Number 130: We left Hamburg in early November 2021, our ten-month adventure coming to a close. It was tough saying goodbye – to our home, to the magnificent surroundings we’d come to love and, especially, to our close friends who’d become part of our family.

But with the car packed and the sun creeping up above the horizon, we set off for the rolling hills on the outskirts of Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).

When we visited in September, we fell in love with Sardinia Bay. Situated just five minutes away from the suburbs, this area is a delightful mix of smallholdings and horse farms, family-friendly restaurants and play areas, outdoor trails and kilometres of sandy beaches bounded by turquoise water.

We were fortunate to find a lovely house in a golf and wildlife estate in Sardinia Bay, and we quickly felt right at home. The quiet roads are perfect for the girls to practice cycling, we use the recreational facilities daily and we have the space to enjoy quality family time. Living here, we get to balance countryside living, with its slow pace and access to nature, with the convenience of having shops, doctors and schools just minutes away. Add to that the increased diversity here relative to Cape Town and this city certainly fulfils a lot of what we want for our family.

   

                                                                 

My father grew up in Port Elizabeth, and I have countless fond childhood memories of summer trips here to visit my grandparents. I never would have imagined we’d end up here, and with Limkhitha enrolled at the same school my father attended, this is a very special (and quite unexpected) new chapter in the Schkolne story.

 

 

2021 was a year of discovery and change, rich in beauty, friendship, culture and new ways of living. As we head into 2022, we’re looking forward to laying down roots and building new connections in Gqeberha, the city we now call home.