Table of contents for Spring 2023 in Cape Etc

IT WAS A LONG, HARD WINTER EVEN AS I WRITE THIS, THE COLD – AFTER A BRIEF TEASE OF WARMER DAYS – HAS RETURNED WITH A VENGEANCE. It must be winter's final blow… I keep telling myself that, anyway. The Cape's wildflowers, which have already emerged In a glorious kaleidoscope of colours, give me faith. We're almost there, Cape Town, and I feel congratulations are in order. If you're part of the lucky lot that visit us seasonally, welcome. You've chosen wisely. The beauty of putting this issue together is that I feel fully equipped, inspired even, to make the most of this season. We've plucked this city and its surrounds (and even further) to pieces. The result? A hearty menu of inspiration that will carry you all the way…

CAPE TOWN CAPTURED Adele van Heerden's art transcends the ordinary, capturing not iust scenes but moments frozen in time, Robvn Simpson zoomed in Whether you're visiting Cape Town for the first time or have lived here your entire life, this city never fails to sucker-punch you with its beauty. We see it often: people whipping out cellphones to try capturing the magic. But special moments, unless you're a master of art or photography, often prove difficult to capture. Local artist Adele van Heerden has taken a different approach to safeguarding what she sees by weaving together ink, gouache and her artistic prowess. I first saw Adele's work in 2018 during a night out on First Thursdays. Her collection ‘In Memoriam’ pounced off the walls with its luminous strikes of colour and realist…

Temenos is a holistic hideaway smack-dab in the middle of a wee town called McGregor. The hamlet is totally charming; you almost expect the villagers to pop out of their whitewashed cottages and burst into a welcome song to a perfectly choreographed dance. Size aside, its streets are alive with neighbourhood conviviality and daily bustle. And then there is Temenos, another world entirely. What makes Temenos so special is its woodland garden, which holds a reverence that seems to exist in another realm entirely. It is difficult to put into words because it is all about a feeling. It reminded me of one in particular. When I was a little girl, I used to seek out sunny spots in the house. I'd sit on the floor and doodle, or get…

OPENING FEATURE ‘I was born here in a banana box.’ Diela Gamildien, as a fourthgeneration flower seller, has roots that intertwine with the very fabric of one market's history. The Trafalgar Place flower market gracing Adderley Street has been buzzing for 155 years; Diela for 55 of them. If Cape Town was a body, the market would be its heart. For generations, this market has been a silent witness to the ebb and flow of Cape Town's narrative. While the skyline evolved and urbanisation reshaped the city's landscape, the market remained. And something persisted – the kind of kinship that binds generations together. PETALS AND PAST In a time when apartheid's oppressive grip held its firmest, the Adderley Street Flower Market emerged as a symbol of profound defiance and unwavering…

NOURISH / Trending CRATES OF CORNETTI, PLEASE Lello's Caffè is the closest you'll get to Italy without a plane ticket. Robyn Simpson discovers For a slice of Europe closer to home, De Waterkant, with its street-side restaurants and boutique shops, does a great job at satisfying wanderlust, especially if Italy is on your travel bucket list. The cobblestone roads are reminiscent of those furtber afield, where ciaos are exchanged between each breath. And there's Lello's Caffè, which embodies all things authentically Italiano. To get there, you'll have to do mote than admire the pretty streets and stores that line them. Prepare to march up calf-crunching hills, unless you're one of the lucky few who find parking near the always buzzing spot. I was less fortunate and, while on my quest from a…

Johnnie Calitz is a determined man. He has spent his life quietly refining his art, working at making gorgeous wines. The winemaker at Glen Carlou is also about the practical: ‘Our style of wines at Glen Carlou has not changed a lot since the ‘80s and ‘90s. There have been minor improvements but it's almost like a banker – you know what you're going to get when you buy a Glen Carlou wine,’ he says. What you are going to get is consistency. ‘Glen Carlou has been in the winemaking industry for 35 years… it's relatively young in a very old industry. But it is known for consistently good wines at a good value,’ says Johnnie. ‘We are still not at our full potential. There is still a way to…

A FAMOUS FISH Sample strictly South African seafood in the heart of Cape Town Fun fact: Galjoen is South Africa's national fish. Sadly for our taste buds and tummies, the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) has red-listed it, so we won't find any restaurants serving the line fish as the catch of the day. Beyond the plate, its significance is not lost on restaurateurs Neil Swart and Anouchka Horn who named their new sustainable seafood restaurant after the robust and tenacious fish. Galjoen, in Cape Town's cool East City district, pays homage to the famous fish, not only with its name but its commitment to sustainability. Swart and Horn, who brought Belly of the Beast to the city's ever-expanding dining scene, understand the importance of preserving our oceans and…

A HAVEN OF SIMPLE PLEASURES Boschendal's pastoral scene rekindles the childlike wonder within every visitor, young or old. Farm animals become cheerful companions, infants'joyful laughter fills the air, and ancient trees have stories to tell. While autumn's touch had left towering trees barren, their beauty remained when I visited this wine farm. And by the time you read this, their once empty branches will have started to perk up with green leaves as we welcome spring. Little ones were running around as if the world was their oyster, a parent or two trying to keep up. It was as if the never-ending emerald lawn had become a canvas for their imaginations. Such a contagious spirit of delight is best with snacks. At the heart of Boschendal, I found the farm…

BETTER THAN CARTOONS Kate Walker tells of a magical place that inspires kids to olav freely and then cleans up afterwards Due to the eternal shame of having our kids glued to a screen during long pandemic days, we parents started taking our little zombies for walks in Newlands Forest and making home-made Play-Doh and macaroni necklaces with them. Once the novelty wore off and the mosquito bites began to swell, these recreational sessions became few and far between. Poor kids. Enter our heroes, Jessica and Joshua Richardson, the founders of the early childhood development centre Play by Nature. This magical place hosts one-hour workshops for children led by open-ended sensory play (a buzzword that refers to kids playing with stuff that engages the senses, like finding hidden items in…