Today is my last day in Cape Town for a while. Will be using the new R50 airport shuttle bus which I am told is just the business. It’s quick, comfortable, spacious and you roll your luggage right onto the bus. It’s also a lot cheaper than an airport shuttle services which charge up to R350 now.
The whales are doing their thing here in Table Bay. Our yoga teacher had the mast of his yacht flattened by the flick of a whale fin. Most whales here are Southern Right Whales. They are big creatures and if they decide to roll about in the water right where you happen to be, they can inflict serious damage.
I am leaving Cape Town for 3 and 1/2 months. I love travelling but I always miss my home city so very much. I will keep the blog going but from the perspective of the differences between Cape Town and wherever I am. Most of my time will be spent in Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England
I know even before I go that I will miss the friendliness of South African people. I will miss blue skies and sunshine. I will miss our perfect avocados and the sound of the Hadeda flying overhead. I will miss our funky vibrant city with it’s mix of cultures and customs. I will miss family and friends. I will miss being able to use local slang and people can understand me. Most of all I will miss the way that South Africans just get on and get a thing done. That no nonsense attitude we have.
What I am not looking forward to is immigration at Heathrow. I can’t begin to count how many South Africans have had awful experiences there. The word Africa on our passports predisposes us to overly harsh treatment. If some of those UK Border Control officers had to visit here they might well find that we don’t all want to come and live in the UK. We only want to visit. Our visit could be enhanced by a friendly welcome. But then what do I know?
In the picture are people playing boules. We went to the Bastille festival in Franschoek for the weekend. Franschoek is where the French Hugenots migrated long ago to live. I’ve got something to say.
Franschoek is a breathtakingly beautiful part of the world. Well worth the drive out. Our accommodation was excellent value and comfortable. The main road was festive and most of the shops and staff were decorated in French colours.
The R100 ticket for the tastings was not worth the money. We got a freebie sherry sized glass and a voucher for only 5 tastings. The tastes were tastes. If we got a full glass of tastes in total, it was a lot. The marquee was way too full. The crowds were reminiscent of a Friday after work at London Victoria before a bank holiday long weekend. My advice, skip the tastings, splash out on a good bottle of your own bubbly and have a picnic soaking in the scenery and festivities.
As for the restaurants that Franschoek is so famous for. I have more to say. If you are happy to part with R300 odd per head and have not more than a tea cup in volume of food, then go for it. I could have done without the fluff and fuss and had a proper plate of food. But then what do I know?
Yes, that is a Zebra in the street. No it’s not real. There were a few initiatives prior to the Soccer World Cup to allow artists free reign to express themselves. Some really wild looking animals pitched up. We also gained a series of statues featuring a young girl in a striped swimsuit accompanied by some wings along the Promenade. It’s all about being young and finding yourself. The girl is staying there for a year.
We don’t get much thunder here in Cape Town. A murmur makes the news here. The highveldt often has spectacular thunderstorms. They can be frightening and even dangerous but then they breed them tough up there. The Afrikaans word for thunder is donder. Now if I say someone is bedonnerd, it means they are either mad or enraged. The Zulu word for loud noise or thunder is laduma. Soccer fans shout long slow laduuuumas when a goal is scored. Isn’t it amazing that in one place and one space, one word can mean so much?
I went to a dinner party last night and there were a couple of tour guides present. The conversation revolved around the Soccer Cup somewhat. What struck me most about what they had to say was this. The visitors they met all felt that South Africa had been portrayed in a negative light prior to the Soccer Cup. The fans had come with reservations and many had decided not to come. The negative publicity was about crime and inflated prices. Their experience was nothing like they had been led to believe and they felt other people had been robbed of a chance to be part of this celebration by irresponsible journalism.
South Africans are also their own worst enemies. They seem to have Green Grass Syndrome. They have this idea that the rest of the world lives in peace and harmony and it’s only us that has problems.
The other topic last night was the road in the inner city that goes … … … nowhere. So many urban legends surround that massive bridge that stops in mid air. Some say that a cafe owner refused to budge and the bridge stopped just above his shop. Some say that the engineer was American and forgot to factor that we drive on the other side of the road. Some say the council ran out of money and one day the rest of the bridge will be built.
We do know this, that road has been going nowhere for at least 40 years.
Picture courtesy P Gillespie
