PRETORIA
A rural city
By Liesl de Beer
After decades away from Pretoria where I lived as a student, I returned to the Jacaranda City in 2015. If you have a heart for the platteland but you need to work in a city, Pretoria strikes a good balance. The economic artery is always pulsing, but there are also hundreds of smalltown things to keep you busy town things to keep you busy. The people of Pretoria love sport. You’ll come across bunches of runners and cyclists on your commute to work in the mornings. On weekends, there are race events and dirt trails at places like Klapperkop and Wolwespruit.
If you like to browse markets, the Boeremark is an institution that has been bringing farm products to early risers (and their obedient pets) for 28 years. The early morning smell of coffee, the variety of stalls and the laid-back atmosphere make the Boeremark my favourite. Busstop 7 and Hazelwood Food Market are also popular weekend markets; and if you want a farm experience, you can drive to the Irene Village Market at Big Red Barn.
One of my best outings is a visit to Rutland Books in Soutpansberg Road – it’s an entire house filled with second-hand books! You’ll unearth old and newer treasures in one of the neatly organised rooms for next to nothing. At Sinkhuisie Antiques down the street, you’ll find anything from old road signs to tea sets. I bought a lovely old farm gate there once.
This story is from the October/November 2023 edition of go! - South Africa.
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This story is from the October/November 2023 edition of go! - South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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