Cape Town - It’s just a tiny little pocket of the Cape Town CBD, but it’s jam-packed with interesting things to see and do. I’m talking about Church Street, between Long and Burg streets.
Whenever we get the chance, my friend Enid and I get together for brunch at Café Mozart. It’s particularly lovely in summer, and now in autumn as well, before the trees lose their leaves.
There you can sit at pavement tables in the dappled sunlight, and tuck into poached eggs on a croissant, with spinach, bacon or smoked salmon, and hollandaise sauce, or a hefty omelette filled with cheddar, mozzarella and tomato, and your choice of mushroom, bacon or salmon.
There are gourmet sandwiches and salads, and main meals like excellent fish and chips, and a vegetarian burger with aubergine schnitzel, grilled veg, mozzarella, hummus, tzatziki, onion rings, and salsa mayo even a carnivore can get stuck into. Prices are very reasonable, and a glass or two of wine will not go amiss. Heck, sometimes there is even a tequila if it’s a particularly stressful day.
During this time there is always entertainment. We’ve encountered acrobatic troupes, and a man who does the most uncannily real impersonation of animal sounds. His yapping dog, coupled with bending down to brush the ankles of passers-by has consistently hilarious results.
More often than not, however, you’ll see famous busker Joe Petersen, who has been walking the streets of Cape Town with his djembe drum for decades, fulfilling a childhood dream to be a musician.
I’ve known Joe for longer than I can remember, and if he sees me first, he always calls out “Hey sister!” and we have a chat about his family news. Sometimes you’ll see Joe playing with his band The Ganja Muffins – who incidentally can be hired to play at your party or event – and other times he’ll be flying solo. If you see him, tell him I say “Hey brother!”
On either side of Café Mozart, the paved mall is filled with stalls selling antiques, books, coins, vintage clothing, wire art, and sunglasses from Pedro’s Bitchin’ Eyewear. I’ve collected quite a few pairs of outrageous frames over the past couple of years, and Pedro himself, if he’s around, is a real doll.
Housed in the mall are art galleries like the Association for Visual Arts (which could certainly do with an update on its website as to current exhibitions), and World Art across the way, which always has striking pieces on display.
On the corner of Church and Long streets is Imagenius, a shop filled with fabulousness, and at the other end, on the corner of Burg Street, is one of the best boerie stands in the city. It may be the length of one short city block, but you can spend the better part of a morning or afternoon here.
Fun found.
Weekend Argus