Suurbraak: Paradise in the Overberg
Thorsten and I recently spent three days in Suurbraak, a tiny town in South Africa’s Overberg region. Thorsten (who is an architect) designed a holiday house there several years ago; now he’s designing a second house for the same clients. I was lucky...
Friday Morning at the Biggest Fresh Produce Market in Africa
A couple of miles southeast of downtown Joburg, in a place called City Deep, there’s a produce market the size of a small town. The Joburg Market (next door to the Mutliflora Market) is the largest fresh produce market in Africa — or the largest in the...
Four Days in Rhode Island, America’s Smallest State
I’m back in Joburg after a month-long trip to the U.S. — my second American journey in 2023. I spent most of this trip dealing with administrative and family issues, spending time in the same places I normally go: Maryland (and a little time in Washington,...
Pomegranates and Turkish Food in Centurion
Centurion, an anonymous no man’s land between Joburg and Pretoria, is home to a magical place called Buyuk Chamlija: a self-described “Socio Eco Techno Village” that grows fat, juicy pomegranates and has a Turkish restaurant shaped like a beehive. I...
Bev’s Burgers: My Joburg Burger Obsession
Update: Bev’s Burgers moved to a new location at the Roosevelt Park Bowling Club, off Milner Avenue, in September 2023. To get there just enter “Roosevelt Park Bowling Club” into your GPS. In a city/country that seems to be full of bad news,...
Heather Mason
I’m an American writer/blogger/photographer living a quirky life in Johannesburg. Follow along as I explore Johannesburg, South Africa, and the rest of the world.