May 2026

Love Endures – even through warm bean bags and ice packs

I have been looking forward for months to celebrating a major milestone – our 30th wedding anniversary. The hotel where we made a booking for three days is usually booked months in advance, and I was very happy when we could book a sea-view room.

The luxury 4-star Arniston Spa Hotel in Arniston has breathtaking ocean views and we have planned a jam-packed itinerary for everything we want to do while visiting Arniston.

Arniston Spa Hotel

A week before we were to leave for Arniston, I woke up with a sore back. A few days earlier we had tidied up our garage and I may have lifted and carried too many heavy things around. After two visits to the chiropractor, I felt significantly better and last Sunday we excitedly packed our bags and drove to Arniston.

View of the small harbour from our balcony

After a good night’s rest in our luxurious room with the most incredible view, we drove to the southernmost point of Africa. We walked around quite a bit and eventually strolled over to the monument where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. I jumped in the air and landed with my legs in two different oceans, but oh boy, was that the wrong move! This caused a sharp pain from my back into my leg. Needless to say, the holiday I had been looking forward to for so long suddenly turned into a painful nightmare!

Panoramic view of Marcus Bay from our hotel room

After a painful and sleepless night, I got an appointment with a doctor in Bredasdorp the next morning (there are no medical facilities in Arniston). A cortisone and Voltaren injection eased the pain only slightly, and we went back to the hotel after I received a handful of anti-inflammatory tablets from the pharmacy.

Another one of those stunning views

Our plan was to go camping in the Tankwa Karoo for a few more days after our hotel stay. But in the end, we decided against it and drove back home. I’m still in so much pain and really hope it gets better soon.

Today (4 May) we have been married for 30 years. And I don’t have to wonder whether I made the right decision 30 years ago by saying yes to Berto. Over the past week, he has proven that I couldn’t have gotten a better husband. He stayed awake with me through that first terrible night, rubbed my back and leg, offered pills and water, and held my hand when I cried from the pain.

Sunrise on our first morning in Arniston

Since we returned home, Berto cooks, washes the dishes, and does the laundry. While I sit on the couch, he often brings me tea or cappuccino, makes sure I always have a warm bean bag and ice packs, rubs ointment on my back, and puts bandage on my leg when the pain is too much.

Berto took this photo on our last morning while I was still asleep to show me how beautiful the sunrise was

If there is one thing I have learned lately: It is not always necessary to give each other expensive gifts (or a hotel holiday) to celebrate a wedding anniversary. You can simply be there for your partner when they need you – what a wonderful privilege it is to be married to someone like this.

A few posts will follow to tell you more about the beautiful places we saw (and there is also a photo of that painful jump).