On this South African wintery day, when the wind blows cold and deary, ushering in much needed rain …I sit at my desk with the heater as close as I can get without burning a hole in my sweater … and warm my heart with memories of a more amiable time of a visit to Cape Town…
No central heating was one of the oddities of South Africa that took a while to accustom myself to when I first arrived in 2019. Central heating is a luxury that only the wealthiest of homes …winter is mild and usually short …and the sun warms most days to a pleasant temp …today I sit and listen to the wind on one of Mother Nature’s wild dance routines …leaves scattering as it rushes past on a whirlwind tune …
According to Wiki there was “no recorded history before it first mentioned by the Portuguese in 1488” …where according to a German anthropologist Theophilus Hahn, the original name given by the Khoi-Khoi was translated to mean “where the clouds gather” …and
Mother City …The Cape of Storms …Tavern of the Seas … Table Bay …Place of Sweet Water …Hui! Gaeb
Established in 1652, it became the fueling station (Tavern Bay) for ships bound Eastwardly on the Spice Route … and gave birth to a European civilization (Mother City) …
❤ I loved that that the developers of the mega 250 Ha Century City worked with conservationists to include a home for 212 indigenous plant species (including 24 Red Data species, threatened with extinction) and 120 species of birds …“The whole area is contained within a 7km canal system that runs around the outer edge, thereby enhancing its sense of seclusion. The beauty of this system is that the reed beds in the wetlands are used to clean the water in the canal in a natural way, while simultaneously creating a rich habitat for birds and fish.” https://www.southafrica.net/gl/en/travel/article/intaka-island-century-city-urban-birding-in-cape-town
This was not my first visit to Cape Town, Mr. P had business in the area that he needed to attend to …it was nice to be able to stay close enough for me to walk to the mall …to enjoy nature along with the comforts of an extravagantly elegant mall with everything a modern woman could wish for …
“Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.”
John Lennon
PS….Just One of the South Africa’s colloquialisms that took me several years to fully understand …the first time I heard it, I was “Say What?” 😂 …like the Latin American Countries, they also have their own unique definitions of time …
This about sums South African time up …just relax and enjoy the Now!
Tabletop Mountain and Stellenbosch gardens …two more delightful memories in route 👡👡👡…much love❣ and happiness sent your way …
Thank you for sharing your visit to Cape Town with me. It was delightful to learn new things about how they perceive time. Fascinating.