These days I’ve returned to Cape Town. It had been three years since I last visited this beautiful place. As I was leaving, my mother called to tell me that our mare Triana had just died: so noble, so ours… it felt like she would always be there.
I can’t think of a better place to heal my grief than one of the most spectacular corners of the planet.
I’ve written about Cape Town before, but I believe there was still much beauty waiting to be discovered.
The city welcomed me with its unmistakable blend of mountain and ocean, that wild embrace that seems to whisper life back into you. I walked slowly, letting the cool Atlantic air do its silent work: cleansing, sorting, soothing. And also reading. I sat on a bench along the seaside promenade, surrounded by letters and salty breeze, with Signal Hill watching over my back like a gentle guardian.
But this time, the city didn’t welcome me alone: Lyndsay was waiting for me too, that little piece of home I found on the other side of the world so many years ago. Hugging her again was like taking a deep breath after a long time. And with her, her family —my South African family— who always open their doors and offer a healing embrace.
We strolled through the colourful neighbourhood of Bo-Kaap on a bright morning that made every façade of the Malay Quarter glow. It has become very photogenic, full of energy and charm.
We took Chapman’s Peak Drive, a scenic route carved between mountains and sea. Spectacular. With viewpoints where you stop to catch your breath —or lose it again to the views— and sea lions sunbathing on huge rocks.
From there, you can see the magnificent Noordhoek Beach.
We stopped in Simon’s Town, a charming seaside area known for its proximity to Boulders Beach. As you may remember, since 1982 it has been home to the African penguin colony, a species on the brink of extinction. They are precious. A few years ago, Lyndsay and her family took me to see them: we were alone, approaching quietly and very respectfully. This time we found something different: a wooden walkway built so visitors can watch them without disturbing them. A beautiful silence reigned among the people there. I was glad. Penguins dislike noise: when they get upset, they start braying… and they sound just like donkeys.
A little further north, in Fish Hoek, there is a small paradise for book lovers. Yes, my friends know me well and guide me —if necessary, by the hand— to any lovely bookshop. The Bookworm Books is a charming second-hand bookstore with an entire room dedicated to fantasy. The booksellers, a mother and daughter, are an endless source of knowledge. Bookworm means “library mouse” in English.
We then reached Kalk Bay, a lively seaside spot filled with markets, cafés and, of course, two beautiful bookshops worth visiting: Quagga Books and Kalk Bay Books.
A few kilometres further north is St James Beach, with its colourful beach huts standing in perfect formation.
I was happy to find a café with many vegan options: Kanela Café in Sea Point. A cosy interior, a peaceful terrace and a murmuring fountain. I walked around the area and saw the paragliders launching from the mountain. I also came across a very pretty restaurant, the Atlantic Express: an old train carriage turned into a charming place that transports you back in time.
I kept walking through little streets until I reached the Green Point Urban Park, with its green lawns, small lakes, a lighthouse and a sculpture shaped like giant glasses.
LITERARY NOTE
I sat down to read The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst, as if the autumn spell Cape Town casts over me blended with the spring blooming in these lands. I don’t usually read fantasy, but this story has touched me. A solitary librarian and her plant-friend flee after the imperial library catches fire, taking precious spellbooks with them. They arrive on the island where she was born: the trees bear no fruit, no sea creatures are born, the fountains are dry… all due to magic misused by the emperor. But things begin to change.
