Go to the Snail thou Sluggard
by Gus Ferguson

The snail, most people think a pest,
It spins no web nor weaves a nest.
Its morals make the prudes uptight:
Low, languid lust! Hermaphrodite!
It bares no fang nor tooth nor tusk,
Lacks backbone! Cowardly mollusc!

And yet, I rather love the snail:
Who thrush and humans seldom fail
To crush to eat or disembowel
With vicious beak or garden trowel.

It totes around with stoic grace
A sylvan, spiral, carapace.
With leaden ballast, sailing slow,
Go carefully my escargot.

Unlike most other universities, Stellenbosch University is not centralised in one single building or complex, but is instead spread out throughout the town.

I spent the day at a course at the university today, in the building next to this one (they look identical, this one was just easier to get a photo of). This is part of the Centre for Language Studies, and is set in a beautiful tree-lined street with very limited parking. Oh hang on, that could describe virtually any street in Stellenbosch...

Actually, I love visiting Stellenbosch, limited parking or not - the presence of all those students gives it such a carefree atmosphere, full of promise.

Those of you who've visited Clifton's part of the coastline will know that it's located along the slopes of Table Mountain. These steep slopes and the allure of the white beaches offer beach-goers an excellent opportunity to work off unwanted weight.

These steps are the lazy man's descent to Clifton's beaches. The other paths down are much longer and steeper than this one. I'm (I mean, we're) always out of breath after climbing back to the road above.

Mostert's Mill is just over 200 years old, and the second-oldest mill in Cape Town. It was named after someone called Sybrand Jacobus Mostert who apparently bought the mill and surrounding property in 1823.

Mostert's Mill has been restored twice: first in 1935 by the Department of Public Works, and then again in 1995 by the Friends of Mostert's Mill. I was sad to read a sign on the gate indicating that the mill is now closed to the public except by special request to the Department of Public Works. I think my mother still has a photo of my brother and I playing outside the mill some 25 years ago.

Last night's quarter-final rugby game was filled with moments of extreme, nerve-wracking tension for Springbok fans, and this was one of them (evidenced by the four people with hands clutched dramatically to their temples).

We watched the game at the Springbok Pub in Newlands, which is hosting Cape Town's official Absa Boktown. The atmosphere was brilliant, with all kinds of prizes (for singing the national anthem with gusto, for dancing on the tables, even for the group buying the most beer); and appropriately celebratory music was played at the end of the game. We'll be there for the semi-final and the final too, so if you're in Cape Town and are looking for a good place to watch the games, join us. (Be sure to call the pub and book a table though - the venue can hold a fair number of people, but I have a feeling it's going to fill up fast.)

It's been raining on and off today. I took a drive past Sea Point, Clifton and Camps Bay, stopping off at Clifton 4th beach to take a few photos. I've never seen Clifton 4th empty - with nobody bathing in the sun. The only form of life on the beach was this lonely seagull - I almost felt sad for it, but then realised I was also alone. :(

I spent part of the morning scouting the area for a few photographs. Today has been on the cool side with patches of rain catching me mid-photo every now and again. Looking carefully, you'll spot at least three raindrops waving at you from the front of my lens.

Kerry-Anne mentioned Kenilworth Racecourse in yesterday's post, so I thought I might as well stick with the theme. This road leads to Durbanville Racecourse, which is about 40 minutes from Kenilworth. Whenever I drive this route I imagine that this is how the English countryside must look, all green with beautiful trees - and today, grey skies with rain ;).

I'm not too sure, but since this shot was taken at 7am on a Friday morning, I guess it's not surprising that they weren't on the racetrack.

This is Kenilworth Racecourse, the oldest racecourse in the country and home to the annual J&B Met - a high-fashion affair, with plenty of large hats, designer suits, and very, very short skirts. Oh, apparently there's a little bit of horse-racing too, but you'd never guess so based on the TV coverage of the event.

The J&B Met has been on my to-do list for a really long time, and maybe with a bit of planning we'll actually make it there in 2008 (I don't mind wearing a hat, but my skirt will be of a modest length).

I'm not much of a Harley-Davidson fan... well alright, at the risk of offending a few friends, I'm not a Harley-Davidson fan AT ALL. These machines just look all wrong to me, and the picture is made even stranger by the addition of one of those tiny World War 2-style helmets that seem so very popular amongst Harley riders.

But Harleys are really popular in Cape Town, and you'll often encounter a flock of them going for a breakfast run on a Sunday morning along any of our winding coastal roads. I always suppress my giggles though, because the riders are generally substantially larger than me and I don't fancy my Sunday morning turning into one of those nasty scenes from a Mad Max movie.

Apologies to any Harley riders reading this post; I'm quite sure you wouldn't like my car either. And I know that you're really all big sweethearts and would never hurt a girl.

You'll find this ferris wheel at High Street Shopping Village in Bellville. We stop here every now and again for lunch from our favourite baguette bar, Chez Pierrot. The owner, originally from France, makes the best baguettes ever, with home-made mayonnaise and all. Our favourite is a toasted round white baguette with bacon, cheese, avocado, and sometimes a dash of chilli - absolutely awesome.

I can't imagine riding on top of such a precariously-stacked load can be much of a party, but for these guys it's just part of the job.

I'm not sure that it's legal to ride on the back of a truck like this, and it certainly isn't safe, but unfortunately it's common practice in South Africa to transport workers in this way.

It's Theme Day again (can you believe that? October already!), and this month's chosen subject is Cemeteries and Tombstones. This shot was taken at the Durbanville Cemetery - see our previous posts about the cemetery here and here.

There are 103 blogs participating in this theme day. Use the links below to see how the dead are remembered around the world:

St. Louis (MO), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - New York City (NY), USA - Boston (MA), USA - Mainz, Germany - Hyde, UK - Arlington (VA), USA - Cape Town, South Africa - Saint Paul (MN), USA - Toulouse, France - Arradon, France - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - Montego Bay, Jamaica - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Joplin (MO), USA - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Mexico (DF), Mexico - Seattle (WA), USA - Baziège, France - Baltimore (MD), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Sequim (WA), USA - Stayton (OR), USA - Stockholm, Sweden - Austin (TX), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Anderson (SC), USA - Orlando (FL), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Nashville (TN), USA - Tenerife, Spain - Manila, Philippines - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Jacksonville (FL), USA - River Falls (WI), USA - Chateaubriant, France - Quincy (MA), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Crystal Lake (IL), USA - Inverness (IL), usa - Lubbock (TX), USA - Phoenix (AZ), USA - Moscow, Russia - Norwich (Norfolk), UK - Crepy-en-Valois, France - Minneapolis (MN), USA - New Orleans (LA), USA - Montréal (QC), Canada - West Sacramento (CA), USA - Toru?, Poland - Philadelphia (PA), USA - Christchurch, New Zealand - London, England - Paderborn, Germany - The Hague, Netherlands - Selma (AL), USA - Sunderland, UK - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Stavanger, Norway - Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA - Weston (FL), USA - Portland (OR), USA - Forks (WA), USA - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Boston (MA), USA - Sydney, Australia - Wellington, New Zealand - Montpellier, France - Jackson (MS), USA - Wailea (HI), USA - Petaling Jaya (Selangor), Malaysia - Evry, France - Saarbrücken, Germany - New York City (NY), USA - Santa Fe (NM), USA - North Bay (ON), Canada - Melbourne, Australia - Port Vila, Vanuatu - Cypress (TX), USA - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Paris, France - San Diego (CA), USA - Wichita (Ks), USA - Haninge, Sweden - Prague, Czech Republic - Zurich, Switzerland - Budapest, Hungary - Paris, France - Saigon, Vietnam - Grenoble, France - Zurich, Switzerland - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Naples (FL), USA - Toronto (ON), Canada - Sequim (WA), USA - Chicago (IL), USA

It was a glorious day today, so we decided to head off to the Cape Outdoor Adventure Expo for the afternoon. We saw all kinds of things, from luxury tents and quad-bikes to paintball guns and climbing walls; we tasted delicious wines and liqueurs (and bought a bottle to bring home, of course); and allowed ourselves to be persuaded that we need a holiday - to Mossel Bay, the Wild Coast, Namaqualand, Mozambique AND the Seychelles, if all those exhibitors are to be believed...

The evenings are getting warmer, the days are getting longer, the sky is getting prettier, and moods are improving all round. We really are a nation of sun-lovers, and I think we've all had quite enough of winter, thank you.

Isn't the colour of the sky in this shot absolutely beautiful?

On Wednesday I took my mother off to the annual O Magazine Tea Party, which was held at the Vineyard Hotel and Spa in Newlands this year. It was a very genteel affair, complete with cucumber sandwiches (and plenty of other absolutely decadent tea-time treats), pretty outfits, hats (obligatory, and such fun), and lavish pink table-settings. We were treated to a performance by the lovely Lira (pictured at the top right), who got everyone to their feet and even made a few of us become part of the show ourselves... It was a great opportunity for women of all ages and races to bond over a cup of tea and to celebrate our common strength. I can't wait for next year.

I've mentioned previously that, for the most part, South African men (and some ladies) expect to drink at least one beer at a sporting event. I ran out of time to find a new picture for the day so I've posted this shot taken at one of the recent T20 Cricket matches.

As you can see, besides for the safety aspect, it's become quite tradition to have drinks from plastic glasses - it would just not be the same to drink from a bottle at these events. I'm not sure if this is the case world-wide, so leave a comment below and let us know what people drink from at sporting events in your country.

These guys have been playing music at the V&A Waterfront for years. While wandering around between shops I spotted them having a smoke break. I've never been able to understand the phenomenon of a smoke break. Colleagues at work always seem excited to share their smoke breaks... it seems to be a really social event.

To get back to the musicians - in and out of their smoke breaks they add a lot of atmosphere to the Waterfront. Their music has a very holiday-like feel to it and I doubt the walkways would feel quite as festive without them.

Everyone knows that when a lady demands cake the only place to visit is Limnos Bakers. This branch can be found in Greenpoint's Somerset Road, at the foot of Signal Hill.

It's just wrong that cake can be so good. Kerry-Anne and I usually mutually decide on two different pieces of cake and then share them. The portions are simply too big to eat an entire slice of caramel cheesecake without feeling somewhat ill.

I'm sure that there's much debate around which country has the prettiest girls. I guess the perception of beauty is to a large degree cultural - still, with this in mind, I believe South Africa has somewhat a monopoly in this department. I only have to cast my eyes across our dining room table to have this again confirmed.

Disclaimer: This photo was taken at the V&A Waterfront and since we have many tourists visiting all the time, I guess I can't assume that the girls in the photo are South African.

We took a leisurely Sunday afternoon drive out to the back of Durbanville today (about 30 minutes from Cape Town city centre). We stopped to take a few shots here, near the turn-off to Clara Anna Fontein, a private game reserve. Although we don't live too far from this area, we'd never actually stopped here before. This spot is about five minutes from the town of Durbanville, but feels like it's miles out in the country - quiet and serene, with wide-open spaces.

Alright then, this will probably be our last cricket-related shot for a while. Today was semi-final day in the T20 World Cup, and it was New Zealand in action against Pakistan at Newlands. (South Africa sadly didn't make it to the semi-finals, after being beaten by India on Thursday evening. I'm still a little sore about that, so the less said the better...)

Paul managed to capture this unusual painting-like cloud formation while the rest of us had our eyes on the game this afternoon. (For those of you not familiar with cricket, the subject line of this post is a reference to Elton John's song "Daniel" - the New Zealand captain's name is Daniel Vettori, and he happens to be my favourite overseas cricketer to watch.)

Pakistan won today's game, and will be meeting India in the final on Monday - it promises to be an absolutely fantastic game, full of big hits and sneaky wickets.

Looking at these trees you wouldn't say it's spring, would you? Well, it officially is, and the weather over the last few days seems to be confirming that - warm, with mostly blue skies, and most telling of all, wind. Spring is our windiest season here in Cape Town, although on most days the wind only comes up in the afternoon and subsides by about 5pm.

I'm not too keen on wind myself, but I can live with it because it means... yes... you guessed it... summer is around the corner!

This shot was taken at the V&A Waterfront, above the amphitheatre. Free concerts are often held here, drawing plenty of tourists and locals alike.

Another shot from the T20 World Cup... Two matches were played at Newlands Cricket Ground today - Australia beat Sri Lanka in the first, and Pakistan beat Bangladesh in the second.

This shot was taken during the second game. There was a great atmosphere in the stadium by that time, with supporters of both countries taking turns to run in front of the crowd urging us to shout for their respective teams. These students seemed to be having a really good time in the sun and were only too happy to pose for photos. Looks like fun, doesn't it?

Summer is on its way... :)

If you like Coca-Cola and plan on visiting Cape Town, then allow me to set your mind at ease - yes, we absolutely do drink Coca-Cola in South Africa ;). In fact, for many it's the default soft drink - they've managed to make Coke curiously addictive haven't they?

The favourite drink of many South Africans (particularly while braaiing [barbecueing] and watching rugby) is fondly known as "Klippies 'n Coke". It's a mixture of Coca-Cola and Klipdrift brandy - and usually as the evening wears on you'll find that the mixture leans more and more heavily towards the Klippies...

As with yesterday's post, this photo was taken in Cape Town's buzzing Long Street.

If you're keen on doing something in Cape Town central at night, then Long Street is one of the places that you may want to visit. Lining the bright, buzzing street are several clubs, bars and restaurants. Even though I wouldn't recommend that members of our fairer sex wander Long Street alone after dark, it remains pretty safe for a couple looking for a good night out.

Following on from yesterday's cricket theme, it truly has been a time for fun under the African sun. Cricket matches are synonymous with laughter, shouting, singing, and of course beer... after all, what would cricket be without beer?

Interestingly enough, even though beer flows freely at cricket matches, nobody seems to get too out of hand. Our police force remain absolutely vigilant and maintain a good amount of visibility. Spectators tend to respect each other and even though their team may lose, nobody shows anger at this. One would be more likely to see lower lips dragging along the floor as sad fans make their way home.

There's been great excitement over the start of the 20/20 Cricket World Cup. Twenty overs a side makes for a really quick-paced game - fun to watch for cricket-lovers and non-cricket-lovers all round.

We spent the day first watching Bangladesh and Australia slogging it out (with the men in yellow winning comfortably), and then seeing South Africa getting off to a slow start, but ultimately beating England.

It hasn't been a great weekend for English sport, but on the other hand it's been an absolutely wonderful weekend for us Springbok and Protea supporters.

Congratulations Albie on winning Man of the Match!

Kerry-Anne and I took our Polish visitor on a quick tour around the city as the sun's final rays were disappearing. One of her questions to us was regarding the large number of lights and whether or not we have electricity supply problems. Perhaps it's just perception on her part and perhaps she's just not used to seeing Warsaw from a vantage point like Signal Hill - though I must admit that we do have our fair share of bulbs glowing through the night... it makes us feel all safe when driving from party to party ;).

As you may already know, the Rugby World Cup is currently being held in France. Kerry-Anne and I (along with a couple of friends) took a Polish visitor to Long Street Cafe in the city centre to watch her first-ever rugby match. This photo was taken at half-time as Springbok supporters were excitedly chatting about the comfortable lead that the Springboks had managed to establish, while the handful of England supporters ordered another round of drinks from the bar.

In the end England (the reigning champions) were subdued with a final score of 36-0. Go Springboks, you guys rock!

In case you missed yesterday's post - we asked readers to guess what the object in the photograph from 12 September was. Here it is, a water wheel. This wheel is located at the Old Biscuit Mill (the old Pyotts biscuit factory).

The factory was recently converted into an array of shops where artists, photographers, crafters and other creative people could display their work. In addition to the various shops, the Neighbourgoods Market is open on Saturdays between 9.00am and 2.30pm, where farm-fresh and organic vegetables are sold to health- and eco-friendly Capetonians.