Week 5 - Tea for Two

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This week was marked by poor weather and its cold, so cold in fact that we can see snow on the mountains across the bay, how weird is that! So we spent most of the week preparing to leave the comfort of the Simon’s town flat, I won’t say its hard to leave but the rain and cold has delayed our departure until next Wednesday as Sandra doesn’t fancy leaving the warm comfy bed and hot showers. Ok, its me really…

We did manage to get out and about a bit and caught the train into Cape Town from Kalk Bay, the Simon’s town branch was suspended (so just like being back on the Victoria Line then). The journey must be one of the best train journeys and Cape Town is really cool to walk around, lots of markets and interesting buildings. The city has adopted a very scouse approach to public art (think Lambanana) so Sandra felt right at home. My personal favourite was the post modern comment on South African culture, of which I have included a picture. Yes, it’s a traditional sculpture with Bart Simpson’s head poking out of it - no I have no idea what it’s called but it made me laugh.


My need for culture fulfilled it was a quick mutton curry pie and off to the District Six Museum. The area at the base of Table Mountain was bulldozed and along with it the history made up by some of the many different immigrants who came to the Cape since the late 18th Century. In 1966 the area was declared white’s only area and all other races were shipped out to the townships. In 1979 it was bulldozed and the rubble used to build the harbour. The ex-residents continued to dispute and resisted attempts to redevelop the area so many companies did not want to get involved. Now in the new South Africa the families who previously lived in the area or their descendants have launched a land claim to be able to rebuild ad return to the area.

The museum tells the story of the mostly coloured people and their personal experience of apartheid. It was deeply moving to hear people talk of their own struggles, sadness and ultimately hope for the new South Africa. I think the most poignant story I read was of one ex-resident who kept homing pigeons, even later after he had trained and re-homed his pigeons when he released them they would not return to Mitchell’s Plain but instead he would find them on the desolate waste ground where his house used to stand in District Six. To hear the impact of apartheid on ordinary working peoples’ lives does bring the era to life. The ex-residents all get free entry and the museum acts as a focus for the community to remember and to keep their memories alive. They are also only too willing to talk to you and tell you their stories.

To experience the whole perspective of colonial life we ended the day with a look at the other side of the coin, afternoon tea at the Mount Nelson. The Mount Nelson is a pink palace to all that is colonial. Afternoon tea can be taken on the terrace with a buffet of every type of cake and mini-cake you could imagine as well as a gourmet tea menu. We opted for the Mount Nelson blend which includes rose petals - it comes with a small egg timer to tell you when optimum infusion has been reached. The ‘cake train’ was an all you can eat affair and I attempted to eat all I possibly could, and then some. A short waddle back to the station through the company’s garden and we got the train back to Kalk Bay in time for sundowners.

SANDRA
MMmmmmmm cakes!

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[Paul]

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