All good things come to an end, so they say… And our trip to Cape Town was incredibly good, so I guess the better it is, the faster it goes. It was bitter-sweet to leave, but it wasn’t goodbye… we will be back. This was our last night here, these photos taken at Derdesteen beach on the west coast.
Kalk Bay is a small seaside town on the False Bay coast of the Cape Peninsula. Populated mostly by hippies, fishermen, vegetarians and homeless people… with a sprinkling of the hip young crowd seeking solace from the big city… it’s the kind of place where anything goes, really. The vibe is vintage bohemian and could very easily turn into one of those authentic towns ruined by the noveau-riche but luckily for us all the working harbour (and the homeless shelter) ensures that there are still normal people living here… well, I guess normal is relative here in Kalk Bay.
Ericeira is known for the multitude of different surf spots, each with their own characteristics and level of difficulty. Possibly the most famous of these beaches is Ribeira d’Ilhas, which recently hosted the Quiksilver Pro Portugal 2010. This is a beach to see and be seen, and in summer is packed with surfers and gorgeous girls wearing hardly anything. Obviously everyone is only there for the waves… It’s typically a sand and reef point break that changes dramatically from high to low tide and with swell direction. In general it is a fat slow wave that is easy to surf…
Happy holidays and a fantastic New Year to all of you from sunny Cape Town. Wishing everyone a wonderful time with family and friends wherever you are in the world.
So it turns out I remembered one good thing about summer ending: we get our beaches back. And by “we” I mean the dog-loving population of my little town. During the summer (well, technically all year round) dogs are forbidden from setting their little paws on the sand so the beginning of autumn and the absence of life-guards is the sign that our doggies are once again allowed to chase the seagulls and eat indeterminate dead objects buried in the sand. (Joy!) These are a few photos from our last family outing.
I shot this series of images for a story in a local magazine (A Concelho Mafra) a month or so ago. How to make a surfboard: The blanks are imported from South Africa (of course!) and machine-cut to the basic size. Above, to the right is the blank before the cut, to the left is after. The board is then sanded and the shape refined. This is followed by the fibreglass and resin. The Fin Control System is cemented in place at precisely the correct angle. And then the board is given a final sanding to ensure a smooth and…
Cabo da Roca is the western-most point of continental Europe and therefore, this South African feels a little bit at home here. Why? Because its windy, has a lighthouse, a shop selling icecream and wild seas threatening to smash you to bits should you venture too close to the shore… very much like my own southern-most point of Africa, Cape Agulhas. And the connection between these two wild capes runs deeper than than what meets the eye; the name Cape Agulhas means “Cape of Needles” in Portuguese, and was named as such by the first Portuguese navigators to sail past…
So. I’ve been in Portugal for a year now. So far, so good. I’m not going to lie, it hasn’t been all daisies and ice-cream but the good things have by far outweighed the bad. Have (sortof) learnt to speak Portuguese. The basics, you know: “Do you have fresh ginger/peanut butter?” in the supermarket. (the answer is usually no… but thats another story) Am not yet able to have a fight with someone in Portuguese, but not for lack of trying (A man accused my dog of pooping on his from yard, total lie! but I had to yell at…
Kerry Murray 