Capetonians Out and About - Slowly

The V and A Waterfront Cape Town South Africa

Covid-19 has placed the entire world in lock-down and we now have to face a new "normal"
Cape Town with empty streets just seems so sad. However, things are slowly returning to some degree of "normal"

Even the seagulls are looking for scraps - with no people eating at restaurants, they are now perhaps healthy without all those chips!

Seagull in the Vand A Waterfront Cape Town South Africa

For us, as Capetonians, this has been particularly difficult, given that we live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. We so love being out and about, on our beaches, on our beloved Table Mountain, browsing around the V&A Waterfront, watching the boats bring in their catch of fresh fish and crayfish, fishing from the harbour wall in Kalk Bay, walking Sea Point Promenade etc etc..

Kalk Bay Cape Town South Africa

So, with brilliant sunshine and the exercise period extending to 18.00 hrs we, and hundreds of others, took ourselves out! It caused a tad of chaos on the mountains - so much so that some areas had to be closed when safe capacity was reached. This affected the very popular Newlands Forest and Lion's Head

Kalk Bay - access via the Brass Bell in Main Road

Walking with a mask and glasses is a dangerous experience, made even more so with a camera stuck to my eye! With the specs being misted up continually (why do I breather so much??) I was lucky to escape the week-end unscathed. With some beautiful memories to soothe my soul and the gentle, winter sunshine to soothe my body.

Kalk Bay Harbour - waiting for the crayfish

Kalk Bay Harbour is always a delight - there was much activity with a number of boats arriving and offloading all those delectable crayfish that we can no longer afford!

Seals at Kalk Bay Harbour

The seals of Kalk Bay love the sunshine but they sure do move quickly once they hear the boats arriving - diving into the water and going up close hoping for a fishy morsel or two. I don't think they were given any crayfish though!

Table Mountain from the V and A Waterfront Cape Town South Africa

The reflections in the water at the V&A Waterfront were incredibly beautiful this week-end. The boats are not yet allowed to take visitors out so there is no movement in the water which allowed for reflections all around.

Table Mountain from the V and A Cape Town South Africa

Hotels stand empty except for those taking Essential Workers or Quarantine guests.
Some restaurants are now open for take-aways but one has to wonder of they are even making any profit by doing this. We hope so as poverty hits so many on an unprecedented scale.

Cafe Alfredo V and A Waterfront Cape Town South Africa

Kalky's in Kalk Bay is very well known and they were doing a roaring trade - people were happily sitting on the quayside with their fish and chips.

Quay in Kalk Bay Harbour

So we battle on with the effects of Corona Virus on our city and our world. But this will eventually pass, albeit with many fatalities. Do we lay the blame somewhere or must we accept that the earth decided it needed a well earned rest from the millions of tourists world-wide, the packed skies, the clogged highways and the millions of people looking for their next adventure??

Empty Streets Cape Town South Africa

It is anybody's guess at this stage.

Take care and stay safe!

Empty Chairs V and A Waterfront Cape Town South Africa

Once our South African borders re-open, please come and visit our beautiful country.

V and A Boat trips Cape Town South Africa

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Travel 2020 - Postponed

TRAVEL 2020 – POSTPONED

Today 8^th May 2020 was the day we should have been landing in Naples, Italy for our annual vacation. Covid-19 has put paid to those plans and the world is in turmoil due to this unseen and violent virus. Economies are in dire straits, so many innocent people have died a horrendous death, and jobs losses are reaching all sectors of the population. At times, it just seems to be so over-whelming that one has to turn off all news channels and just burrow under the duvet with 5* novel. Even a soppy, pathetically written, trashy story will suffice until reality kicks in again.

8th May 2020 also marked Sir David Attenborough's 94th birthday! A man greatly admired by so many. Sir David has inspired generations as a broadcaster, naturalist and writer. And this includes the current very young generation who are in awe of his feats and incredible journeys. It's such a blessing to know that his amazing documentaries have inspired so many and will continue to do so.

So, my thoughts turned to both the sadder and happier times and the history of travel.

From bygone days it seems that travel (or exploration) is truly in our DNA. The sailors of old risked their lives to explore the world even when it was felt that it was flat and the ships could vanish, never to be seen again. Many sailors lost their lives in these adventures or perhaps more like crazy mis-adventures. But they were not deterred.

The Potato Famine in Ireland caused many to leave their beloved country – not for the pleasure of travel, but out of a desperation to survive after the famine of 1845 – 1852. This famine left more than a million Irish dead. This history was brought home to us very vividly when we travelled to Ireland

http://www.travelsnippets.co.za/2011/11/my-ireland-dream-land-of-leprechauns.html

Many of us would be of different nationalities had our ancestors decided to play safe and not venture out into the unknown. There are so many Americans who have Irish ancestors. My family are from Kent, UK and Holland, Europe. Who knows what my life would have been like in either UK or Holland? Very different to growing up in sunny South Africa!!

Whilst it was certainly far more onerous getting from one place to another in years gone by, there were no border controls and people could take their chances – whether with wild animals or wild tribes in far flung destinations. Today we are no longer so free – we have to contend with borders, visa’s and many other issues if we wish to settle n (or even travel to) another country.

So, with the passing of time perhaps travel became something to be enjoyed rather than a totally life-changing experience?

“One of the earliest known records of taking pleasure in travel, of travelling for the sake of travel and writing about it, is Petrarch's (1304–1374) ascent of Mount Ventoux in 1336. He states that he went to the mountaintop for the pleasure of seeing the top of the famous height”

It seems that mountains are meant to be climbed - the huge amounts paid to summit Mount Everest are testimony to this human need to conquer nature.
  

Adventure travellers will always find a way – there are so many persons featured on TV programs. 

For me, the couch is sometimes the best option to enjoy those crazy, daring, and insanely brave activities.

My earliest memories are of my mother telling her stories of how they travelled to Mossel Bay by ox wagon for their summer holidays. They had to outspan a few times to get from Oudtshoorn to Mossel Bay across the mountains and then they set up camp at De Bakke.

Despite the lack of facilities, those holidays must have been totally carefree.

My mother’s love for the town of Mossel Bay, meant that we had a bungalow at “The Bakke” for many years until the Mossel Bay Council decided that they could use the land for a more lucrative holiday cottage venue and our bungalows had to be broken down! it was a sad day when this happened.

In those early years the community had to share a communal toilet – one toilet for many bungalows!! We had no running water and no electricity. Eventually, my mom decided that she would prefer her own “long drop” toilet in the yard so that was dug and covered by asbestos walls. I hated that toilet – my worst fear was falling down the hole, especially at night! And the spiders…. oh my word, they loved that outhouse! But we loved our holidays and could not bear the thought of crossing back over the mountain to the searing heat of summer in Oudtshoorn.

Travellers today are in various classes of expectations - some are still happy to "rough" it in the wilderness whilst others expect 5* treatment from arrival until departure. 
John Varty's favourite saying of "Tread lightly on the earth" does not always work well when expecting 5* treatment. However, there are many establishments who have mastered this - Singita is one company that comes to mind.

The days of “slow” travel, such as 2 weeks to reach UK from South Africa on the Union Castle ships, have long gone. We are perhaps all guilty of wanting to get to our destination as quickly as possible, despite the damage to our skies and the air that we breathe. The modern ocean liners are floating, luxury hotels and so enjoyed by many. However, the damage caused by thousands of tourists descending into ports around the globe has already been documented with cities like Venice wanting to restrict the number of ships and tourists.

Travel does certainly broaden our horizons and I do not think that we will stop travelling. It is so uplifting to learn about so many different cultures, food is often very specific to a region and this makes for incredible, culinary experiences that we cannot enjoy at home. (maybe because we are not very good in the kitchen!!) 

Travel experiences live on forever whilst many other memories become buried and forgotten. 

I wrote the quote below many years ago.....

" Travel is food for the soul, restores our balance, links us to our global community and allows us to be witness to various cultures,climates,languages and foods. We come to realise our small part in the global nature of our earth,which is part of the greater Universe" (Judelle Drake)

Tourism is also the life-blood of many countries and my own business relies heavily on this.

However, perhaps we will all look at the world differently now after Covid-19??

Our skies are now clear, animals are roaming more freely, the grass is still growing, the tides are never ceasing, the moon rises and the sun sets. Our earth has continued without our assistance. 

Will we ever feel safe again? Will we still want to go to places that are so over-crowded?  

Or will we seek out quieter spots and thank our lucky stars that we are still alive to enjoy our earth??

It is anybody’s guess……which way will be the best - left or right?

Stay safe and well

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Ramblings from Cape Town, South Africa

Can we travel soon?

PLEASE??

Can we travel yet???
Photo Credit: James Williams

Cape Town (and the world) under Lockdown Covid-19 is something most of us will never forget.
This period in world history will be something that our children/grand-children will most probably find quite boring to read about unless they are currently experiencing life at home with no formal schooling. All those folk who are already living "the dream" on islands, or hidden in forests or mountains the world over, may not even realise that the rest of the world is now also in isolation!!

For those who follow Ben Fogle's TV documentaries about people living "In the Wild" perhaps  isolation on a tropical island or hidden amongst the clouds in the Himalayas now seems much more appealing?

Having said that, this city girl is truly missing the beauty of Cape Town and further afield with my camera slung around my neck.  Our planned trip to Southern Italy was due to start 7th May 2020.
This will now, most probably, remain a dream.

For most of us in the Hospitality Industry life is currently pretty tough but we hope to survive this crisis with not too many scars.  Most of us in this industry also love to travel as and when time permits. One has to wonder if international travel will ever reach the highs of recent years?
Or will many planes land up in scrap yards? We hope not.

Having said all that, we hope that Cape Town will once again be on the bucket list of both local and international travellers. South Africa has incredible beauty and Cape Town is a city like none other.

Kalk Bay remains a village that can be visited over and over again. The harbour is always interesting, the locals even more so, the restaurants are varied, the fishing boats draw photographers and the seals are always on the look out for scraps off the boats.

Kirstenbosch is Cape Town's pride and joy - this Botanical Garden is one of the best in the world and attracts both locals and tourists. Take time out to enjoy a picnic on the wide expanses of lawn, enjoy the summer concerts, enjoy the bird life, marvel at the stunning flora, hike up into the mountain or just sit on a bench and enjoy the mountain views.

Art and Sculpture are part and parcel of the Cape Town scene - visit the Norval Foundation for interesting exhibits and a slow wander around their gardens. The onsite restaurant offers a huge deck for summer breakfasts or lunches.

Norval Foundation

Art lovers can also enjoy the modern Zeitz Museum in the V&A.

The Franschhoek Motor Museum is a classic car lovers delight and also brings you to the Winelands for a long, lazy lunch!

Franschhoek Motor Museum

Capetonians love to exercise and we have all the facilities - indoors or outdoors!

In the ocean, on the beaches, in the mountains, or biking along Sea Point Promenade.

So please, don't be in Lockdown forever - we would love to see you as soon as possible!!

Penguins in Simonstown, Cape Town, South Africa 

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Table Mountain from Blouberg

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Cape Town, South Africa, Wins again!

Views from Cape Point Nature Reserve

 Over 39,000 readers of the UK’s Telegraph newspaper have voted Cape Town, South Africa, the Best City in the World again… for the seventh year running!

V&A Waterfront Cape Town South Africa

The Telegraph joked that its readers are “nothing if not loyal”, adding “astute too… for the beauty of Cape Town… runs deep”.

Kirstenbosch Gardens - Cape Town South Africa

Describing Cape Town, the Telegraph said: “Set off in almost any direction and you are rewarded with undulating mountain peaks, slopes carpeted in the world’s richest floral kingdom, fertile valleys riven by amber streams, and wind-clipped plains producing unexpected culinary gems.”

Penguins - Simonstown Cape Town South Africa

 The newspaper said “the greatest city in the world is a coastal gem, lying in the shadow of a cloud-hugged mountain. Here wine flows, penguins waddle and – not too far away – majestic beasts roam.”

Just Nuisance overlooking Simonstown, Cape Town

Some of the highlights of holidaying in Cape Town, mentioned by the Telegraph, include Kogelbaai Nature Reserve and Clarence Drive, Boulders Beach Penguins, Kirstenbosch Gardens, the Winelands, Cape Point, the Bo-Kaap, Table Mountain and the V&A Waterfront (where Siya Kolisi will be switching on the Christmas lights soon!).

It's nearly Christmas time again! V&A Waterfront Cape Town

The Top 5 Cities in the World (according to Telegraph readers) are: Cape Town, Vancouver (Canada), Kyoto (Japan) which is a new listing in the Top 20, Sydney (Australia) and St Petersburg (Russia). See the Telegraph’s full list here.

Kalk Bay Harbour - this seal was checking the boats for fish! Cape Town South Africa

Sunset from Camps Bay Cape Town South Africa

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