Aaahhh, Kestell. My grandparents had a farm outside of Kestell on the way to Phuthaditjhaba (those days Witsieshoek) and I spend almost every school holiday on that farm. My dad's youngest sister got married out of the church in Kestell, and she and my uncle (the youngest of the siblings) attended the primary and the high school on Kestell. Granddad passed away in 1974, when I was 10 years old and grandma and my uncle came to live with us in Johannesburg in 1976 after the farm was sold. Thank you for this wonderful trip down memory lane and your visits to all the 'little' towns of the Eastern Free-state. I still have family living in Bethlehem. My heart was with you every kilometer of the drives through the Free-state. Thanks Curtis and Sonia, I cannot wait for each new episode! May all your future travels all be safe!
Beautiful church. In my opinion the town lacks character and is in desperate need of a clean-up. Nevertheless, I'm glad the trip to Kestell took you down memory lane Curtis. Look forward to the next stop.
So amazing to see the inside of the Kestel church. If you drive past Kestel you see the church in the background and I have driven past many times, but had no idea it is so majestic inside.
I love your childhood town and the stories that come with it. The takeaway shop...that must of been an interesting time in your life......now I also feel like slap chips. The hotel was a gem of a find for me. Lovely place.....sho so many lovely little towns.
It's what makes South Africa so livable: its sheer size. One can just drive away and it helps to forget about life's pressures in the large beautiful expanses between towns and cities. I love watching your series. Living in Denmark, which feels claustrophobic in comparison, I find myself missing the country more and more the longer I am away!
So interesting to go with you two into these small towns that were obviously once so thriving. Sad to see how obviously people left for reasons.. Such amazing places.. So much effort and ingenuity... Look at that Church... Shew Amazing... Huge...but probably never used to capacity. The huge grounds... There are always doves calling around all the Churches you visit. So many awesome awesome trees. Such a wonderful dust road through Golden Gate. Your travels and sharing certainly give a perspective on how much space there really is on this planet. Overpopulation????? Really. ❤❤
The wide open spaces are a big reason why I love the Free State so much. 🧡 I wish there were more opportunities for folks to make a decent living in these towns though. That is the main reason they're so sparsely-populated. There are definitely areas in our beautiful country that I'd classify as overpopulated, but I much prefer these quieter ones. Thank you for hopping on board each time as we explore a new town! 🚙🤩
You need a 4x4 with all the dirt roads you love to take. Thanks for the content....been in Australia for 20 years and your channel really brings back good memories.
Thanks again, the Church absolutely immaculate. Wow I had goose bumps at the footage of the interior of the church, so we'll kept. As for the animals my heart melted. You two are the best. The the next one, stay safe.❤
Also a beautiful town. So historical..i enjoyed this one a lot. And Curtis memories when he was a child. A trip well done and very informative. Thank you i will be on board with the next one
I really liked the contemplative music you played when in the beautiful church. Really good video. As a child migrant from SA to Australia you are now filling in all my SA history with meaning. Lovely job guys!
Your video brought back many memories from Kestell where I grew up on a farm just outside the town. Thanks for taking us through the church, whose foundations was laid by my great-grand father, Ds EJP Smit. Danie Smit
Went to school there 61/63 .The tennis club named after one of my teachers Honey Fereira. The garage where your parents had the shop belonged to a Van Rensburg whose daughter was with me in school. Thanks for all the memories
Thank you for showing the Free State in such a beautiful way, I lived in the Northern Freestate (Viljoensdrif) from the early 60's till the later 1980's and never saw these parts of the Freestate ❤
Lived in Kestell for 20 years of which we worked in Golden Gate for 13 years. It's so sad to see how things go downhill... Sorry youve missed Little Africa. It's quite a place to visit in Kestell with all kind of wild cats from small to Lions. Enjoy your travels.
I have fond memories of Kestel, I had a great grand Uncle that had a farm just outside Kestel, I think between Clarence and Kestel, they made cheese, He was a Skeen, Uncle Sid , he could play the piano from memory. Can't remember farms name. Was cattle farm.
So enjoying the tour of the eastern free state. Love the cloudscape at the start. The mist reminds me of the poem As die mis oor die berge kom (😅mistranslated as when the manure comes over the mountain 😂😂) MIStranslated 😂😂 Love the gravel road with the wildlife. I think Die Bank was probably Barclays. Magnificent church. I might have guessed it would be Moerdijk. I love how you explore churches and railway stations. Awesome. Love cosmos, have some in my garden ... beautiful
Hi guys fantastic to travel down memorie Lane with you both the descriptions and stories bring the town to life great the shop is still there the teller with chameleon eyes lol 😆 what a wonderful childhood catching snakes in the Bush!!! .the NGK was amazing loved the interior every thing in the round. I must not forget the drive in wildlife galore and a mountain like Noah ark thoroughly enjoyed the video thanks for taking me along cheerio till the next one. Just a note 1 year ago you travelled past Rooinek farm tomorrow is St George's day going up to London for the celebrations
Seems we have a bit in common in that we both are from Bloemfontein, went to Brebner. our parents then moved to small towns, yours to Kestell and mine to Bergville and then to the Cape. O Sonia what you said about the waste on the pavements is not negative but positive criticism and that's great. Keep safe.
I know why they called that bar Die Bank (17:15 ) because when the wife calls the husband can say “liefie ek is by die bank” so she can’t get angry haha
I would have no idea. 🤷🏻♂️ This was the first time that I've been back to Kestell in 40+ years. What I do know, is that we've seen new builds in much smaller towns than Kestell. The impact of entrepreneuship must not be underestimated. I would imagine some folks are also employed in town and in the agricultural and tourism industries.
Die dorp is besig om te herbou na jare se verval. Ongelukkig val ons onder Maluti A Phofung munisipaliteit wat beskou word as die swakste munisipaliteit in die land. Ons het gemeenskapslede wat skoonmaak, gras sny, slaggate toemaak ... Geboue restoreer.
