My Cape Town

I like to think everyone has those days when a gentle stroll amongst the shops turns into a cross-eyed, hobble-legged search for a loo.  Just the other day I found myself once again misjudging my essential tea/bladder ratio in the middle of Greenmarket Square.

The Old Town House, overlooking Greenmarket Square

This hubbub of colour and activity dominates the centre of town to such a degree that, regardless of where you started, you will at some point find yourself there. There are numerous coffee shops and restaurants surrounding it, but I always feel uncomfortable  taking advantage of such places without also sitting down for a drink, a familiar situation which it seems to me only perpetuates the problem.  As my brain reached a critical stage of limbo my eye was drawn to a large black cat, sunning himself on the stoep of the Old Town House, a building overlooking but generally overlooked by the bustle of the square. Large doors opened onto a marbled gallery, which somehow offered hope, if only to be out of the sun.  Curious, and feeling slightly silly, I poked my head in.  Instantly the noise of the street outside receded and I was welcomed in to the cool interior. 

The grand central staircase

The receptionist greeted me kindly despite my self-conscious smirk and awkward gait. She continued to smile as I looked around me in amazement at a series of pictures which, somewhat alarmingly, appeared to be hung back to front.  Two old ladies with cemented hair - the only other visitors in the gallery - were muttering with a discontent that can only be mustered with years of practice.   I decided that nodding wisely and appreciatively was probably the best cover for my confusion and bought myself a couple of seconds by feigning a fascination of the pamphlet I found clutched in my fist.  It appeared that the building I had found myself in was in fact an art gallery housing the Michaelis Collection of mainly Dutch 17th century paintings.  What I was seeing was ‘Flip’, a short-term ‘curatorial intervention’ with the idea of allowing the visitors to see the backs of the paintings – ‘fascinating visual objects in their own right, normally accessible only to historians or their own curator’. 

That explained it then.  Max the cat wound his way between my feet before throwing himself into a heroic pose in the middle of the gleaming marble floor. At the other end of the gallery one of the groaning matrons crossly scrabbled at a frame with her scarlet talons in an audacious attempt to turn it around. Defeated, they left in a huff.  It was marvellous. 

Scarily good sculpture currently  displayed at the National Gallery

Just to have discovered such a place in the heart of the shopping area was delightful, let alone to find such a wonderfully quirky exhibition. There is a plethora of magnificent art to be discovered in Cape Town, much of it in similarly historic buildings.  But for me, this display will remain one of the most memorable.   Slivers of new wood became testament to years of restoration, old labels indicated the changing ownership of each painting and original marks by the artists themselves stung my imagination into action.  Moreover, the building was cool, it was small (just four beautifully proportioned, stunningly elegant rooms) and it was free.  Perfect.  It even had a little café in the courtyard outside.  Incidentally, the lavatories are dead ahead of the entrance, on the right hand side under the staircase.

Daisy

daisy@capeconcierge.co.za

www.capeconcierge.co.za

The rooms of the Old Town House can be booked for private functions and photographic or film shoots.

SPECIAL OFFER - City and Safari

Lalibela Game Reserve is renowned for its ‘Big Five’ location in the Eastern Cape. Not only is it malaria free, but it spans five ecosystems (valley bushveld, savannah grassland, fynbos, riverine forest and acacia woodland) resulting in a breath-taking diversity of flora and fauna.

Accommodation is in elegant en-suite chalets, each with its own private observation deck from which to spot game roaming through the lush vegetation.

For the months of April and May only, Lalibela will be offering the chance for a ‘Behind the Scenes’ safari experience.  As well as all the normal game drives and bush walks, emphasis will be on learning exactly how animals are identified, tracked, handled and immobilised with opportunities to put all you learn into practice.  This package is only suitable for guests of 16 years old and up.

The mild weather at this time of year makes it ideal to combine a safari with a visit to Cape Town…

For selected dates in April and May, we can offer subscribers to the Cape Concierge newsletter: 

• 5 nights in a luxury room in the Cape Heritage Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis
  
• 5 days car hire
  
• Return flights between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth
  
• Transfers to and from Lalibela Game Reserve
  
• 6 nights/7 days ‘Behind the Scenes’ safari on a full-board basis

all from the lip-smacking price of R11,825 per person (based on two people sharing).
The days in Cape Town can be taken either side of the safari at your convenience.

For exchange rates, click on www.xe.com .

Don’t forget that 6-22 May sees the Cape Gourmet Festival, when fabulous restaurants across Cape Town will be offering gourmet meals for little more than the price of a British Rail sandwich.

For more details, contact me at daisy@capeconcierge.co.za .

Shosholoza - Get used to this name

 

While Ellen MacArthur’s triumph is still fresh in the mind and everyone is talking as though they know the difference between a jib and a gybe, I wanted to draw your attention to another remarkable achievement in the sailing world.  Shosholoza – the name of an old African workers’ song about striving together – is also the name of the South African contender for the next America’s Cup.  ‘Sport is full of inspirational tales’ said the New York Times recently in an article about this crew. Comprised of disadvantaged youth from South Africa’s toughest townships their futures would have been pretty bleak.  But with a quarter of the budget of many of their rival teams, the crew of Shosholoza is showing the world ‘that they, too, can take on the world’s best’. - Daisy

Photo courtesy of Team Shosholoza

There's a lot you can do with R100-million. Sort out Real Madrid's weekly wage bill, say, or put down a deposit on a couple of overhead baggage compartments on the new A380. (All very well to build a super big airplane, but if Airbus can't manage a simple golf driving range on board, then aviation technology still has some way to go.) But in America's Cup yachting, R100-million, in most circumstances, would barely warrant a second glance — a token sum in the high-rolling world of corporate yachting.

For Shosholoza, though, it's a hell of an investment, and for several reasons. First and foremost, the money is much needed — for all their hard work and enthusiasm in last year's warm-up Louis Vuitton regattas, the romance of being the kids from the wrong side of town, and sailing someone else's cast-off boat and living on meagre allowances, is a lot more fun to watch than it is to live.

The crew won't be off buying sports cars and holidaying in the Alps as a result, but they'll have better logistical support, and most importantly, two new boats over the next two years that will compete with anything Oracle or BMW can come up with. Designer Jason Ker (who put together the yacht that won the last Sydney-Hobart) has the first of those close to completion; suddenly, the poor cousins from Africa are looking mightily impressive.

What makes the investment all the more remarkable, though, is where it comes from. T-Systems, the business arm of Deutsche Telekom, decided last year that the America's Cup offered an ideal investment opportunity, and started looking for a home for the large sum of money they had going. A German challenge, Fresh 17, was confident of securing the sponsorship — but instead, T-Systems opted for the spirited crew of Shosholoza, who have breathed new life into a competition that was becoming dangerously self-absorbed and elitist, and sent R100-million South Africa's way.

It's an investment that includes setting up and running all marketing and publicity for Shosholoza (expect to hear plenty more about the yacht from here on in). An investment that levels the playing field for a crew that has already sailed well beyond expectations. And, it's an investment that will allow a third boat to travel to Valencia in 2007: a smaller boat staffed with young sailors from Cape Town development programmes, able to take in the spectacle of the America's Cup challenge first-hand, and prepare for the day Shosholoza becomes theirs to man.

And in breaking with corporate tradition that demands the identity of the investor extend to the name, Shosholoza will stay Shosholoza, T-Systems' local CEO Wolfgang Jakob declaring his company happy with the boat as it is. Which is as it should be. The sight of the yacht, admittedly packaged for emotional response, on video yesterday, encapsulated so much of what a little boat from Cape Town has done, fuelled by passion, drive and fierce commitment.

Now, with a budget that takes the boat forward significantly, horizons have opened up for Shosholoza; at heart, though, it remains the same good-natured pretender, gate-crashing the upper-crust world of America's Cup racing, and bringing a splash of Africa to the competition. The romantic outsiders suddenly look considerably more dangerous as Valencia 2007 beckons. It's hard not to get caught up in it all. 

Upcoming Events

MONTH OF PHOTOGRAPHY
17 February - 11 March
Over 100 exhibitions will be presented in the city at venues ranging from established galleries to educational bodies and commercial spaces

REM IN CONCERT
3, 4 and 5 March
The launch of the South African leg of the supergroup’s World Tour to promote their new album ’Around the Sun’.

TEST CRICKET: SA V ZIMBABWE
4 - 8 March
The Proteas take on our Northern neighbours at Newlands.

CAPE TOWN FESTIVAL
6 - 25 March
Featuring the best in original South African and international music, performance, public art, comedy, spoken word and visual arts, this festival provides a rich slice of culture for all generations to enjoy.

CAPE ARGUS PICK ’N’ PAY CYCLE TOUR
14 March
The biggest timed cycle tour in the world. The 105km tour around the beautiful Cape Peninsula takes place every year and attracts over 35,000 entrants from all over the world.

NAVY FESTIVAL
19 - 21 March
Annual Navy Event in Simon’s Town with a variety of activities for all ages.

KURLAND EASTER POLO FESTIVAL
20 March - 2 April
International Polo Festival

FIRST EVER TERRAQUA GRAND SPREE
23 - 28 March
An amphibious 'go-carts' (boat-carts) race through the town centre of Mossel Bay, finishing at Santos Beach.

SWATCH-FIVB MEN'S BEACH VOLLYBALL WORLD SERIES
23 - 27 March
The first of the world series tour (12 events around the world) will be played here in Cape Town on Camps Bay beach.
 
CLASSIC & WOODEN BOAT RALLY
25 - 27 March
A chance to view some classic old style boats.

OLD MUTUAL TWO OCEANS MARATHON
26 March (Easter Saturday)
This popular annual event features a 56km ultra-marathon and, for those who don’t fancy mixing with the professionals, a shorter 21.1km race as well.

THE CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
26 & 27 March
The Cape Town International Jazz Festival (formerly known as The North Sea Jazz Festival) is officially dubbed 'Africa's Grandest Gathering' and boasts an impressive line-up of the world's top jazz artists.

THE CAPE EPIC
2 - 9 April
This second annual epic mountain bike race involves 800 mountain bikers from 29 countries riding more than 900 gruelling kilometres through the magnificent scenery of the Western Cape.

GLOBAL CHALLENGE OCEAN RACE - CAPE TOWN STOPOVER
4 April - 1 May
The world's toughest yacht race! The sight of Table Mountain will signal the end of arguably the toughest leg of this race the ‘wrong way’ round the world. Cape Town, known for centuries as ‘the tavern of the seas’, will have no trouble helping the crews to recharge their batteries. 

NEDERBURG WINE AUCTION
8 & 9 April
Considered one of the top five wine auctions internationally, labels bearing the words 'sold at the Nederburg Auction' are regarded as seals of approval by both licensees and their customers.

WESTLIFE LIVE IN CAPE TOWN
8 April
Woohoo!

QUEEN AT THE BALLET
30 April - 15 May
Back by popular demand! Cape Town City Ballet's smash hit returns to Cape Town. Revel in the music of Queen and marvel at the beauty and athleticism of the CTCB dancers, performing Sean Bovim's inventive choreography.

WATERFRONT WINE FESTIVAL
3 - 6 May
And with more than 350 wines to taste, this festival provides a dream time for lovers of fine wines and exquisite cheeses.
 
PRINCE ALBERT OLIVE FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL
6 - 7 May
Lots of exciting and varied activities, walks, tours and competitions, plenty of food demonstrations and tastings and evening entertainment from stories to cabaret to dancing.

CAPE GOURMET FESTIVAL
6 - 22 May
A fortnight of feasting as Cape Town's finest eateries swing open their doors and set decadent gourmet menus, paired with Laborie wines, to get the tastebuds tingling. 

RED BULL BWA (BIG WAVE AFRICA) 2005
22 May - 12 June
A 20 day surfing spectacle, when renowned international and local big wave surfers converge on Hout Bay to ride waves in excess of 15' (5 metres).

THE PINK LOERIE CARNIVAL
26 - 29 May
Knysna turns pink for this annual festival.  With live shows, art displays and a carnival atmosphere, Knysna celebrates the freedom embedded in the South African constitution.

GARDEN ROUTE GOURMET FESTIVAL
16 - 18 June
Good food & wine on the Garden Route.

CROSS KAROO EXTREME TRIATHLON CHALLENGE
16 June – 16 July
Run 88kms from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, Mountain Bike 2200 kms to Paarl, and Canoe 208 kms along the Berg River to Velddrif on the Atlantic Coast. Yikes.

TULBAGH CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS IN WINTER
25 - 26 June
Christmas lights, Christmas Dinners, wine tasting, gluwein, beer gardens, sport bars, art & crafts exhibitions, stalls…

BERG RIVER CANOE MARATHON
12 - 16 July
202 kilometres over 4 days  - South Africa’s longest and toughest canoe race, from the Paarl winelands to the Velddrif Coast: an area rich in history and scenic beauty.
 
POSTBERG RESERVE OPENS FOR FLOWER GAZING
1 August 2005 – 30 September
An hour’s drive from Cape Town along the West Coast will bring you to this floral paradise. This spectacular display of nature in the 30 000 hectares of the West Coast National Park is only open for August and September.

TRI NATIONS RUGBY (SOUTH AFRICA V NEW ZEALAND)
6 August
The Springboks take on the All Blacks in this classic clash at Newlands.
 
CLANWILLIAM WILDFLOWER SHOW
25 - 31 August
The Clanwilliam district boasts a large variety of wildflowers due to the tremendous differences in the topography (Cederberg Karoo, Sandveld and wetlands). Each year about 350 flower species from 32 families are exhibited at the show.

DARLING WILDFLOWER SHOW
6 - 18 September 2005
The Darling Wildflower Society has held a show virtually every year since its inception in 1917.

KIRSTENBOSCH SUMMER SUNSET CONCERTS
Every Sunday until 3 April
A chance to drink wine and picnic in one of the most spectacular concert venues in South Africa, if not the world.

SPIER SUMMER ARTS FESTIVAL
until 2 April
The annual summer program at Spier Wine Estate celebrates a proudly African line-up, presenting a diverse variety of performances including music, theatre, film, comedy and the famous sunset Christmas carols.