The South African `stoep'

The Home Forum page is always a delight to me. No matter what the subject, there seems to be an element of surprise in the content. The article "In the Shelter (and Exposure) of a Well-Loved Porch," Nov. 12, was particularly interesting because of its close association to the South African "stoep," or veranda. Before I came to South Africa from England more than 30 years ago, I avidly read books about South Africa, and the stoep was a great fascination to me. Many of the houses with a stoep are like the American porch, either on one or more sides of the house. My husband and I visited America last year, so now we have actually seen the American porch, not just in the movies. Barbara Stone Diep River, South Africa

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