that's how it goes

THE MAGIC OF MORIJA: The church at Morija, Lesotho, built between 1847 and 1857, with the present distinctive steeple added in 1905

Just been away for a fab holiday in Lesotho. Really enjoyed it as this time got to see far more of the country than my usual Maseru, the capital. Went to malealea lodge for two days, where the only sounds are the clinking of cowbells as the herds pass by with their herdboys (what is the word for them)? Really lovely.

RESTING PLACE OF A SAINTLY LEGEND: The grave of Anna Mantsopa, said to have died at 111, at St Augustine's Priory outside Ladybrand, South Africa

Then on the way back stopped off at St Augustine's Priory just outside Ladybrand to view the cave and grave (see pic above) of Anna Mantsopa - who was a prophetess in the mid-1899s and advisor to Moshoeshoe of the Basotho people - best to read this article. Loved the place - very still too. Oh, and also went to Morija in Lesotho, which I have been wanting to go to for ages, all because I read Tim Couzens's Murder at Morija - and despite everyone telling me: "ag, it's just a village!", it was fascinating and far more than just a village. I even went to see the house where the murder of the missionary took place - it is now a community radio station and on a second visit went to see Maeder House, the oldest structure in Lesotho, built in 1843 if I remember correctly.

CAVE CHURCH: Inside this cave (see gate at end of path) at St Augustine's Priory, where prophetess Anna Mantsopa was said to have lived, is an altar with burning candles

Anyway, the reason for the somewhat miff and dejected headline to this post is that someone else I have been following in the blogosphere has died. Pateeta of Shades of blue had ovarian cancer but her treatment was not helping. It kept spreading, then she had a heart attack, then a pulmonary embolism and decided to stop the chemo. But she was damn gutsy. I only followed her for a short time but the inevitable happened - in her case, her daughter Melissa wrote on her blog to say she had died. What upset me was that she was agitated, nervous and ill at ease before she died but they gave her anti-anxiety meds and then she died peacefully. All so damn sad. Read Pateeta's blog - ovarian cancer's a bitch, she wrote, but so am I!