Lulu Miller; Elgin Open Gardens; Asparagus Risotto; La Congiunta
PS: Walk the Green and Blue Mountain Trails. Our trails reopen on the 24th August, BOOK ONLINE or via reply mail.
Good Morning
Good Morning
Science reporter Lulu Miller’s book Why Fish Don’t Exist was first published in 2020. In anticipation of this winter break, university friend Jackie Solomon gifted a copy of this intense read to me as a late birthday present. On nearing the last chapter both perplexed and puzzled, I enquired what she had thought of the book. Jackie responded: ‘I guess you are wondering why the heck I gave you that book! I thought it would intrigue you as it did me on so many levels. It is amazing that it is all a true story with a completely fictional overtone. There are so many layers all finally culminating in the fact that there isn’t even a genus for fish. That horrible man’s life’s work and passion was based on something that didn’t exist. She’s written that book exquisitely..It’s quite a chunk of concepts to swallow. It’s a weird book when you think about it.’
The author’s concept that challenges me the most is the sensibility in resisting the urge to always put order to things. For those who like a blend of memoir and science but beware the challenge to upend a neatly catalogued existence and instead embrace the profound beauty of chaos. (adapted words of Elizabeth Buchan 2025 Woman’s Prize judge)
‘The frame is a biography of David Starr Jordan, the founding president of Stanford University and tireless ichthyologist whose team catalogued one-fifth of all the fish we can identify today. But that frame contains a memoir, a love story, philosophy, psychology, true crime, some powerful reportage and a decent stab at the meaning of life, all in about 200 pages. …Let’s just say that it leads Miller to the transformative conclusion that she should see the uncontrollable, unnameable elements of life as a source of wonder rather than terror. She winds up on the side of the earthquake: smash the jars and scatter the labels.’ The Guadian’s Dorian Lynskey
In recent months we have wholeheartedly thrown energy, with some order, at the gardens of Wildekrans Country House. The chaos brought on by this year’s storms forced us out of our 2023 flood surrender and resultant paralysis. We are eagerly anticipating our 2026 October/November charity garden show. But that’s not all: Our firstborn Hannah is marrying Julian Heath in the gardens in December.
Please diarise the weekends of 30 October and 6 November to visit Wildekrans Country House, Elgin Open Gardens, it should be spectacular. Your attendance will support the Bot River Education Foundation in preparing our youth with a stronger education.
The 2nd 0f October brings our weekend art retreat THE PHYSICALITY OF ROCKS AND STONES AND MOUNTAINS with artist Jill Trappler and South African National Gallery curator Andrew Lamprecht. A retreat all about the relationship between art and physicality. BOOK HERE.
In anticipation of the Wildekrans Country House spring veggie garden and asparagus patch, I pulled out Giorgio Locatelli’s asparagus risotto. I made this for the first time with Berkeley days’ friend Christine Human in the European early summer. Like Lulu Miller’s book, it has some painful moments as it has a few dimensions. The extra time spent is entirely worth it as the crema made from the asparagus spears gives this dish a consistency that sets it apart from your everyday bomb proof risotto. The asparagus ‘peel and woody bits only’ stock keeps the asparagus taste subtle. If you like the recipe, follow @wildekranscountryhouse, we will share it there.
We are busy preparing for an eightieth birthday celebration for the Mum-in-law of a gal group that stayed at Wildekrans Country House a few years back. Pre spring, we might instead make a fresh tomato risotto. A little bit less multidimensional, but it also takes time. We have tons of tomatoes lined up on the window sills of Wildekrans Country House, ripening in the winter sun. We love to cook and will happily host your celebrations.
Having 0verheard a lively discussion on Arborio versus Canaroli rice for risotto, I took to the delightful writings of Locatelli last night and learned that Canaroli is indeed the better rice for risotto. Risotto rice ‘is made up of two different starches. On the surface is a soft starch called amylopectin making it creamy, inside is a firmer starch called amylose which keeps the rice al dente’. Canaroli has the better balance of the two starches needed in risotto. Giorgio Locatelli’s Made In Italy.
Road trips with my one and only, @barrygouldarchitect, are three times longer than any ‘normal’ trip. After vacating Casa Di Simonetta for another South African family to move in and experience their second Chianti holiday, we had eight exquisite days to enjoy the road. Avoiding the superstrada we took the high roads over the alps through the melting glaciers written about in The New York Times (2nd July 2026). Leaving Italy we visited family at Annecy du Lac in France, before driving through Switzerland along the Leventina Valley climbing up to a village called Sobrio.
It was a journey in search of the Museo La Congiunta designed by Peter Märkli – specifically to house the art works of Hans Josephson. It was built between 1989 and 1992. As is written up, we collected the key from the Osteria in Giornico, in the Ticino province of Switzerland. The proprietor said we were the first ever visitors from South Africa and thrust a second key into our hands encouraging us to visit a fourteenth century church higher up, Santa Maria del Castello. The hike was beautiful and the cool interiors of the church and museum felt heaven sent.
Driving through farmyards to avoid the Swiss highways, and not being able to open the museum door, were both challenging and entertaining. After much huffing and puffing in forty plus degrees, the penny dropped that there must be another door. As for the church lock, we were strictly instructed to only turn the gauge clockwise, anticlockwise worked. The cow-bells, and the high altitude shrines for prayer dotted all over the mountains; the numerous village memorials, honouring the fallen from the 2nd World War; it all made for a heartfelt few days. What was less entertaining was the cost of Swiss currency.
Molly Burford’s ‘Why don’t you just ask ChatGPT’ is surely a suitable end to a tactile time.
‘Because a Bruce Springsteen song already exists that describes love. Because Patti Smith has already written about what it means to grieve. And Joan Didion, too. Because Frida Kahlo’s work reminds us that there are better things to do than just consume, consume. Because I have a chosen older sister who already knows the entire backstory of my problem (and isn’t afraid to call me out when I’m being totally unhinged about the whole thing either). Because my grandma already wrote down a quiche recipe by hand. Because I can go to the library. Because I can go on a meandering walk. Because I can go to the group chat. Because research is an art still worth pursuing. Because I could call my best friend in San Diego to get her opinion. Because I can write a poem about it instead. Because I could hire an artist. Because I could talk to a stranger. Because some things don’t require an immediate answer. Because some things are just too human for ChatGPT to ever actually understand.’
With love
PS: Join SANG curator Andrew Lamprecht and artist Jill Trappler for ‘rocks, cliffs, crags, and stones’, a weekend art retreat on the 2nd of October. SboNdaba Dance and Jill Trappler’s 15 May art retreat is sold out.
Sign up now to join groups on these dates: 🏞️
• 📅 24 August 2026 – Blue Mountain Trail
• 📅 31 August 2026 – Green Mountain Trail
• 📅 07 September 2026 – Blue Mountain Trail
• 📅 11 September 2026 – Weekend Walking
• 📅 21 September 2026 – Green Mountain Trail
• 📅 05 October 2026 – Green Mountain Trail
• 📅 07 December 2026 – Green Mountain Trail
To walk with your own group, book these dates: 🏞️
• 📅 14 September 2026 – Green or Blue Mountain Trail
• 📅 19 October 2026 – Green or Blue Mountain Trail
• 📅 26 October 2026 – Green or Blue Mountain Trail
• 📅 9 November 2026 – Green or Blue Mountain Trail
A 10% discount is offered on groups of ten and 7% on groups of six.
Follow @greenmountaintrail for trail news.
✅ Group availability in between. Book your spot HERE.
Follow @greenmountaintrail for trail news.
PPS – Of course life is not a bed of roses. Our gracious South African clients had to fend off a flood of a 50mm downpour in one hour at Casa di Simonetta. Curiously, the well pump seized again at the same time. After much investigation and pulling out our 70m deep well pump, the problem was found to be Field mice eating the cable which is apparently made of soya, making it delicious. Thankfully neither party resisted the Lulu Miller urge to put things in order.
