Company Gardens Pulls Up Its Socks

Summer took its time to arrive in Cape Town this year, but lately we’ve been having the most glorious weather. Most of my friends headed off to the beach for some fun in the sun. They had a fabulous time, but I have to be honest, I’m not a big fan of sand – it just gets everywhere and sticks on my skin by holding onto dear life to my sunblock! So, when a gorgeous summer’s day presented itself last weekend, it wasn’t the beach that I hopped off to, but rather the heart of the city!

After spending hours in two of my favourite spots in the city, the Iziko South African Museum and the National Gallery [will blog about those later], my friends and I took time out over lunch to relax in the Company Gardens. By the time we’d devoured a hearty burger and chip special at the Company Gardens Restaurant, nestled beneath towering trees, we were ready to stroll through the Gardens, feel the grass between our toes, and do what we love best – people watching!

The Gardens, a haven situated at the top of Adderley Street, has been a sanctuary for the city’s overheated and overworked people for over 200 years!  For children who played with rag dolls in bygone days or children who play on Playstation these days, the opportunity to feed squirrels and birds, throw a coin into the fish pond and make a wish, or just run and play on the grass, remains the perfect ingredients for a pleasurable day. I do wonder though, if children in yesteryears would have been allowed to run through the sprinklers in an attempt to cool down in our Summer heat like the little ones that I saw having a ball getting wet that day.

I have yet to spend time in the gardens over a weekend without spotting a wedding retinue. It is common to spot brides, grooms, retinue and guests using the Gardens as a perfect backdrop for their wedding photographs. It was no different last weekend. In the time that we lounged about on the grass, we were able to watch the photo-shoots of three weddings.  They were all very different, except for a new trend that we spotted of the flower girls holding tin buckets instead of the usual traditional baskets.  One of the wedding retinue’s flower girls took advantage of the Gardens, removed their shoes, and decided to sprawl themselves on the grass in their beautiful white gowns to bask in the sun while the bride and groom busied themselves with posing in all the well-worn spots.

I spotted a miniature groom frenziedly running about and squealing with delight, until he was reprimanded by a four year old boy (who was walking by with his family) for being cruel to animals. I only realized then that the little groom was chasing a squirrel in an attempt to catch it by its tail. I was moved by the consciousness of the four year old being raised to care for animals, and even more pleased to report that the squirrel in question actually seemed to be happily taunting the young groom instead!

What I enjoyed most of all though, was “spotting the tourists”. There are so many tell-tale signs, but none more obvious than the fanny pack, the big group with cameras, and my favourite - the “high sock” (often worn with sandals). My friends and I counted a few cases that could be used as evidence as we giggled politely to ourselves.

When you get down to it, there’s a little bit of fun for everyone in the Gardens. You should visit, take your shoes off (and your socks!), and chill out like real Capetonians on a sunny day!