Skimming Stones | Sula's Blog | Sula1968 A South African poet, potter and mother
In 1999 my father married Charlotte at the Little Church in van Reenen. It seats 8 people and is the smallest consecrated church in the Southern Hemisphere. When the minister walked in to the full church with guest spilling out the back door, to conduct the wedding ceremony, he exclaimed “Hallelujah! It’s a revival”. Caught up in wedding festivities we didn’t really notice the adjacent tea garden.
On our recent trip home from Natal, we stopped at Little Church Tea Garden for coffee and cake. Mist cast a romantic veil over the panoramic view, the air felt gentle and embracing. The friendly proprietor made us feel like guests in the home of a gracious host.
While waiting for our order, the children stretched legs in the outdoor play area. I browsed the padstal type shop where treats and antiques beckon.
Halfway Chocolate Cake and coffee make the road trip home feel more like a Sunday outing. Sadly it turned out that we weren’t halfway home as our next stop was Harrismith where the head gasket of our car blew and we had to sleep over. That’s another story for another day.
The Green Lantern Inn, also in van Reenen was our great discovery on the way from Gauteng to Natal. Now there are 2 lovely new options to pause on a journey between Jo’burg and Durban.
Oh Sules that looks so nice there
It’s really lovely, such a shame to stop at ultra cities when these gems are there
You always find such lovely places to stop at. Our trips are always get there and get home. I must say I have stopped at the little church, many many years ago, before I had children.An in-law of my brother’s also married there. I have often wondered if it was still there. I don’t think it had a tea garden then, if it did, we didn’t see it
So sorry to hear about your car, that is awful.
So interesting. We never travel that road, so I did not know about the little church. Does the bride fit through the doorway? Nice that you can actually stop and enjoy places along the way, one always seems to rush to GET THERE. Missing so much as we streak by.
I know about the car story. Our engine packed up in Golden Gate on our way to Cape Town. 10 weeks and a lot of money later we got it back. That sort of thing can almost ruin your holiday. Still it passes and there is a story to tell. It also forces you to spend time in places you would never have thought of visiting.
Oh thank you, it give so much meaning to that little church! I have passed there so many times but after reading your story here I will never passed it again without recollection of the things that happened there! 🙂 I will surely come visit again!
Thank you for your comment