a labourer on a tractor working the soil, whilst Paddy was giving directions. Soon we noticed we were right back where we had started, having gone around in a circle, confused. So, we pulled over and must’ve looked perplexed when a lady stopped beside our vehicle and asked whether we were lost. We explained what we were looking for, she smiled and said that she was en route to Morriston and we could follow her, which we duly did. The next moment she pulled into a farmyard, jumped out of her vehicle, and looked at us with a smile and said, “Welcome to Morriston. This is our home now, but many years ago it was a station.”

Well, she invited us in and we went despite feeling a little like we were intruding. She made us coffee and sandwiches, and before long her husband arrived. Next thing I was in the garden helping her plant things, and he whisked Paddy off to go catch a trout in their dam…and not long after that, we were making an early dinner of trout and vegetables. Again we left enriched by the experience.

The last one that comes to mind is when we were travelling in Italy, somewhere in Lazio between Anghiari and Pienza, the screen in the rental vehicle suddenly lit up blue on the left side. There was no ocean nearby, so we began wondering what on earth this huge blue mass of water could be. We turned down a tiny winding road, and there it was - Lake Bolsena, one of Italy’s most spectacular lakes and Europe’s largest volcanic lake, formed in the crater of an extinct volcano. The water is amongst the purest in Itally. It is also way less crowded than the touristy Como and Garda. We sat there in stillness for a long time and then quietly drove off, rejoined the highway again, and were off again towards our destination. I will never forget that day!

The poem ends with -

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Until next time, a gentle reminder to slow down and take the road less travelled - it really does make all the difference!