But then in the US things are usually what they seem, so maybe stoop is an appropriate word for what they have. Here, a stoep was unmistakably an institution - a roof over a concrete slab which featured an old bench, a table and sedentary grandparents of both sexes.Well, not so much anymore. Ouma and Oupa, and in fact the entire extended family, have got off their butts and are now selling flowers, memorabilia, antiques, artifacts and coffee on the stoep, and passers-by are saying: "How sweet, let's go get a skinny latte and an Americano." And just to wipe the superior smirk off the faces of the Vidas and the Seattles, and the Origins and the D&Ds, some of the best coffee can be drunk on the stoeps of the South African platteland.
Elsewhere, however, the stoep has all but disappeared. It now only sort of exists in forms that are almost unrecognisable, but nevertheless had their origins in the colonial appendages applied as an afterthought to the little English houses perched inappropriately on the South African landscape by settlers unfamiliar with the effects of searing sunlight and torrid heat.Architect Stuart Hermansen whose work spans the ancient and ultra-modern, has a soft spot for a stoep. He agrees the real ones are to be found on the platteland and those left over in urban areas are just a nod to fashion. The stoeps on the little terrace houses so beloved of suburban newlyweds apparently emulated the grander verandas of the very wealthy in Victorian times, and served no practical purpose, save only to define a little bit of the little private space left between the street and the house. One of several layered zones.
More recently, the stoep has been subverted, and as early as Edwardian times, the elegant delicacy of slender poles holding up the bell curve of cranked corrugated iron gave way to concrete piers and hard right angles which made the Edwardian stoep a horrible place, says Stuart.
Even more horrible is the late 20th and early 21st century take on the stoep. Found mostly in Johannesburg and Pretoria, where the weather allows for the hybrid to perform optimally, is what Stuart describes as a cave excavated into the belly of the house. Lacking definition, this feature is identified by its large openings onto the lush Gauteng gardens.
What is confusing about these spaces is the furnishing which makes them look a lot like lounges, an impression counterpointed with the sure knowledge that if it were to rain, the overstuffed sofas and shag-pile rugs would be soaked. Even worse, he believes, are what are now known as braai rooms.
Stuart's contact with stoeps of true magnificence is a result of his work on historic state-owned buildings, where his expertise is highly valued, and his intense professional interest in platteland architecture. So he has seen and ascended the steps of the stoeps of myriad miraculous country houses. Having reached the summit of his passion, by his own admission, he cannot have many more stoeps to conquer.He has his favourites - primary of which is the 24 metre leiklip stoep at Dennehof, the historic early 19th century homestead he helped South African author Elaine Hurford restore from near-ruin to achieve National Monument status in Prince Albert 13 years ago.
His loyalty also lies, he admits for purely aesthetic reasons, with the stoep of die Oude Pastorie at Redelinghuis, where the views across Verlorenvlei are spectacular.
Among his current projects is the conversion into a restaurant, of an 1810 Cape Dutch house, La Gratitude in Dorp Street Stellenbosch, which, he says has very acceptable later addition stoeps by Bill Winshaw, a previous owner and former head of the Stellenbosch Farmers' Winery.
Elsewhere, stoeps are becoming eateries that get flattering mention in eating out guides.
Romy and William Mathews are a fine example of the new coffee generation of stoep traders. Young at heart, they are recent grandparents who don't qualify for the ouma and oupa appellation of yore, but their Café Albert in Church Street, Prince Albert, has all the warm comfort of a traditional stoep, with good coffee and tasty food. Kids get the kindest hospitality with board games and lego to keep them amused. Powerful Joburg dads and their glossy mates - use to the plush of the mall - have been known to roll their eyes back in their heads and think they've gone to heaven. Which brings one to Paradys, a magnificent farm in what used to be called Die Gang and is now the Prince Albert Valley Road.
The mountain farm with lovely water and endless trails also has its unfair share of stunning stoeps, one on the main, delicately-wrought Victorian farmhouse and the other on the front of a second grand house, with a single curve cranked iron roof and custom made uprights with fanciful and quite voluptuous capitals that would have given Queen Victoria the vapours, and Prince Albert himself, a distict tingle.
The stoeps surely had their impact on the recent sale by the local Pam Golding office in the town for quite a few million.
So, the latter-day stoeps abound with good food and bonhomie, and sport names like Koggelmander, the Gallery Café, the Lazy Lizard, the Village Craft Shop etc.
They may still be places to relax, but never let it be said that they are stoeps that lack ambition. - Neill Hurford
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Dit is net waardig aan ons eie Suid Afrikaanse stoepe dat ek die artikel in Afrikaans antwoord. Nee, dit is maar net oor my Engels nou nie so prysenswaardig is nie.
Ek is ook 'n stoepmens maar woon nou noodgedwonge asgevolg van gesondheidsredes, my en my man albei, in 'n woonstel aangrensend tot my dogter se huis SONDER 'n STOEP! Dit voel vir my my Bybel is weggepak. Uit ons slaapkamer is 'n dubbeldeur na buite en raai volgende week sit my man daar 'n stoep op. 'n Regte outydse stoep met sinkplate en als. Daar is nou nie grondpaadjies na die hek toe met reguit blomme beddings weerskante nie maar ek kan dit met mooi rankplante afskort en verder potte met kruie en blomplante daar sit met 'n ronde tafeltjie en twee stoepstoele met 'n outydse tafeldoekie en koffie drink uit my ou koppies vroegoggend!
Groete van nog 'n groot stoepmens! - Ria Harmse
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