My Cape Town

I’ve found a whole new chunk of Cape Town to love.  Newlands is the most wonderful cricket ground I’ve ever been to.  OK, so it’s the only cricket ground I’ve been to, but I’m a very recent convert to the game, and finding myself sitting in the sun by a large green field with Table Mountain as a backdrop, I knew this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. 

My apologies to Liam who, at 6 years old, was also experiencing his first match.  I had recently found out (with a light sprinkling of embarrassment) that ‘one hand, one bounce’ doesn’t apply in proper cricket but there’s a chance I may have told him some other rules which could earn him a ribbing in the playground at a later date.  But never mind – he took part in his first ever Mexican wave and that went down a treat.

We were at the World Twenty20 Australia v. England match.  The sun was shining, the beer was cold, the biltong was tasty – it was heaven on a Friday afternoon.  The cheery thwack of leather on willow would occasionally be followed by a roar from the spectators if the ball reached the boundary – a noise that was promptly drowned out by 30 seconds of pumping music, dancers gyrating on mini stages around the field, and fireworks exploding from the top of the scoreboard.  I couldn’t help feeling that if Roman gladiators had played cricket, it would have been this version.  And at the end the England team would have been fed to the lions.

Of course the stadium isn’t quite that old but it does have a history.  Originally a slightly swampy patch of farmland given to the Vicomtesse de Montmort as a wedding present (lucky girl) it was officially opened on 2^nd January 1888 with a Mother Country v. Colonial-Born match.  So... not too far removed from what I was watching then, though that was in the days before players sported, to quote Dan Nicholl, the “Liberace-goes-to-the-gym” look.  I found the Australians custard and grey particularly off-putting, but perhaps that’s all part of their tactics, along with the black stars on the midriff which make them look as though they’ve been shot by Wile E. Coyote. 

Such is the joy of cricket.  Even a 20-over a side match is long enough to allow such musings.  What other spectator sport is so supremely relaxing?  And so what if you don’t know your third man from your silly mid-off?  I urge you, if you are here at the right time of year, get over to Newlands and grab yourself a seat or a patch of grass under the trees, and prepare to while away an afternoon, Capetonian style.

Daisy

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Guest House of the Month

twentytwo
Oranjezicht, Cape Town
Four en-suite rooms

This tiny, immaculate guest house is a nugget of a find.  Standing on a central road popular with guest houses, it stands out for its cutting edge contemporary style and a unique sense of privacy.

Brimful of original art and vases of flowers, the house offers just four guest rooms - each with a distinct character.  All are en-suite, with high quality finishes including air conditioning, WiFi connectivity and iPod / MP3 compatible speaker systems. Room 1 has a private terrace with a view of Table Mountain. At the top of the house, Room 2 has panoramic views of the city below, right out to the distant Hottentot Holland Mountains, while Rooms 3 and 4 have a balcony looking north over the city bowl and out to sea.

The private and enclosed garden is particularly impressive, and key to the overall atmosphere of the house.  The living and dining room areas flow out on to a shady terrace which steps down to a small lawn and then to a 14m pool surrounded by balau decking.  At one end of the pool is a hot and cold shower, and at the other a magnificent palm tree towers over an inviting sundeck with views out over the city.  In the rest of the garden banana trees and lemon trees vie with creepers and lavender to create a lush, tranquil and sweet-smelling haven. 

Owners Dominic and Allan are marvellous hosts, spilling over with stories and laughter.  On a personal mission to become acquainted with every good restaurant in the city, they are full of advice and tips for all their guests.  Monty the cat, on the other hand, may well ignore you.

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