Thursday 27 August 2020, Day 9 of Level 2, 154 days and 5 months of Lockdown 😷

Corona Gratitude 🙏

#Grateful for all your lovely messages and encouragement after my downer last night, amazing how an early night can make one feel better the next day ❤️; for a busy day, making a Cabin Fever Plan about visiting five of the Women Restaurateurs this afternoon, to bring them their gift of ADHARA extra virgin olive oil, being inspired by each of these hardworking and dedicated women, and having lovely chats with each 💙; for Venishree Mayer winning two Silver and one Gold SA Olive 2020 awards for their ADHARA olive oils this evening 👏👏👏👏 ; for a spectacular weather change from a warm morning until lunchtime, I leaving home in shorts, to chilly by the time I got back home just over three hours later, and the rain falling now☔️; for being so spoilt on my restaurant delivery trip; for dancing to Kfm to make up my step goal; for the feedback about the Homeless cleaning beggar Michael being made unwelcome by Camps Bay Law Enforcement for harassing the local residents for donations; and for being happy and healthy again. 🙏💙

My Blogpost today was about my first Sit-Down meal at Pilcrow & Cleaver on Church Square, having only ordered Food Collection from them since the beginning of Lockdown, when we celebrated the birthday of Katie Friedman there on Sunday evening.

Restaurant Review: Pilcrow & Cleaver a hidden City gem, with hands-on Chef & Owner Judi Fourie!

Five of our Cape Women Restaurant owners are based in the city, so I contacted them all to check their availability this afternoon. Some had time specifications, and it all worked out perfectly, being generous with their time, in showing me around, taking a pic, and telling me about how business is going:

# Sharon Segall of RCaffe on Long Street, who offered me a cup of Dilmah tea and her famous delicious carrot cake

#. Juliet Manderson of Woodstock Lounge, who gave me a suggestion for a fun evening out together

#. Justine Bee of Café Charles, receiving her second bottle of ADHARA, showing me her rooftop seating area and herb and vegetable garden, and gifting me one of their homemade herb sauces

#. Ilzé Koekemoer of Tjing Tjing, very busy compiling Food Delivery boxes, the food of Japanese restaurant Executive Chef Christina Szymanski paired with Chris and Andrea Mullineux wines, which she was going out to deliver too. As I left she pressed a wine box into my hands, with two Tjing Tjing house wines made by David & Nadia in the Swartland, both with exquisite labels, and a food treat from their menu.

#. Agnes Renault of Manna Epicure, a restaurant on Kloof Street which I have not been to in years, a happy reunion. I had my second pot of Dilmah tea with Agnes. She showed me the cookbook with Manna Epicure ‘French – South Africa Cuisine’ recipes, which she wrote in honour of her late ex-husband Johannes, and then generously gifted me a copy of it.

In between my five stops I had half an hour free, so I had tea at Origin on Hudson Street, graciously serving it to me and others arriving as a Sit-Down, even though it was five minutes to closing time at 16h00! So strange that restaurants aren’t grateful for business.

I’m not sure what has happened to Cape Town drivers…. just pushing in from side streets, and more and more not having number plates, especially the luxury ones, and usually black in colour. 😱🥵

Truly a day of spoiling, feeling like Christmas 🙏🙏🙏💙💙💙

And I’ve just read this beautiful message from Uma Govender, who owns Masala Café and is a member of my Lockdown Food Delivery & Collection Facebook Group: ‘I hope you realise how grateful I am of the initiative you took for creating the facebook page in May, to help the many that have been greatly impacted by this dreadful virus. I would never have met you and i also would never have had the opportunity to meet some wonderful and compassionate people during this time for which I’m eternally grateful. Continue to be the selfless, inspiring person that you are, Chris and thank you. God bless🙏🥰’ #Thankyou Uma 🙏🙏🙏

SA Corona Status: 618286 cases 13628 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, and lowered to Level 2 from 18 August, 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.

About Chris von Ulmenstein

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