Have you visited the ‘Italian Church’ in Knysna? A mate unexpectedly took me and a pizza for a rainy ride to the Gouna Forest where I saw that beautiful building for the first time.

Established in 1892, it was called the San Ambroso Church but has been renamed the San Ambroso Chapel Museum. The Italians silk-farming intentions (mentioned in Daleen Matthee’s book, The Mulberry Forest) may have failed but it’s wonderful to still have part of their pioneering history with us.

Rain made the forest wonderfully mysterious and further added to our enjoyment of nature so we decided to carry onto to the Diepwalle Forest via Kom se Pad. We had such a good time, stopping many times to get wet, that we found ourselves 15km short of Uniondale.

Ensuring a different return trip, we took the R340 back to Plettenberg Bay. The road was seriously potholed but a slow drive kept us safe and views of pretty farms and dams made it worth it.

Back on the tar road, we passed through Wittedrift before, sadly, joining the N2 back to Knysna.