The small town of Clarens is nestled on the edge of the Free State, and has since become a kind of safe haven for artists. Various of these elements can be seen throughout the small town, where the old is constantly juxtaposed with the new in a complex network of artistic magic.
It is also interesting to note, something that is not uncommon in South Africa, is that the name "Clarens" comes from a town in Switzerland with the same name. To briefly diverge, the decolonial philosopher Edward Said said that through colonialism, Europe tried to establish various "little Europes" throughout the world. This is evident from various towns in South Africa (and the rest of the world) that still have names of towns from Europe, like Clarens. Before I digress too much...
Walking through the town is a beautiful experience, something very uncommon in South Africa, as most of our towns are not built for walking. This was such a joy, especially with all of the different things you can see. And now I want to take you with me on this virtual journey of our walking through the streets of this beautiful town.
The Peaceful Streets
It feels like a snapshot from the history books. Quiet streets, big overarching trees, elements that remind you of the past, like the old windmill, the broken gates, the minimalistic finishings, and just the quiet feeling radiating from the streets. We took our time strolling through the little town, taking in everything, and letting go of our stress back home.
It also feels like a quiet European town, which it might have tried to copy(?), but it had its own elements mixed within, like the windmill always reminding you that you are in the Free State, a province in South Africa known for its farming and farmlands.
One of the first signs that we were in an artsy town was the old car that stood on flat tires in front of a store. I grabbed my camera, and took some photographs of this. I love how it came out, but this was only the first of many such sightings. Reminders of the old are scattered throughout the town.
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The image of the lady sitting down and getting her hair done reminded me of the idea of "nostalgia for the present". I do not know why, because there is nothing "contemporary" in the image but it still reminds me of the feeling of wanting the past in the present, all of that which looks "good" from the past we want today with our modern understandings and knowledge. We are always reminded of the past, or the "pristine past" and how things had worked, but we always forget about the troubles of the past, things we take for granted today did not exist back then.
In any case, I am not sure why this poster made me think about this, or maybe it was just the culmination of all of the old things scattered throughout the town that made me think about this idea.
As I said, the old is constantly being blended in with the new. These newer shops stand out from the old ones scattered throughout the town. To my eye, even though the "blend in" they kind of stand out in their own unique way as well. They are again selling a foreign lifestyle. Rather than try and create something new, unearthed from the soil surrounding the town, the designers opted for something already done somewhere else. Maybe I am just too critical, but I see so much potential around me to use what has been preserved for thousands of years, yet we go for the option that continually spreads little Europes... (Sorry for digressing again, I have been drenching myself in decolonial work for my studies the last couple of months!)
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In any case, enough of this talk, let me walk you through the town and show you it through my eye (read: camera lens).
Walking Through Clarens
As I noted above, the small side streets, with their forgotten structures and things, bleed a certain laziness or feeling of serenity. You feel your grandparents sitting outside reading the newspaper, with the children running around, not having a care in the world. It reminds you of the past, one in which the world was much simpler than now.
As you walk, you will come across many art galleries, and small shops selling bygone era's stuff. Many of these establishments do not like that you take photographs of their things, having big signs saying "NO PHOTOGRAPHY", so I rather put away my camera, snapping only memories as we walked past them. It is such a shame, as I know the reason for it, but it prohibits people like me from sharing what gems there are with you. Such a shame.
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The streets are much wider than normal streets in other parts of the country, allowing you to walk much more freely. But also, appreciate the beauty of one of the main streets. The mountain in the background is beautiful.
Most of the older buildings are made from sandstone bricks. It gives the whole town a beautiful feeling, again one that reminds one of the past, bringing forth that nostalgia for the present. Or nostalgia for the past in the present. The newer shops kind of stand out against these older style buildings, which is sad because if they spent only an extra bit of money the whole town would have looked similar.
Quintessentially South African, these two shops show what we like the most, Braai (BBQ), Bilting (dried meat) and Bier (beer). The three B's of South Africa!
And talking about beer (and alcohol), we found two breweries and a whisky lounge. It is interesting how we South Africans like our alcohol, and how many local craft breweries have sprung up in the last couple of years.
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Artistic Reminders
Many reminders that it is an artistic town are also spread throughout. Some of it is more indigenous "art" or objects, like mats and baskets. But others blend this utility-contemplation divide by making art from utility objects!
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Enjoying the View for a Last Time
The view from one of the coffee shops is amazing. It is simply breathtaking and I would not mind sitting there writing my PhD. To look out on the mountains like this every single day would be a blessing only few will ever experience.
Before we left, we obviously looked at all of the jams. Being South African, we grew up with freshly baked bread and a variety of jams.
One that I have not seen yet, something new to me, is what they call Nastergal or Msoba, a local berry that grows only in a select few areas. I think they are all wild, but I am not sure. A famous writer in South Africa, Antjie Krog wrote about an old lady who would take out various jams depending on how much she liked the person. She would, for example, take out her apricot jam, something very common, for those whom she did not like that much; she would take out the whole baby figs for those she adored, but for those she really-really liked, she would take out the special Msoba Jam.
And I have to agree. This is some of the best-tasting jam I have ever had. I do not know how to explain it. I am not very fond of blueberry jam, I do not know why, but let's assume that blueberry jam is kind of "bland". This tastes like blueberry jam on steroids. The flavour is unmatched.
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Postscriptum, or Goodbye Beautiful Town
I love these old and small artistic towns. There are a few in South Africa, Clarens, Dullstroom, McGreggor, Baardskeerdersbos, and Greyton. They still try to preserve the old while blending in the new. I also covered Pilgrim's Rest, a town they tried to completely preserve as it always was. These small towns remind you of the past. But it also reminds you of how far we have come.
Interesting to think about.
But for now, happy travelling.
I hope you enjoyed this virtual journey with me!
All of the writings are my own, albeit inspired somewhat by my PhD. The photographs are also my own, taken with my Nikon D300.