TO TOWN : CHIP HUNTING March 13/14

Those Florentines are delicious

I woke a little peckish after the small meal last night and have to confess to having a couple of the delicious Florentine Biscuits Lola supplies in the guest rooms. They are so very good to eat, but virtually every ingredient is on a diet ‘no-no’ list.

Rab had a plan for today – to go into the City to see what changes there have been in the past years; to see if we could find a buyer for my Mont Blanc pen and to see if she could track down a pair of shoes she had seen and admired on Lorna’s daughter’s feet. I had intended giving the pen to Steve for his 65 birthday last year together with my MB roller ball pen and my MB highlighter and the bottle of MB ink, so he would be set up – he had mentioned in the past that he would like to have a Mont Blanc since both of his brothers had them. I even had the pen refurbished as the ink cylinder had deteriorated over the years.  I could not get it to him though as sending an item that valuable – the total value being well over A$1,000 – through the post being a bit dodgy to say the least. Unfortunately my gift was pre-empted when his wife’s family all chipped in and bought him a Mont Blanc after he had completed the research into their family and had published a book about it. So I gave him the ‘minor’ items and we thought we might be able to sell the pen and get some contribution to our holiday fund. Enquiring at a pen shop we found the retail price was about R8,500 for this model and the suggestion that an antique dealer in town might give us a good deal. We would then hunt down the shoes – and perhaps pay for them with part of the proceeds?

The razor wire is a later addition

But first I had to get my swim in. Another beautiful day with the sun shining brightly, although ominously for me the forecast was for temperatures in the 30s again. I had a look at our old house which has certainly been maintained in good condition. They’ve removed the huge bougainvillea hedge and replaced that with security fencing which may be more effective (although working your way through a bougainvillea four feet thick and nine feet high is pretty difficult to do!) but is certainly not so attractive. Gone too is the magnificent fig tree in the back yard which fed me and many birds every year about this time. We had an agreement, the birds and I. They could have all the figs at the top of the tree which I couldn’t reach and I wouldn’t chase them, provided they left me the ones I could reach. Worked like a charm every year. The beautiful Zimbabwe creeper we had grown over the back veranda was also gone, replaced by a utilitarian blind. We had many a party under the  shade of that creeper so it was sad to see that gone too. My leadlight  windows were all still in place though so at least those seem to have been appreciated.

On my way back I took a couple of shots of road and other warning signs, at least one of which you don’t see in other countries. The one “Riders” amused me. It is in an area where many people go to ride their horses, but why the horse with no rider then? Is the sign to warn us about runaway horses that have thrown their riders? Apparently not because it specifically says “Riders” – so maybe we are being warned to look out for riders who have been thrown. Lying on the side of the road perhaps or staggering across it? 

 

The multiple negatives on the signs from St James are also a cause for some reflection since they are slightly different in what they are banning in the same area – and why does St James beach apparently ban both cocktails and wine drinking with their two liquor signs? Given the high gun ownership in SAfrica, the fine differentiation between banning automatics on the walkway and revolvers on the beach leads me to wonder if rifles are ok in this area, since they are specifically banned on Hout Bay beach, although there is no mention there of handguns. Very confusing for us law abiding citizens.

A great breakfast with Lola’s guests – we always say she provides a five star meal and service for a three star price in their lovely old dining room with the doors wide open to her beautiful garden. What a way to start the day – and then we were off again on our travels, just behind the morning rush hour.

Outlook from breakfast room at The Stables

It was interesting to see how the road system has been improved – one of the side effects of hosting the Soccer World Cup – and how much building there has been higher up the mountain slopes. (This is something we saw all around the Peninsula. I guess it is inevitable since (a) there is not so much flat land and (b) people like views, but it is hardly surprising that there is pressure on the poor baboons who come wandering into and through houses in search of the easy pickings in our kitchens. They make an awful mess and although they are protected species, many are shot out of hand and quietly buried. Many people support this attitude. Efforts are made to keep them out of urban areas with baboon guards who walk with the troops during the day guiding them out of trouble, but funding is difficult to find for this worthwhile cause. 

Eric and his troop

We took our son Matt and his wife Dani on a Baboon Walk  when they visited us when we were living here. It is an amazing experience to meet a troop of these beautiful creatures and walk among them. I am not sure if the tourist venture ever got off the ground fully – no doubt they would have had significant problems in getting liability insurance!

The city had not changed too much. I thought it a little cleaner, Rab thought it a bit more run down. That probably reflects our divergent attitudes to Africa. I still miss it, while enjoying my life in Australia; Rab simply prefers Australia. We duly found a parking place in Long Street where the antique arcade was said to be located and paid the parking guard the requisite fee of R5 (60 cents) for the half hour parking. These guards are essential because the City of Cape Town introduced a meter system that requires motorists to have a pre-paid device with which to pay for parking. This to stop the meters being robbed on a regular basis. Of course visitors to Cape Town and even residents who do not visit the city often do not want to spend R60 on a pre-loaded card when they are only parked for an hour or so. So step in the guards, who (allegedly) buy the cards and then on-sell the time to people like us. The system seems to  work quite well, although it is not too hard to think of flaws that might favour the income of the guard over the City.

Pedestrian Mall off Long Street

The arcade was full of interesting shops with many items that were quite fascinating and we were directed to the man who bought pens – but not my pen. He wouldn’t make an offer, but it became clear from our (brief) exchange that he was thinking of a figure of about R500 (A$60) a quarter of what the refurbishment of the pen had cost me and a fraction of the cost of a new pen. We bade him good day and went and had a cold drink at a nearby café as the heat was building and I was feeling a bit crook.

On we went in pursuit of the shoes however and our memories of the road system returned so that we found our way to the shop quite easily. It was one of the simplest Rab’s Hunts of all times. The shop had the shoes in stock; the shoes were the right size; there was a wide selection; the price was right. There was no need and no excuse to look further or to leave the shop saying we’d be back after we’d thought about it. The deed was done and so was I, but the shopping wasn’t. As we drove home, Table Mountain had an excellent Table Cloth – this occurs when a south-easter creates a layer of cloud on top of the mountain. It means that visitors can’t go up the mountain as the cable car service is suspended, but it looks pretty.

Table Mountain with table cloth

Fortunately, we headed for The Stables and had a light lunch with Lola and Rick as we were going out to dinner that night. I had a shower to cool me down and a good sleep. I seem to collapse pretty suddenly in this heat – not completely physically all fall down, but just suddenly weary and tired in limb, longing for somewhere to lie down. Perhaps all those inhabitants of tropical and hot countries have the same problem which is why one sees them lying in any piece of shade at all times of the day?

Refreshed by my snooze we went off to pick up Lorna White since she and sister Liz had offered to shout us a meal in exchange for the braai a couple of nights back. On the way to see her, we popped in to see the widow of an old colleague who now lives on the same floor of the block of units where Lorna lives. She gave us a very warm welcome, but we couldn’t stay too long as we had to pick up Liz. I know we all have different ideas of establishing routes when we drive, but I have to say (here where Lorna cannot give me a clip over the ear) that the way she directed me was one that was about the most complex anyone could have chosen. I went my own route when we took Liz home and reckon I got there in half the time!! We went to a restaurant that used to be owned by Dr Christiaan Barnard the renowned heart surgeon who did the world’s first heart transplant. Of course he has been long gone and the restaurant has changed hands since then, but the quality of food has been maintained. I had a wonderful grilled sole – I had forgotten just how good they can be here, caught in the cold waters of the West Coast – while the others had equally good food. It was another lovely evening with old friends. Liz has a number of health problems and we wonder at times if we will see her again; Lorna, although the older sister seems to just go in forever.

CHIP HUNTING Wednesday March 14

OMG, the new Hunt started today. Barbecue kettles having been dismissed, shoes and other sundry purchases having been made, a new target was required and it was packing materials for the animal menagerie to make their voyage home safe.

Actually on reflection, the Hunt didn’t start today, it started yesterday afternoon after my nap and before we went out that night as I scoured the Internet for  packaging materials. What we had in mind was polystyrene chips or beads to pack around the beasts. Or perhaps foam chips. Lorna Rayment said she had seen these for sale, but couldn’t remember where, but assured us they were easy to find. So we started off by going to PostNet a local courier like FedEx – no dice. Try the Post Office – not us. And so it went all visits came up with nothing. That was when we hit the Net. Very little dice there either, but we  finally found a place – 30 km from The Stables – where they said they would sell us polystyrene beads.

Beach boxes at St James

But before we set off to collect our beads, I had my daily dip down at St James. Another crisp day  and warm water – up to 21.5°C. sitting in the sun, soaking in the views, the ambiance. Then back to The Stables for another tasty breakfast – I was persuaded to have a little smoked salmon with my scrambled egg, having had a serving of fruit salad. We really are back to our Australian fruit bat habits of eating pretty substantial quantities of fruit every day.

Lorna duly turned up and we were off on our quest. Never averse to telling me where I was going wrong from the time we worked together more than forty years ago, she was now quite happy to tell me that the route I had chosen to the factory was the wrong one.  Although she accepted it was a more direct route than she was suggesting, she warned me that it was very dangerous; that cars had been stoned there. Under  cross-examination, it became clear that the alleged stonings had occurred some years earlier and late at night. I pointed out that we’d be there in full daylight and considered that to be safe – if only because we would see the stones coming at us. We saw no stoners with stones although there was evidence of stoners in some of the areas we passed through since the graffiti could only have been done by someone as high as a kite.

Guided by the faithful iPad we reached our destination to find it the most safety conscious and bureaucratic organization ever seen. For starters we had to reverse the cars down the narrow drive and into a vacant bay – this made evacuation quicker said the gate guard  politely when I queried his order. Getting in the office door required a vetting by mirror from the pleasant lady behind the reception desk to whom Rab had spoken, who directed me to step across the three foot walkway to the other counter to place my order. The clerk there telephoned her to ensure that I was a genuine customer – at least I think that was why he did so – and then offered me an order of very small very light polystyrene pellets. I asked him if that was all he had to offer because I was concerned about the way these very light items blow about and are impossible to control. He said that was all they sold and solemnly and at great length made up the order which he then took to the receptionist, indicating that I should pay her.

I took the two steps across the walkway to her desk and having ascertained the cost – not disclosed to me by the clerk – I offered her the cash. No cash accepted: only credit cards. So…laboriously entering data into her credit card machine which took ages to go through, I finally had a receipt which I stepped across the walkway to give to the clerk. He studied this closely and called the factory to get my order. While I waited, Rab came through the security at the door – she and Lorna were cooking in the car despite being parked in the shade as the temperature soared. I think she may have believed it was my incompetence or garrulousness which was holding up the works.

While I was waiting for the order to be delivered, the receptionist who had clearly heard the interchange between me and the clerk and who had spoken to Rab and who knew what we wanted the packing for asked why I was taking the pellets, which were so small and light. She thought that the chips would be a better buy. Biting my tongue I said I thought the pellets were all that was available. “Oh, no!  The chips could be purchased as well, but they were the equivalent of A$4.25 more expensive.” JMJ!!

So back we went through the security dance of cancelling everything and starting again to Rab’s chagrin. The factory hand finally delivered a plastic bag of chips which were just what we wanted in  size but not in quantity. I offered to pay full price for half the bag, but no! I had to take it all. It barely fitted into the car boot. 

Thank goodness for air-conditioning. As we drove off, I felt quite bad, but within a few kilometers with the aircon on full blast and lowest temperature setting I started to feel somewhat human again. BUT…..this feeling of well being slipped a little as I realized that in the time I had been away, Rab and Lorna had decided that since we were so far over this side of the city we should go to Canal Walk (or Anal Walk as I thought of it). It is  a massive shopping complex jammed full of goods that, whilst ideal for mammoth shopping, were not likely to be purchased.  Lorna had not done much shopping with Rab, at least shopping of this type, and at the end of the day felt she might not ever do it again. She also said she couldn’t understand how anyone with bad knees could keep up that pace.

I actually did OK in the end because I got a pair of swimming trunks to replace my old ones which had given up the ghost after about 20 years and there were plenty of benches in the air-conditioned mall with some WiFi accessible. So I hunkered down and read my  mail on my iPad, had a look at the Australian papers, arranged my pictures etc quite happily while Rab dragged a reluctant Lorna into all manner of shops. 

Lunch with Lorna

We met back at the Mugg and Bean as agreed and had a very pleasant lunch. The quality of food in SAfrica has improved markedly, I think (Rab’s not so sure) and, apart from Mugg and Bean, most servings are still a reasonable size and are not approaching the gargantuan servings  we get in the USA and in parts of Australia.

Back to The Stables for a cooling shower and a rest – and then on to brother Pad for an evening meal – just the three brothers and wives. Pad is an excellent cook, specializing in vegetarian and seafood so we knew that we were in for a good meal. His calamari in a chili tomato sauce was excellent. It was a quiet night in the end as I think we were all a bit tired – and of course Pad and Ronel, being the only workers amongst us, had to work the next day. Lorna had donated a bottle of wine from the Herbert vineyard in Portland, Australia, which she had bought on her trip here, but we didn’t drink that, leaving it for our next dinner when we thought it would be more suitable.

And so to bed.