Three weeks ago I was wondering if we would ever get rain. Today I am wondering if it will ever stop raining.
Winters here in Cape Town start late and can be seriously damp. We live in the Cape of Storms and every year we have a couple of hectic gales that lash and bash our city. In the picture is an old building and I recall a few years back coming up the road to find the roof in the middle of the road.
Luckily we never get the very worst of it as Green Point is somewhat sheltered by the mountain. When it blows on the foreshore trucks are felled and ladies skirts blow up around their ears. The foreshore is a 2 km strip of reclaimed land. The original city stopped at the castle but between 1930 and 1940 they created the harbour and area where the convention centre now stands.
Here are some foods you should consider trying while in South Africa. First up is a Pepperdew. It’s a tomato come chilli hybrid that we eat on pizza, in salads or mixed into a dip. It has a slight bite from the chilli mixed with the sweetness of tomatoes.
Other foods to try if you get the chance are a Potjie (little pot) which is a whole meal slow cooked in a cast iron pot on a fire. Maybe consider ostrich meat which is very low in fat? Try it as a steak or sausage.
Rusks are a sort of not too sweet, chunky biscuit that we dunk in tea and eat soggy. It’s not rude to do that here and it tastes a lot nicer that it sounds.
We call a barbecue a braai. A braai is a weekend institution and most weekends on a sunny day the aroma of meat on a fire pervades the suburbs.
A bredie is a stew and we have one called Waterblommetjie Bredie. Little waterflower stew. They taste much like green beans.
You could also try pap or umngqusho and gravy. I can’t pronounce umngqusho, it’s full of clicks in Xhosa. Just say nush and people will understand you. Pap is usually served crumbly and similar to polenta. Umsgqusho is a sticky bean and corn side dish that we eat as others do mash potato. I buy it ready-made in a can at the local supermarket. Happy tasting!
The night life in Cape Town pretty much happens down Long Street.
By day, Long Street, which as it happens is a very long street, is a bevy of cafes, trendy boutiques, curios, vintage and antique shops.
But at night, Long Street really comes alive. Clubs, pubs, restaurants and bars all vie for business.
One of my favourites is Zula Bar and their C.O.M.E. or Comedy on Monday Evenings. You can learn so much about the collective culture of people from stand up comedy. Find out who the line up is on their web page.
The Waterfront, Green Point, Waterkant area and sections of the city also have nocturnal activities. From the usual to the unusual. Drum cafes, jazz bars, art classes, theatre, ballet, art film houses, circuses and cocktail bars. Trawl the Time Out on-line guide. Cape Town is a featured city. Click here Time Out Cape Town.
Easter weekend is almost over. South Africa is a Christian country so we just had a whole lot of public holidays this weekend. We’ve also just had the International Jazz Festival.
Ronnie Jordan, George Benson, Bilal and Jeff Lorber were some of the foreign acts here. Judith Sepuma and Vusi Mahlasela were two of the local acts. Missed Jimmy Dludlu’s name on the line up. The man is amazing, watch him on You Tube. It’s fair to say that Africans love jazz.
And we had the Two Oceans Marathon yesterday. Aptly named the most beautiful marathon. Actually it’s a half marathon and an ultra marathon as the full distance is 56 kilometres. It’s also one of the qualifier races for the Comrades Marathon which is is on 30th May. I consider Comrades an extra ultra marathon since it is 89 kilometres or 56 miles. It is considered the world’s most gruelling endurance race. The sort of race I prefer to watch in awe but not participate in.
Picture courtesy of Jemma Fletcher
Robbe are seals in Afrikaans. So Robben Island is named after the seals. It was a place to keep prisoners right back to when the first European explorers arrived. Rogue sailors were left there. It was also a leper colony back then.
The most famous modern prisoner on Robben Island was Nelson Mandela. Many tourists do the guided tour of the prison cells and the ferry is often fully booked for days. Many locals prefer not to be reminded of that part of our past.
Robben Island has no water and it never rains there. All water is brought in. In the picture is a seal on the jetty at the V and A Waterfront.
