Barrydale lies on the R62 in the Klein Karoo not far from the Tradouws Pass and Swellendam. It is a small town of cape dutch architecture, modern design and dilapidation. It is also home to the Magpie Art Collective, a group of artists whose work hangs in Obama’s White House.

The road from Swellendam to Barrydale passes through the dramatic Tradouws Pass in the Langeberg mountains which divide the well-watered Overberg region from the semi-arid Klein Karoo. The Tradouw Pass was constructed (mostly) by Thomas Bain between 1869 and 1873 and provided a vital link between the small Barrydale community, their vineyards and the markets of Swellendam and beyond.

Today the town relies heavily on passing tourists. The R62 – “Route 62″ – runs from Oudtshoorn through Barrydale and on to Montagu and Robertson and it offers some of the most picturesque driving in the region. There are consequently a number of restaurants in Barrydale which cater to the passing trade; Clarke of the Karoo, Jam Tarts and Simply Food are rated to be the best options.

But the highlight of Barrydale – this is a tougher choice than you might think – is The Magpie Art Collective. When Obama’s interior designer – Michael Smith – was looking for ways to personalise the White House, his first port of call was the Rockefeller Centre where hung a chandelier which had been bought from the Magpie Art Collective; two more large chandeliers were commissioned and now hang in pride of place in America’s most famous building.

The best thing is that these chandeliers, like all of the Magpies’ work, is made from recycled material collected from the community of Barrydale. There is a collection bin next to the gallery into which locals are encouraged to deposit their waste plastics; the Obama’s chandelier is made of plastic bottles and bottle-tops from the streets of Barrydale. There is probably a suitable witticism which could be applied, but rather than focus on the humorous, it would be worth noting that the Magpie Art Collective does a lot more than collect rubbish to sell on to the world’s presidents.

Aside from producing powerful works of art, they also have a lot to do with development in the local community. What started as the construction of a recycled Christmas tree for the town has become a year-round effort to teach local children a variety of skills, including puppeteering and recycling. They have also organised a parade on the 16th December which brings the entire town together around their specially constructed, recycled Christmas tree. In short, The Magpie Art Collective is a socially-concsious group which has given tourists more than one good reason to visit Barrydale.

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