30 hours from Oslo to Montagu - South Africa

The journey to South Africa began in Oslo with a completely unnecessary mission: getting an international driver’s license. Almost certainly not required. Absolutely something Thomas insisted on on the day of departure. This meant a trip to KNA office in the middle of nowhere (aka Tyrigrava), adding 1,5 hours to our intinery…

Then, before the airport, we dropped off Cæsar at Rødtvet — where he was overjoyed to meet Jørgen, Vilde and Kajsa, the people he loves more than any of us will admit. His holiday started long before ours.

The departure from Oslo was blissfully uneventful. Jørgen dropped us at Gardermoen, everything ran smoothly, and we grabbed a quick round of snacks in the SAS Lounge before boarding. A calm, clean start to the journey south.

At Heathrow the Sky Priority Lounge offered its usual comforts: a self-made G&T, a fresh pasta bake if you time it right, and chairs designed for quiet survival rather than pleasure. But they have power outlets, and that really makes a difference.

Off we go — to Africa!

The London–Nairobi leg was where the journey finally began to feel indulgent. As soon as we settled into our Kenya Airways Business Class seats, the crew arrived with champagne and a small bag of nuts—the simple but reassuring signal that now you can relax. We queued up a film, reclined into that delicious almost-horizontal position, and let time drift somewhere above the Mediterranean. It was the kind of flight where everything felt quiet and effortless, as if the world outside had pressed pause just for us.

With Captain Stanley from Nairobi to Cape Town via Livingstone

In Nairobi we stocked up on suitcase stickers and cigars — Thomas’ guilty passion — and spent a short but excellent moment in the Pride of Africa Lounge, complete with omelette chef and hotel-style breakfast. And even better - ample possibility to charge all our devices!

The next flight, unexpectedly on a smaller Boeing 737-600 instead of the promised Dreamliner, included a memorable announcement from Captain Stanley, who welcomed us warmly to a technical stop in Livingstone, Zambia. We liked him immediately.

We lifted off from Livingstone and drifted into that soft, half-real sleep you only get on short hops between countries. I woke a little before Nina, and just as the ocean came into view, I nudged her awake. Below us opened a spectacular panorama of Cape Town—Table Mountain rising like a stone cathedral, the Twelve Apostles glowing in the afternoon light, and the coastline curling in a perfect silver arc. Finally, we were here.

Arriving in Cape Town — And Facing the Left Side of Everything

At Avis we rented a Toyota Urban Cruiser. Not the Land Cruiser Thomas dreamed of, but a functional companion. The real challenge was left-hand driving: drifting toward the yellow line, activating wipers instead of indicators, and Nina displaying heroic calm.

Somehow, through mountains and wide landscapes, we reached Montagu., through mountains and wide landscapes, we reached Montagu.

Jankmanshof & Our First Night in South Africa

The lodge was beautiful — quiet, whitewashed, with a Ridgeback and a Golden Retriever as welcoming committee. Unfortunatly no pictures of the dogs, but Nina took some nice shots of our room and the house.

Dinner was shared with four strangers who quickly became the kind of people you’d happily meet again:

Oliver and Yvonne from Germany, llama farmers by choice; Oliver left international project leadership for a quieter life involving adorable livestock.

Grant and Allie from England, newly retired and endlessly warm. Allie an ophthalmologist. Grant… a mystery, but a charming one.

Later that night, we sat outside our room. Thomas smoked a Nicaraguan cigar (African cigars is now an official mission). We were exhausted but finally grounded.

From Oslo to Montagu — long, crooked, funny, and exactly right.

Tomorrow, the real adventure begins.