When Brigitta looked at the thermometer in the car on the morning of September 24th, 2024, the temperature inside showed -1.5 °C and the temperature outside – 6.9 °C! Brrrhhhh – it was cold and windy and we decided to have breakfast inside for once. The muesli and coffee tasted much better here.

At 9:30 am we drove to the nearby observatory, which is located above 1,800 meters. A sign in front of the driveway warned that you should drive carefully in snow and black ice. At least that wasn’t necessary today! It was cold, but the sun shone from a blue sky. But the wind was biting and we were glad to have put on not only the sweater but also the jacket.

For the next hour and a half, we had a fantastically good tour with Patrick, a trained astronomer who knew his subject. With a diameter of eleven meters, SALT (South African Large Telescope) is the largest in the southern hemisphere. It is financed by six different countries, all of which have the right to use it – according to their contribution. Brigitta and I also did that that day. It’s a good thing we postponed our journey for another day. It would have been a shame to miss this excellent tour…

PS: If you want to know more about the SALT Observatory, read here.