Brief notes & thoughts about matters artistical, gastronomical, philosophical, photographical, poetical, political, vaguely controversial and other stuff … just as life throws us the ball …
Our tenant, Retha, has moved up the road to premisses more suitable for her and her daughter Rood’s needs and now we are back in our old house in Dorp Street. Retha left the place in an immaculate state but the garden is heavily overgrown and needs careful pruning to let in shafts of light which will be done next week. Being nearer to town, we are looking forward to family and friends visiting us more often. We have not taken leave of Betty’s Bay, quite the contrary. It will for ever remain our place of refuge and an object of our care and devotion. Now that Dirki and Katie have arrived for their well-deserved break from yachting, it is, however, right to give them space to enjoy their and our little paradise.
With love from
Colleen & Walter
Stellenbosch, Monday, December 2, 2013
Restaurant "Casparus" ▴ 59 Dorp Street ▴ Stellenbosch
Not that Stellenbosch would not have enough Restaurants, there are actually too many bad ones.* With this new one in Dorp Street new hopes are raised to have one more good food place added to the mere fistful of places worth visiting. Casparus Restaurant is the brain child of two artists, Etienne Bonthuys and Strijdom van der Merwe – Etienne a legend in his own time and for good reasons and Strijdom an internationally known quantity on the land art scene. Both together would make for interesting entertainment in an environment designed and executed by them hand in hand with Slee Architecture and Interiors of 101 Dorp Street. Etienne says: “This is actually a show room for Strijdom that happens to have a kitchen at the back.” How is that for modesty.
The open/hidden kitchen screened by giant sliding canvasses The master himself - Etienne Bonthuys
The menu elegantly brief and humanely priced.
The foyer with a 19th c. photograph of Dorp Street - the oldest residential street in South Africa. As insert: one of Strijdom van der Merwe's installations: Dorp Street oak trees wrapped in red cloth.
The name "Casparus" is taken from the first owner of the portion of land where the restaurant is located.
* You were asking for a definition of a bad and a good restaurant? A bad restaurant: indifferent food – indifferent service – high prices, whereas a good restaurant is run by people who honour food and respect their customers – simple, isn’t it? Add to that a stimulating and liberating architectural environment and you have the basic ingredients for truly good dining.
We will definitely try it.
Colleen & Walter
Betty’s Bay, Wednesday 23 March, 2011
Blogs from Betty's Bay 