It was shaping up to be one clear, bright, hot ass day when Hannah chauffeured us back to her nearby place in Sea Point, a cute residential neighborhood where all the houses on the block have high walls around the front yards, for safety. It makes the street look very organized.
Anyway, she lives in an incredible home (with a couple, Karen and Barry - the girls, who met in grad school, are both real, live working artists) with hardwood floors, high ceilings and little kitchen garden in the back. Oh yes, and an adorable doggy whose name I've forgotten and somehow didn't take a picture of. Sticking with the "it all seems vaguely familiar" theme, the energy in the house instantly felt like we'd been coming over to visit forever. Also, Karen wore a very cool shirt covered with a brown butterfly pattern over which Susie and I were both properly envious.
Our hosts had sympathy on us weary travelers and kept pot after pot of yummy coffee a-flowing. Plus, there was an impromptu Easter Brunch in the front yard with pastries, chocolates and champagne (oh and some healthy stuff). Karen taught us her German family's tradition of knocking hard-boiled eggs together, each in turn: whoever has the last unbroken egg wins (that was Miss Susie, who I believe still owes us all a round of drinks for that victory!). We never made it back to their home after Easter, shame, but we'll remedy that next trip, eh? Here's a shot of Barry and Karen with the beautiful spread (check out over Barry's shoulder, that's the neighbor's avocado tree!).
No time to linger after eating because there were PENGUINS ON THE BEACH to track down, people! Back in to Foxy and we started making our way down the Cape (but don't
ask me to point out the road we took on a map cause I won't be able to show you) towards a beach called Boulders. Well, apparently, we weren't the only ones with the brilliant idea to go for a drive on Easter Sunday; but the traffic's pace made for longer conversations and a more thorough absorption of the the scenery...which, again, was familiar yet different. The sea is there, but wilder. The rocky mountains are there, but are square. The bushes along the road are in the form of delicate pink proteas in bloom. The sky...is huge.You know how you build something up in your mind that you run the risk of disappointment once it arrives? I can't imagine this ever happening as a visitor to South Africa. It doesn't matter what you imagine, the experiences will absorb your every moment until they bubble over and form a deep pool around your body. The place is too big, too interesting to leave any time for disappointments.
Not even when you hit the uber-tourist penguin beach on a holiday. Cause, it's penguins! On the beach! In eighty-degree African sunshine!
Now that our lives were complete with beach penguins, it was time to for more food.
Hannah, a girl after my own heart, had filled Foxy's trunk with bags and coolers containing my idea of a perfect picnic: homemade hummus, fruits, cheeses, breads, wine. "Let's drive to Cock Bay and see if my friend Shawna's up for joining us." I soon learned that we, in fact, were on our way to Kalk Bay to meet her friend Seanagh. Details, details. This photo is Hannah and Susie carrying our picnic down Seanagh's street.Kalk Bay is a small, artist community. It's a beachy town with a tiny harbor where big fish are hauled off of small boats at the end of the day. We found Seanagh and her mom, Merle (who had just arrived from England the day before, jet-laggers unite!), up for the picnic. We walked down the block, away from the holiday crowds on the sand, and found some smooth boulders where we drank our wine from Hannah Morris designer coffee mugs. The sea was pounding away a few yards ahead. The company was divine, hysterical, thoughtful, instantly familiar.
Just behind us, at the start of town, was the Harbor House (apparently once visited by Artie Shaw, which both impressed and amused me) where Hannah said we must stop for a sunset drink. This was a good call. Beautiful setting, beautiful views, beautiful time.
(Not to be forgotten, this is also where we learned the great new phrase: landing with your bum in the butter. Also, it was a quite a hot day, which made us feel a little sticky in the bum. These are the important cultural exchanges to get figured out to avoid being caught with your bum in your mouth...ok, so I just made that last one up.)
It was well after dark before we left our new friends in Kalk Bay and found our way back into the city. We found some dinner (the second night in a bizarre trend of finding only pizza to eat...this one had butternut squash on it...slurrrppp). We found ourselves at the bar in The Backpack enjoying vacation drinks, reflecting on the events of the day. Pretty soon, we found ourselves asleep in our room that no longer felt like it could be a strange place to wake up.
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