Sunday 11 October 2020, Day 21 of Level 1, Day 199 of Lockdown 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for a beautiful 22C day, just perfect; for a relaxed peaceful day; for the spontaneous decision to head out to Hout Bay, and to Delish specifically, seeing their Sunday Special of Duck, my absolute favorite, and lucky to get a table at such short notice; for meeting Michelle Verhave Müller, owning the restaurant with her daughter Chef Amber, connecting with Michelle immediately, intrigued by her maiden name and the link, if any, to the late father of my Alex; for a walk through Hout Bay, not having done so in more than a year; for visiting the newish Deus ex Machina in the Kronendal building and former home of Kitima, what a culture clash 😱; for a walk up to the Camps Bay Tidal Pool, with a lot of litter to pick up there; and for being happy and healthy. 🙏💙

I am so impressed with Chef Amber of Delish, the official owner of the restaurant, heading up admin and the kitchen, and mom Michelle handling front of house, an absolute natural, making me feel so welcome. We had not met, she not being at the restaurant when Gary Peterson and I popped in about a month ago. She looked after the full restaurant, yet found time to come and chat, the two of us finding so many different connections to each other. Amber popped out of the kitchen when she had some gaps too. They are proud to have kept all 10 staff and for having been able to pay them in the past six months. Michelle kindly comped the lunch, being a member of my Lockdown Facebook Group.

Close by a new Hout Bay Market has opened. A Munchkins Truck stood outside it, serving only Vegan foods. The stalls inside included plants (including the smoking kind), second hand clothing, and some pottery. It looked like a real lentil head scarf type of place, some of the people there doing the hoola hoop. 😱

I found a lovely jewelry shop called Spirit, a lovely name, with many pearls and other jewelry. I succumbed to a fine little silver bracelet. I walked through the Woolworths, a large well-stocked one, not really needing anything, but bought a few things. I bumped into David and Renaye Kramer shopping there. I felt very sad for him when he spoke about the effect of the Lockdown on his music making. Many shops in the Mainstream Centre have closed down. 😱😷

What a shock to hear that Chef Giorgio Nava has closed down 95 Keerom and Keerom at Morgenster.

My last destination was Deus ex Machina, the first Africa branch of an international group – what a weird place it has become, from the former impeccable Kitima. I wondered what the building ghost Elsa would be thinking about the mix of surfboards and motorcycles inside 😱. I found the Deus Café, unfortunately closed at 16h00, but I managed to take a chocolate eclair and a cup cake home with me. One couldn’t order anything except beverages in the bar. A DJ was pumping the music, possibly heard all the way at La Parada…. 😱. Kyle said hello, having worked at the former Exhibit A, recognizing me from there. A Barman I met at Ideas Cartel a month ago recognized me too.

On my short walk this afternoon two guys asked me why I am not at La Parada. I had contemplated going there as I was so close by, but will only return when the music returns to what we are used to from over a year ago. 😢😢😢

A lovely day ❤️

SA Corona Status 692471 cases 17780 deaths 😷😢

FitBit 10000 steps 7 km 👣

Lovemylife❤️

 

The Corona Virus Lockdown (Level 5), announced by our President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier to commence on 27 March and to continue until 16 April, subsequently extended to 30 April, lowered to Level 4 from 1 May, lowered to Level 3 from 1 June, lowered to Level 2 from 18 August, and lowered to Level 1 from 21 September, is an unprecedented event in my lifetime. I am posting my daily Facebook post to journal this Corona Lockdown Journey, perhaps to serve as material for a future Book.

Chris von Ulmenstein, WhaleTales Blog: www.chrisvonulmenstein.com/blog Tel +27 082 55 11 323 Twitter:@Ulmenstein Facebook: Chris von Ulmenstein, My Cape Town Guide/Mein Kapstadt Guide Instagram: @Chrissy_Ulmenstein @MyCapeTownGuide

About Chris von Ulmenstein

Note: My Blog is being showered with ads by Google, as are most other web-related articles. Please be assured that I have no control over this at all, and that I receive no revenue for this unauthorised use of my Blog as its advertising platform.