Embarking on a once only journey..

[tod2]

My mother turns 90 on the 6th May, 2011.
To celebrate this amazing milestone my husband and I are taking her on what we think will be a journey never to be repeated and a journey that will connect her to her past family connections traveling through towns and places of my grandparents, great Grandparents, and Great Great Grandparents right down to our French missionary ancestors Jeanne Pellissier.

We intend spending two days traveling from our home town Pietermaritzburg to Cape Town where we will meet up with my sister and her daughters and their daughters and sons, to spend a day and evening eating, chatting, laughing hilariously, and loving each other as much as we can in this short space of time..

We will travel through The Great Karoo. Our stopover for the night describes it's situation as thus:

When travelers of the world hit the road only a discerning few find their way to the Great Karoo, where nature dazzles on the endless plains and in the blue mountains and where, in the blazing summers and icy winters, the wild winds fade to a silence so pure you can hear God think......

Have any of you been on a similar journey? Do you think sometime in the future this is where you might find yourself.....on a journey only to be repeated once?

[Deleted]

This sounds like a magnificent event, tod2.

I was lucky to be able to take my parents on a few great trips, thanks to the reduced rate airline tickets that I was able to obtain. Kenya, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Phuket, Marrakesh are a few of the places that I was thrilled to be able to show to them.

I would have liked to be able to take them on a Nile cruise, and I really regretted when they cancelled our plans of a road trip from Florida to Québec... but the years were already catching up with them.

I know they would have loved South Africa, too, if there had been time. They both loved to travel so much.

[onlymark]

Hang on a minute.
'Never repeated journey' is different to 'a journey only to be repeated once' isn't it?
Or am I reading that wrong?
The first is a trip only to be ever done once, the second is a trip done, and then done once more but only once more?
Splitting hairs as I do know what you mean though.

When my mother was for many many years not fit enough to travel. She was also of the type that didn't want to be away from home anyway for more than two weeks. There were many places I wanted to take my parents but was unable then to do so. When she died I later asked my father of he wanted to take the opportunity to return to his birthplace, Nairobi, and see some of his old haunts from up to his early twenties. Plus it's where my parents initially lived after getting married.
He said no, he didn't. It would be unrecognisable now.

So we compromised. At the end of WWII he'd had a flying visit to Cairo. Also his mother lived here, as did his grandmother and other close family members but before that time. Obviously, but coincidentally I was now living here and had first met my wife here, so we decided we'd come here over a long Christmas and New Year.
So I flew to the UK, flew with him here, flew back with him again and then returned alone.

We visited many places and even went to the Officers Club he'd visited when here originally (but understandably couldn't remember it), saw the school his elder sister went to and his Aunt plus a few other places.
He enjoyed it but realised on his return that he preferred it at home (also understandably enough).

[Deleted]

You are a lot more African than I imagined, Mark.

[onlymark]

I certainly have many connections to the continent. Including an aunt or two (now in the UK. The ones on the photo with the diamond smuggler?) and many cousins scattered about.

[bixaorellana]

I would have said never to be repeated, but enough of hair-splitting

That will be such an amazing trip for all of you, Tod. How wonderful that you've planned it to share the celebration with family members along the way.

And in May this thread will fill up with the fabulous photography of Tod!

[mich64]

I think I understand what Tod is trying to say.

We took my in-laws on a trip back home to France a few years ago. They will probably never make this trip again. We rented a car and drove them from one family member to another until we had seen everyone acoss the country, nieces, nephews, cousins, friends. We then took them to Juno Beach and to Holland to see the gravesites of two of my father-in-laws brothers who were killed in action in WW2. We took many photos and video knowing that he does not want to return but wanted to say good bye.

Tod, I will be eagerly waiting this trip/journey you and family are taking and also anticipating some wonderful photos!
Cheers,
Mich

[Deleted]

Two months before my father died, he said he wanted to go to France again. This was not to be, so it is important to never let an opportunity pass.

[hwinpp]

I think Tod2's idea is very good.

My mother's said she wants to go to India next year, hope I'll have time then. Otherwise only my sister and nephew will accompany her.

I used to have a friend in Pietermaritzburg, his name was Roger Shaeffer. Is he still in the phone book, Tod?

[tod2]

Thanks one and all for encouraging remarks ! It sure is taking some planning (which I love) and I do hope to post lots of pics when we get back.

Oh Mark, I don't really know either.....It's a planned only once ever journey!!Ha Ha!
Like your old man, I too am born in Kenya (Kisumu) and have thought of returning to see the place of my birth, but then again what would I find? Our house? Doubtful. The hospital? Mmmm?
Where my dad worked? No - there are no more flying boats.....

HWinpp - I looked up the name - sorry nobody under that spelling or even spelt with a Schaeffer.

[onlymark]

I drove through/around Kisumu three or four times. I might even have stopped there a night sometime but don't recall doing so specifically just there.
But, during WWII my father was at school in Nairobi. He ended up being a boarder. For some safety reason (fear of Italians bombing the school) the boarders were moved to the Lake Hotel, Naivasha (now the Lake Naivasha Country Club) - which just happened to be a staging post for the Imperial Airways flying boat service between London and Durban.
Did the flying boats stop on Lake Victoria as well then?

[onlymark]

tod, have you tried Google Maps or Google Earth? It's quite a sharp picture over Kisumu.

[tod2]

Mark, thanks for the Google Earth tip! Will have a go later tonight.

I would have to ask my mother about Lake Naivasha as my family left Kenya around 1946. I do remember her mentioning the Flying Boats on Lake Victoria but whether my father worked there I am not sure.
I have photos of my father and the BOAC Flying Boats on Vaal Dam in the Transvaal.
Two years ago I made a pilgrimage to Foynes in Ireland and presented the curator of the museum with the photos. They know very little about the South African side of these old planes.

[tod2]

Right, I Googled Kisumu and it looks fairly spread out - I would have to get my mum to point out places she may remember. One thing I learnt Mark, was that Obama was born in Kisumu as well! I never knew that. Of course I knew he was born in Kenya but not in my old home town!
Of course he is much younger than me........

[onlymark]

In age but not in attitude.

[Deleted]

You are talking about Obama Senior, of course. The young president was born in Honolulu, Hawaii.

[tod2]

No, I thought Obama Jnr - silly me! The way Google show it on the map I would think it's probably some kind of museum...