Written by: Hennie Fisher
If you have grown up on a farm, you will know that escaping the hurly-burly of everyday life is easy. All the open space on a farm makes it easier for one to find a special quiet place that may be just your own - a cool shady spot in the middle of a clump of trees, or perhaps the corner of a crumbling structure where you can take your time to unwind and regroup if necessary.
In a city, on the other hand, it may be difficult to find a spot free of ever-present eyes or input from outside. We live so close to each other that it may be difficult to avoid neighbours' and co-workers' eyes. One way would be to get some distance, such as by peering out at the ocean. Alas, Pretoria does not have a sea, so perhaps having a view, a vista, or just some distance to stare into may provide some peace. And "stare" is not really the right word; it is more of a forgetful, longing look into nothing. Perhaps distance and a killer view can combine to create a place where you can stare into nothingness.
If you are brave, park somewhere at the top of Eastwood Street, right where it becomes Tom Jenkins Street, and sit on the rock perimeter wall built by Italian Prisoners of War to enjoy uninterrupted views to the north of the city. If you let your imagination run wild, you may even believe you can see right into Zimbabwe. If views are what will give you inner peace, also consider the Skyline Rooftop Restaurant, Lounge and Bar, located on the fifth floor of the Protea Hotel by Marriott Pretoria Loftus Park, with beautiful views of older Pretoria and Sunnyside. Equally beautiful and tranquil would be taking a moment to rest amongst the Cannas or Dahlias at the Union Buildings to peer out over the city.
The most obvious places to find a little peace would, of course, be nature reserves, parks, or animal sanctuaries. Fortunately, Pretoria has many of those, where you can clock in, find your secluded spot, and while away the hours by simply ‘being’, sitting down to gently peer into nothingness. It would, of course, help to take a book along, so that one can really cut out the world. Think about Rietvlei Nature Reserve, or Roodeplaat Dam Provincial Nature Reserve. But one can just as well stay within the boundaries of the city and find a cool lawn in one of Pretoria’s many parks.
Try out Jan Cilliers Park, on the corner of Wenning St & Broderick St in the security suburb of Groenkloof, where you will not have to worry as much about safety. But if constant safety vigilance is not a serious concern in your life, head out to Rietondale Park. The park is divided into two sections, one half accommodating soccer fields, tennis and paddle courts, and a children's play park. The other half of the park, slightly protected from the adjoining streets by embankments, provides a very large, wide-open lawn where one can put up an umbrella in summer, or a blanket in winter, and lie low for hours soaking up some vitamin D. There is also the Austin Roberts Bird Sanctuary, where one can watch animals and birds going about their day.
City folk need to be much more creative and inventive to find a quiet, peaceful corner to reset. Think about a special bookstore, such as Exclusive Books in Menlyn Mall – they have comfortable chairs with high sides into which one can nestle and leave the world outside for a couple of hours. Then again, the parking garage of any big mall may also be a spot of quiet contemplation. Lower the back of your car seat, securely close your car, and just mellow in the semi-darkness – but that may be a bit creepy for some people.
Finally, some more obvious quiet places in a city would, of course, be museums, galleries, libraries, churches, chapels, or even the odd cemetery for those who do not find that odd. The Javett Gallery has a special wall-sized window that looks out south onto the neighbouring primary school’s sports fields. When you quietly sit on little light wood designer benches, you can easily imagine yourself in any high-brow gallery in the world, and you can picture yourself as an artwork in your own right.
Finding a quiet place in urban Pretoria requires creative solutions to escape constant exposure, suggesting spots that offer views, nature, or solitary indoor spaces. Key escapes include high points like Tom Jenkins Drive and the Union Buildings, parks such as Rietvlei and Rietondale, and quiet corners in bookstores or art galleries.