Here the AGA maestro Bjorn Vai gives an overview of our AGA. A long term companion on Sue and Rick Melvill's journey: From the design department at the Blue Moon Company. To the Prynnsberg Estate on the founding of Melvill & Moon, to the Karoo Art Hotel.
The winter promotion brings in the magic of the To Do List
As it is more and more travelers are opting for a two night, or more, stay. The winter promotion (15% off for a one nighter, 20% off for two, 30% off for three opens you to the full possibility of the hotel's Barrydale To Do list.
To Do list notes
There's a lot more to Barrydale than this list but here is our suggested kick off list
Start with the easy to walk to highlights of Van Riebeek St
Find the light of your dreams at Magpie right across the street
Shane Petzer was the first of the inspirational Barrydale creatives we met after the purchase of the hotel. Here he is having popped acrross the road with a light for consideration during our redecoration. Unfortunately Shane is no longer with us but Scott and Tielman have taken Magpie, the Barrydale creators of lighting solutions from found objects - famous for having Michelle Obama order one for the children's room in the Whitehouse from strength to strength. Magpie are diagonally across the stop street from our front verandah.
Visit the extraordinary House of Books with it's less than ordinary proprietor Anton
Three hundred meters down Van Riebeek in the OK direction lies the House of Books with over 40,000 masterfully curated books in a gabled house behind a hedge. If the Book Store sign is on the road Anton is there.
Pop into Die Langhuise, high end country store owned and curated by leading SA fashion designer turned Barrydaler Gert Van Den Merwe and leading hair stylist Jaco.
4OO meters up Van Riebeek towards the Blue Gum / Montague direction end . Gert and Jaco are typically there and if you order a coffee it comes in a Bialetti.
Visit in our view the best antique store on the planet. Die Ou Kerk at Moreson

Brendan and Steff own Moreson and Die Ou Kerk. If they are not in you'll find either Val or Tracey. Brendan is an engineer by trade but he spends his live stalking the antique auctions and he finds excuisite stuff that he passes on at a more than fair price. Die Ou Kerk is where we found our Pianola. And personally I find it exceedingly difficult to leave there without buying "yet another!" set of bone handled knives and forks.
Beyond Die Ou Kerk lies iconic Barrydale hand weavers
Pre Industrial revolution ere looms porduce excuiste quality fabrics one mm at a time in this wonderful weavery under the leadership of Scottish engineer turned loom collector Aran Bastable .
TBC...
Further Reading
Photographer Ian Fairley captured the sheer joy of driving the passes and distant horizons of Route 62 in a car that you're passionate about while on the Giulia Jaunt. The hotel with it's ideal midway position between Cape Town and the Garden Route has become a favourite stop over for the sportscar crowd.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words.. Yes, the pictures from Karoo Ink do tell a story. But it's the comments of the participants that paint their own picture of what a gifted teacher and spirit builder Tee Hardman is. It was the best of times . Standby. There's smudge on the distant horizon (Oct) called charcoal.











































































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