From Cathy Gatland in Cape Town, South Africa
My husband and I spent the ten days before Christmas on a busy holiday in the Cape. Originally from Cape Town, we always have lots of people to see and things to do and I had to grab the few moments I could to sketch here and there. In a shopping centre while waiting at a café I felt sorry for Father Christmas across from me in his red suit and fur on a hot, hot day – he stayed cheerful though as he chatted for ages to an old friend. A proud dad with his blonde, barefoot daughters waited for the photographer to arrive – and as I sketched a tiny boy chatting to Santa, their hands shot up in a high five which I had to catch in spite of a funny-looking arm!
Another chance to sketch when my husband needed to find a TV to watch the Sevens Rugby Final – at Forries pub, an old student haunt of ours still going strong in Newlands. It was rather quiet until a group of five couples arrived. The women ordered wine, getting more and more raucous as the level of the bottle dropped, while their men sat doggedly ignoring them with eyes fixed on the screen above.
And a peaceful moment at beautiful Kirstenbosch Gardens where we followed the shade on another sweltering day and I drew the tame guinea fowl who ignored us as we sat on the bench next to them. More to come from this Cape break in another post or two…
