Reduced to a mute and aching shadow of my former self, I toil onwards in the quest to educate the masses, despite their virulent cold and flu bugs they bring to the class (an particularly the teacher)! Thus, I find myself with with a smidgen of extra time as I have returned to invalid status, and the logical conclusion was to update the blog before the husband returns to shoo me to bed.
Linda loo (also known as the particularly talented and now widely published Linda Downsborough) has just left the Cape after a whirlwind tour to her favourite home away from home and comfy inflatable mattress. It was delightful having her here. The visit gave me an excuse to gallivant around Cape Town and spend the copious quantities of money (sadly lacking, specially now, after the fact) on take aways. A highlight of the trip included our trip to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and our arduous hunt for the elusive King Protea, we found the flower in question after what seemed like a 10 hour hike uphill. Probably the most delicious treat of the weekend was the gorgeous HUGE, fluffy, buttery scones with jam and cream that I had for lunch at the tea house.
The title incident of the blog happened on our trip to the gardens. Noting the snow on the distant mountains, Linda pointed it out to me. Yours truly looks out the right window expecting to see snow on Table Mountain. It was pointed out to me that, infact, the snow was to the LEFT. Some where between the exchange: “ Left” (Tracey looks right) ... “left” (again Tracey looks right) “LEFT” (Tracey looks harder right) ... LEEEEFT (Tracey has her head forcefully turned for her) , an offramp conveniently located to the left appears. Our long suffering driver (Johno) of course turns violently “LEEEEEFT” as, by pure chance, our snow 'pointer outer' was also our designated navigator. This in turn has lead to the 'No Directional Remarks While Johno Is Driving Rule'.
Blouberg Bay ('blue mountain bay' for those of us who do not understand Afrikaans), visited last Monday, was another GORGEOUS outing. Linda and I sat on the verandah of the Blue Peter Hotel eating our lunch (chicken and mayo toasted sarmie) and soaked in the sun's warmth, the sea and the vista of Cape Town nestled under Table Mountain. We took a walk along the beach (I collected and smuggled another few boulders in my handbag as momentoes). We also took a scenic drive and passed Ons Huisie (Our little house), now a busy restaurant but once a tiny sea front home known to be around as far back as the 1850's. This has cemented an idea that I had a while ago ... I want an old origional fisherman's cottage. Johno and I have always envisioned living in a pint sized fishing cottage on the edge of the shore ... now I know they are really out there, I want one ... imagine it, kitchen/living room downstairs, mezzanine bedroom – big enough to fit the bed and a kassie (chest) and the loo adjoining. Usually in my fantasy I'm a traditionalist, with wood fired stove and no electricity, but I may just have to have my loo adjoining and not a hole outback! Right, al sorted ... now I just have to win the lotto.
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| Blouberg |
We all (Johno included) decided to hit Long street for cocktails (it being a public holiday the next day and all – Women's Day). This was our first trip to Long street since arriving in Cape Town (yes, I can feel all my ex-Rhodes Uni friends slapping their hands to their heads and wondering why we didn't pillage this natural alcoholic resource earlier). We settled on Cape to Cuba, a gorgeous (if a little 'hyper-Cuban) restaurant up a tiny flight of blue and white tiled steps. We drank fancy cocktails on the balcony while people watching. I had a rather dashing strawberry concoction, and I would like to note, real strawberries were used. Hom nom nom! Mr Pickwicks was next – a rather ... interesting... nouveau-kitsch cafe/ club serving everything from hard liquor to milkshakes in assorted flavours, colours and sizes. I was a party pooper, forgoing the milkshake in favour of some hard tack watered down with coke and lime!
The next day were were up and about by an uber early 11am. We dashed to the castle of Good Hope, just in time to see the signal cannon firing – Johno was delighted. We tagged onto the back of a tour group and learnt our history for the day. It reminded me to do some research on a great great grandfather- a Colonel Hassard, Native Commissioner, who kept Cetshwayo (Zulu King) in the Castle. The second half of the day was spent at the Company Gardens ... the original gardens started by Dutch settler Jan Van Riebeek in the 1600's as a refreshment station for the Dutch East India Trading Company (but now refurbished to a later romantic Victorian style). It was a gorgeous day and the gardens were dotted with picnic and couples. We took a quick turn around the perimeter and saw some very cute squirrels. Unfortunately the tea garden was having a lunch rush and I was starving, so we waited, and waited, and waited. I ended up getting pissed off and gave myself a combo of a tension & a hunger headache. Lesson learnt ... pack a snack on outings ... low blood sugar Tracey is an ANGRY devil!
And thus endith a week of gallivanting around Cape Town and onto a week of recovery it seems (as I type between sips of my Med Lemon ( foul, nasty, flu drink) and and my attempts to cough up a lung.
Do you have any hidden gems and generally cool places you have found in Cape Town? Leave a comment, let me know and I will make a point of hunting them out.
