Over the last couple of weeks we have tried to have a good balance of work, sightseeing, and socializing. So much has happened I hardly know where to begin, so maybe I’ll select highlights. First, I should mention, the weather has been a major letdown. Lots of rain, high winds, cool temperatures, and then we get a few days of gorgeous warm sunshine in between, thank heavens! The locals have been whining about this being August weather in November. On warm, sunny days this place is paradise.
Highlight #1: Breakfast at Olympia Café in Kalk Bay. The last two weekends we had perfect summer weather (preceded by rainstorms, cold and wind!). Getting to charming Kalk Bay involves a scenic walk, either along Boyes Drive or along the coastal path. So we walk out there on Saturday mornings for cappuccino and croissant. Great views of the harbor, very atmospheric and friendly.
#2: Walking from Muizenberg to Simon’s Town. A four mile stretch of a combination of beach, coastal path, and main road brought us to Simon’s Town via Fish Hoek. ST is a naval base, has a lovely harbor, numerous specialty stores, great restaurants and cafes. We enjoyed a buffet lunch at ‘The Meeting Place’, which had a terrific assortment of Mediterranean dishes.
#3: Buying fresh fungi porcini at a specialty deli in Simon’s Town and making a delicious pasta dish back home.
#4: Having a dinner party with new friends. Meena (South African Indian), Emanuele (Italian) and their two delightful kids, Gianamar and Shanti, had been living in Cambridge, England until a year ago when they decided to try living in Cape Town. David brought along another friend, Bradley, and their two five year old sons. So we had quite a chatty, interesting group for a braai dinner last Saturday.
#5: Hiking up Muizenberg mountain. David, Bradley, their sons, Daryl and myself carried a picnic lunch and hiked up this mountain last Sunday morning. The trail was well defined with steps carved into the rocks in many places, making for a pretty easy walk. Bradley and Daryl found they had a common interest in evolutionary biology and discussed books they’d read. The conversation led to Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel, which they both enthused about.
The mountain slope was an absolute symphony of color. I could not believe the amazing variety of beautiful wildflowers. In fact the flowers were so pretty it was hard to think of them as wild. Some looked like snowdrops, but they were lavender in color. Others looked like daisies. Proteas in bloom were everywhere. There were also vast areas of purple watsonia and pelargonium (looks like geranium). Fynbos, which is its own plant kingdom, was the primary vegetation. But milkwood trees, mimetes trees with red flowers, and ericas were quite abundant as well. I learned that there is a type of Erica which is unique to this mountain – found here and nowhere else!
#6: Exploring Cape Town city center. We took the train into the city and wandered its streets. We loved browsing at market stalls at Grand Parade, where Daryl tried to find a Mandela type shirt. We walked past many historic buildings and into the Company Gardens. This is a huge, green space with numerous trees and gardens and is of historical significance. During the days of Dutch East India rule this is where produce was grown for the sailors. We went into the National Gallery and saw a Marlene Dumas exhibition. This South African born artist, whose work is quite daring – genitals among portraits depicting universal faces – lives in Holland. We then made our way to Long Street, one of the more interesting downtown streets with its many cafes, bookstores, backpacker’s lodges, etc. We stumbled on a veg café where the food we ordered – rissoto and Durban curry – took a half an hour to prepare. Superb! While waiting a random person came over to our sidewalk table and asked if he could interview us. He wanted to hear what we had to say about the media’s influence on our thinking!!!!! We also found ourselves in the middle of the making of an Adidas commercial and had to sign waiver forms! After lunch we went to the African Market on Long Street which sells crafts from all over the continent. It was Saturday and shops were beginning to close so we got on the train back home. The sky had been blue all day and then on the train we could see a layer of cloud beginning to drape over Table Mountain. We were fascinated at how quickly the clouds moved and began to spill over the slopes like a sheet of water.
#7: Dinner with Margaret and Peter Dugmore. This couple manages The Haven, the house we’re renting, which belongs to their Jo’burg daughter. Margaret and Peter are incredibly warm and friendly. They served a spread of fantastic artisanal cheeses, crusty bread, marinated veggies, bruschetta topped with white asparagus and other yummy stuff. We drank lots of great Cape wine and talked about traveling around Southern Africa. They raved about Namibia and the West Cape coast. We’ll have to be more adventurous about traveling in Southern Africa next time we’re here.
#8: Having Sunday lunch with our friend Rosie at her breathtaking place in an area called Marina Da Gama here in Muizenberg. Her house is right beside the vlei. The vlei out here is this enormous body of water which looks like a lake and is fed by the sea. Lots of wildlife, including numerous types of birds can be seen here. Rosie has a kayak and a boat and from her back garden can get right into the water. From her living room she has awesome views of the vlei and the mountains. Rosie made us a feast – eggplant parmesan, avocado salad with cress and rocket, and roasted tomatoes and bell peppers.
#9: Concert at Kirstenbosh. This should actually be #1, except that I have been making a chronological list. We heard the great Vusi Mahlasela live at Kirstenbosh Gardens on Sunday evening. He kicked off the summer concert series which will go on until April. I have been to many outdoor concerts in various parts of the world and in my opinion these gardens have been the absolute best setting. The weather fully co-operated. So, at 5:30 when the concert started, the temperature was perfect, the sky a nice blue with the massive mountains standing like sentinels in the background. The place was crowded with smiling people drinking wine and munching picnic goodies. Vusi, with his stirring voice, was an absolute delight to listen to.
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