Somerset West Offers a Blend of Unique Culture

Somerset West, home to a number of wine estates, is one of the most beautiful and popular areas of the Western Cape. While you are in the area soaking up the natural beauty you will certainly wish to tour at least a few of the wine estates in the local area and taste some of the fine vintages produced here.

Franschhoek is considered to be one of the premier winery regions in the world. The fertile ground in this region was first used by the French to produce wine some 300 years ago. Today, the noble tradition first begun by the Huguenots continues. There are more than twenty wine farms in the region, many of which are considered to be among the most respected in South Africa. You will find everything from excellent whites such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Semillon to rich and vibrant reds like Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Most farms happily welcome visitors to enjoy tastings.

Paarl Vinters is another region which is definitely worth exploring if you are a wine connoisseur. The wines produced in this region are primarily reds and the this area has become known as the Red route. Some of the best red wines in the world are produced here due to the ideal soils, micro-climates and strong red tradition.

While wine certainly does form a strong part of the local region, there are also many other activities and sights to enjoy while in Somerset West. Spend an enjoyable afternoon in Schreuderhuis, a thatched village museum, which represents some of the main stylistic periods spanning the past three centuries. The museum was actually one of the first dozen dwellings to be formed when the pioneer settlement was established. Step back in time to the eve of the French revolution while also admiring neoclassical architecture and even a typical Victorian residence of the late 19th century. A Toy and Miniature Museum is also on site and well worth visiting for both the young as well as the young at heart.

The Botanical gardens are also a must see, located in the oldest university gardens in South Africa. Indigenous and exotic plants are contained inside the museum, ranging from herb and desert plants to orchids and lilies. Many of the plants you will find inside the gardens are quite rare, so this is definitely worth a stop by in Somerset West.

Finally, make sure you drop by the oldest homestead in the Cape, Groot Constantia. The Manor House was originally allocated in 1685 to Governor Simon van der Stel. Today, it portrays everyday life in the 19th century. Collections include Delft ceramics as well as typical Cape furniture from the mid-18th century. Both drinking and storage vessels in a range of materials dating back to 500BC are contained in the Wine Museum. Cellar tours and wine tastings are offered inside the complex while two on-site restaurants offer both Cape Cuisine and Continental Style Cuisine.

From wine tasting to museum explorations, Somerset West has plenty to offer in terms of culture.

About the Author

We are your source for Cape Town Accommodation, Cape Town Hotels, Bed and Breakfast in Cape Town, and more for your next vacation to the Western Cape.

Dutch Roadtrip: Pottery & seas (4/6)

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Pair of Vintage Ceramic Blue Delft STYLE Koffie Coffee Thee Tea Cannisters    US $12.95

1995 HOLLAND AMERICA LINE ms Westerdam CERAMIC DELFT TILE cruise    US $8.99

Framed DELFT BLUE Ceramic Hand Painted Tile JAN STEEN Girl Eating Oysters    US $18.99

Vintage antique delft windmill scene blue white ceramic silver bracelet    US $24.99

Blue and White Ceramic Candle Holder Delft Greek    US $4.99

Delft KLM HOUSE Number 91 BOLS Ceramic Miniature Decanter Full New    US $17.99

Delft KLM HOUSE Number 89 BOLS Ceramic Miniature Decanter Full New    US $17.99

Delft KLM HOUSE Number 1 BOLS Ceramic Miniature Decanter Full New    US $12.99

Delft KLM HOUSE Number 2 BOLS Ceramic Miniature Decanter Full New    US $12.99

Delft KLM HOUSE Number 3 BOLS Ceramic Miniature Decanter Full New    US $12.99

Delft KLM HOUSE Number 4 BOLS Ceramic Miniature Decanter Full New    US $12.99

Delft KLM HOUSE Number 5 BOLS Ceramic Miniature Decanter Full New    US $12.99

Delft KLM HOUSE Number 6 BOLS Ceramic Miniature Decanter Full New    US $12.99

Delft KLM HOUSE Number 8 BOLS Ceramic Miniature Decanter Full New    US $12.99

Delft KLM HOUSE Number 9 BOLS Ceramic Miniature Decanter Full New    US $12.99

Vintage Blue Danube Delft Style Ceramic Bead Necklace    US $10.00

Cathay Pacific Airline Ceramic Dutch Delft Clog marked Fastest to Amsterdam    US $1.56

Delft Handpainted Mini Ceramic Blue White Trinket Holder And Clogs From Holland    US $4.99

Rare BILTMORE ESTATE 6 Inch Hand Painted BLUE DELFT Ceramic Tile    US $5.00

American Belleek Factory Decorated Cup Saucer Delft Scene Ceramic Art Company    US $17.50

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Hoppesteyn Delft charger

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Delft Porceleyne Fles Charger 16 Plate Rembrandt 41cm    US $289.00

Delft blue PORCELEYNE FLES Wall Charger TREE with FLOWERS BUTTERFLY 1943    US $845.00

Royal Delft Blue Charger Gypsy Girl 1950s    US $700.00

delft blue wall charger 36 cm    US $95.00

VTG WINTER HORSE SLEIGH 15” BLUE DELFT CHINA CHARGER PLATE BOCH ROYAL SPHINX    US $89.95

RARE FAIENCE MAIOLICA DELFTWARE DELFT PORTRAIT POLYCHROME CHARGER    US $1,026.68

VINTAGE GERMAN BLUE DELFT PLATE CHARGER WINDMILL BOAT    US $95.00

VINTAGE BLUE DELFT TRANSFERWARE PLATE CHARGER BIRD    US $115.00

Royal Delft charger The man with the golden helmet    US $475.00

FAB ANTIQUE BLUE DELFT PORCELEYNE FLES WALL CHARGER    US $217.50

Royal Delft charger depicting a windmill and cows    US $750.00

Royal Delft charger with a beautiful flower design    US $375.00

Royal Delft charger showing a Jacob Cats rhyme    US $850.00

VINTAGE BLUE DELFT TRANSFERWARE PLATE CHARGER WINDMILL    US $115.00

DELFT CHARGER HANDPAINTED FOR BLAZER RECORDS GOUDA HOLLAND GREAT COND 1940S    US $75.00

Vintage 1575 ROYAL SPHINX Petrus Regout DELFT CHARGER OVERPRICEDMakeAnOffer    US $1,000.00

Royal Delft Blue Charger The lute player    US $750.00

Blue DELFT Charger Windmill Sailboats Fishermen    US $90.00

Vtg Blue Delfts 1575 Victorian Horse Carriage Wall Hanging Charger Plate Decor    US $95.00

ENGLISH DELFT CRACKED ICE PATTERN CHARGER BRISTOL 1750 MAIOLICA FAIENCE    US $434.36

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Flight 505 - Play with Fire - Delft 08022008

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VINTAGE DOLLHOUSE DELFT PORCELAIN CANISTERS HOUSE OF MINIATURES MINT    US $13.49

Pair of Vintage Ceramic Blue Delft STYLE Koffie Coffee Thee Tea Cannisters    US $12.95

Vintage Delft Blue Porcelain Wall Clock    US $20.75

Vintage Delft DUTCH Holland Jewelry BROOCH In Orig Box    US $6.98

Vintage Delft Holland Blue 4 Plate    US $9.00

Beautiful Blue Delft Windmill Plaque Vintage All Handpainted    US $45.00

Vintage Ceramarte Blue Delft CS 11 Budweiser Stein Mug Heart Pattern    US $10.99

Nice Vintage DELFTS DUTCH HOLLAND Delft Costume Jewelry LOT    US $13.48

Vintage 40 Tiny Small DELFT DUTCH Holland Jewelry Charm LOT    US $9.98

VINTAGE DELFTS BLUE MINIATURE PITCHER HAND PAINTED    US $4.95

vtg miniature porcelain Cocker Spaniel dog figurine blue transferware Delft mini    US $24.99

VINTAGE WALL MOUNT COFFEE GRINDER WITH DELFT HOLLAND HOPPER    US $29.95

VINTAGE DELFT WHITE BLUE HAND PAINTED WINDMILLS SMALL WATER PITCHER VASE HOLLAND    US $13.53

Vintage Delft Holland Ashtray Dish Amsterdam    US $9.99

VINTAGE HOLLAND HAND PAINTED DELFTS CAKE LIFTER    US $9.00

BLUE DELFT VINTAGE CLOG SIGNED HOLLAND NO RESERVE    US $3.99

Vintage Delfts Holland Hand Painted brooch pendant porcellain Sterling silver    US $19.00

Vintage antique delft windmill scene blue white ceramic silver bracelet    US $24.99

Vintage Delft Blue Porcelain Shoe by TS Holland    US $9.99

Nice vintage Blue Delft bottle made in Holland    US $16.00

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Pieter de Hooch - Dutch Interior Painter

De Hooch was born in Rotterdam. His father was a bricklayer and his mother was a midwife. He had five brothers and sisters. Not much is known about his early life and large parts of his career are unrecorded.

It is not known how, or why De Hooch decided to study painting but in the late 1640s he studied art in Haarlem under a local master and was influenced by the genre painters who frequented Frans Hals.

Around 1650 De Hooch went to work for Justus de la Grange, a wealthy Rotterdam cloth merchant who was also an art collector. He was recorded as being a painter and servant in the merchant’s household, but it is believed that this meant he was given room and board in return for his paintings. An inventory of de la Grange’s collection showed that he owned eleven paintings by De Hooch. De la Grange had homes and business dealings in The Hague, Leiden and Delft, and De Hooch accompanied him on his travels.

In Delft, De Hooch came into contact with painters of the Delft School and by 1654 he settled down there. This was his most creative period; he began painting quiet interiors and idyllic depictions of interior domestic life. He was a master of perspective and the portrayal of natural light illuminating interior rooms and courtyards. As was the custom at the time, his paintings sometimes bore hidden messages, readily understood by his contemporaries.

In May 1654 he married Jannetge van der Burch. The couple had seven children. A year later, in 1655, De Hooch joined the painters Guild. He did not have enough money to pay the twelve guilder membership fee and was able to pay only three guilders.

After that, there are no records of De Hooch’s life or career until 1661, when he moved to Amsterdam, where he remained for the rest of his life. It is thought he moved there in order to find wealthy patrons. Indeed, his paintings from that period are portrayals of upper class ladies and gentlemen in their palaces and villas. These paintings are considered to be less successful than his early works. Gone were the charming, delicate interiors of the Delft years. The technique is not as delicate and the color palette is dark and unrefined.

But although he portrayed the wealthy classes, De Hooch lived in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Amsterdam. It is believed that the deterioration in his painting was due to ill health, although little is known about his life at this time.

Eventually De Hooch’s health worsened until he died in an Amsterdam asylum for the insane in 1684. He was fifty five years old. It is not known why he was interned there. After his death, his paintings were overshadowed by Vermeer, who is considered to be a greater master of the interiors genre.

You can find a wide collection of Pieter de Hooch paint by number patterns at the Segmation web site. These patterns may be viewed, painted, and printed using SegPlay™PC a fun, computerized paint-by-numbers program for Windows 2000, XP, and Vista.

About the Author

Mark Feldman is President of
SegTech, a company devoted to a wonderful Image Segmentation technology called Segmation.

Segmation - The Art of Pieceful Imaging

Segmation - The Art of Pieceful Imaging

MAC TUTORIAL FINISHED LOOK OF GREEN & PURPLE DELFT & EARTHLY RICHES

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LOT OF HAND PAINTED BLUE WHITE DELFT HOLLAND ASHTRAYS PITCHER WINDMILL MARKED    US $20.00

PAIR OF DELFT BLUE HAND PAINTED DECORATIVE NETHERLANDS HOLLAND SHOES    US $5.50

Miniature Table 2 Chairs Blue Delft Holland Hand Painted    US $9.99

VINTAGE DELFTS BLUE MINIATURE PITCHER HAND PAINTED    US $4.95

VINTAGE DELFT WHITE BLUE HAND PAINTED WINDMILLS SMALL WATER PITCHER VASE HOLLAND    US $13.53

Hand Painted Delft Holland Mini Plate Shoe    US $1.01

VINTAGE HOLLAND HAND PAINTED DELFTS CAKE LIFTER    US $9.00

Framed DELFT BLUE Ceramic Hand Painted Tile JAN STEEN Girl Eating Oysters    US $18.99

Vintage Delfts Holland Hand Painted brooch pendant porcellain Sterling silver    US $19.00

MINIATURE BOMA DELFT WINDMILL PLATE HAND PAINTED 2 1 2 INCHES    US $5.00

DELFT BLUE HOLLAND HAND PAINTED BASKET WITH BACKSTAMP    US $12.00

Mini Hand Painted Delft Blue Bell with Windmill    US $10.00

DELFT HAND PAINTED HOLLAND JAR WITH LID 96    US $10.95

DELFT PORCELAIN BLUE AND WHITE HAND PAINTED DUTCH SHOE    US $2.99

3 DELFT BLUE Holland Ashtray Shoe Clog Windmill Dutch Mini Hand Painted EUC    US $5.23

HAND PAINTED DELFT WINDMILL MUSICAL BOX Tulpen uit Amsterdam    US $19.95

Hand Painted Delft Blue Miniature Tea Set    US $19.99

Vintage Delft Holland hand painted signed Bulb    US $9.99

DELFT BLUE SALT PEPPER SHAKERS HAND PAINTED HOLLAND WINDMILL DESIGN    US $3.93

Delft Blue Hand Painted Salt Pepper Shakers with windmill that spins    US $4.00

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Hello Sun, I'm Dutch so its a bit easier to search ) Ifound THE e-book on http://hobby-hoek.nl/delftsblauw/englisch/Salesletterdelftsblauw.htm notice it only opens once

Good Luck

dutch google words

merktekens delfts blauw or merktekens delfts blauw

Blow Away Vase

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BEAUTIFUL VTG HAND PAINTED DELFT BLUE WHITE JARDINIERE VASE FLOWER POT    US $9.99

Portuguese Tiles Panel Mural DELFT BLUE FLOWERS VASE    US $419.40

BLUE DELFT FLOWER VASE EMBROIDERED SET OF 2 HAND TOWELS    US $20.00

VINTAGE DELFT WHITE BLUE HAND PAINTED WINDMILLS SMALL WATER PITCHER VASE HOLLAND    US $13.53

Tote Bag Blue Delft Vase with Yellow tulips    US $4.95

Delft Pair of Floral Mini Vases Made in Holland Very Good No Chips LOOK    US $14.99

Velsen Delft Polycrome Holland Heart Valentine Shaped Flower Posy Vase NR    US $22.99

Pair Delfts Blue early 1900s Trumpet Vases Petrus Regout Maastricht Holland    US $349.00

Delft Blauw vase w windmill    US $9.99

10 old Delft vase Holland signed    US $50.00

Vintage LARGE Royal Bonn Pottery DELFT Ginger Jar Vase Windmill Scene    US $295.00

Vintage Antique Polychrome Delft Porcelain Faience Vase Unusual Design by Velsen    US $240.00

Extra Large Delft Polychrome Porcelain Knobble Vase Balluster Faience by Velsen    US $455.00

Antique Delft Polychrome Porcelain Ginger Jar Vase by Boch Keramis Lidded Vase    US $595.00

LARGE DELFT MAKKUM LIDDED VASE    US $289.00

Delft poly handpainted numbered vase    US $16.20

Dutch Delft Faience Vase Fresia 5 5 8T VG    US $12.49

DELFT PORCELEYNE FLES ANTIQUE PIJNACKER VASE ca 1911    US $149.99

VINTAGE DELFT VASE NO 81 HOLLAND    US $39.99

Vintage Antique Delft Blue Porcelain Faience Vase by RAM Plateelbakkerij    US $275.00

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italian ceramics the good selection

Majolica - also spelled Maiolica - is the beautiful ware prepared by tin-glazing earthenware and firing it a second time.After the first firing, the bisque is dipped into a bath of fast drying liquid glaze. When dry, the glazed piece is ready to be hand painted. A final firing at 1690° Fahrenheit will make the glaze interact with the metal oxides used by the painter to create the deep and brilliant translucent colors specific to majolica. This technique originates in the Middle East in the 9th century. By the 13th century majolica ware was imported into Italy through the Isle of Majorca, headquarter of the trade between Spain and Italy. The Italians called it Maiolica, erroneously thinking it was made in Majorca. They were fascinated by this new way of making ceramics and soon started to copy the process, adapting it by their own creativity and traditions.

The rise of Italian majolica in Europe was fast and reached its peak of artistic quality throughout central Italy during the Renaissance - late15th and early 16th centuries. Majolica or Italian Maiolica designates tin glazed pottery dating from the Renaissance often associated with certain regions of Italy like Deruta, Gubbio, Gualdo Tadino and Orvieto. The name majolica was derived from Majorca, the port from which majolica originally was traded. Italian majolica and Italian Ceramics are world renowned because of their master craftsmanship and durability. Some of the famous names in this art are: Franco Mari, Eugenio Ricciarelli and Mastro Giorgio Gubbio who is known as the creator of some of the finest Deruta Maiolica over the history. The Italian way of life is all about the simple pleasures... family, good food, friends, community. We are committed to offer the same to our clients through our ceramic art. You can visit our page, see us in villaggio ceramics.com.

Villaggio ceramics is a proud importer of Italian hand painted decorative ceramics. Our goal is to maintain a clientele with taste and a fond appreciation for Italian Majolica (also known as Maiolica); Italian Mosaics; Italian dinnerware handsomely hand painted; unique decorative accessories, Italian gifts and much more.

If you want to decorate your home with good ceramics, or maybe use them, too. Here you will find good options about imported Italian ceramics, best quality, good design and durability. We will attend you how you are in family, like Italian families. We hope for you. Bye bye

About the Author

Villaggio ceramics is a proud importer of Italian hand painted decorative ceramics. Our goal is to maintain a clientele with taste and a fond appreciation for Italian Majolica (also known as Maiolica); Italian Mosaics; Italian dinnerware handsomely hand painted; unique decorative accessories, Italian gifts and much more.

Higgins & Seiter Majolica Bunny Plates China

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French Majolica Bleeding Hearts Asparagus Plate    US $49.99

Vintage French Majolica Oyster Plate Cobalt Blue with Fish Minton Style    US $43.45

French Majolica Asparagus Plate    US $49.95

Set of 2 Italian Hand Painted Floral Majolica Plates Made in Italy    US $9.99

ANTIQUE MAJOLICA OYSTER PLATE 9 3 4 6 WELLS No RESERVE    US $124.99

Old French KG Saint Clement Asparagus Majolica Plate Luneville    US $19.95

TWO GREEN MAJOLICA BASKET WEAVE DESIGN PLATES MARKED GIEN FRENCH FACTORY 9    US $52.95

Majolica banana leaf basket weave platter plate serving dish tray vintage    US $44.22

MAJOLICA Egg Plate ROOSTER UNIQUE Design Vintage    US $22.00

French Majolica Strawberry Plate    US $19.99

Deruta Majolica STUNNING PORTRAIT Plate LOOK Last One    US $145.00

Deruta Majolica Beautiful Lunch Dessert Plates    US $31.99

ART NOUVEAU ANTIQUE GERMAN MAJOLICA SILVERPLATED PREETY LITTLE PLATE NUMBERED    US $50.00

2 Villeroy Boch Majolica Art Nouveau Plates    US $23.68

Vintage Green Leaf Pattern Majolica Plate    US $8.00

Fitz Floyd Chicks Are Us Majolica Style Canape Plate Hanging Sunflower Rooster    US $29.99

Majolica Leaf Plate    US $17.49

SUPERB 19th c MAJOLICA PLATE WITH LEAF FLOWER DECORATION TO THE EDGE    US $9.00

Vintage Majolica Decorative Plate Putti and Maiden    US $10.99

ANTIQUE SARREGUIMES MAJOLICA GRAPE LEAF PLATE    US $30.00

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