Darling Day Tripping!

Sun, 31 May 2015
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Darling Day Tripping!
Guest blogger Liz Westby-Nunn enjoyed a day in Darling and tells us all about this weirdly wonderful West Coast town.
 
An easy hour from Cape Town you arrive at the small rural West Coast town of Darling, which Pieter Dirk Uys catapulted to fame by acquiring Darling’s very own railway Station and aptly naming it Evita se Perron!  Perron in Afrikaan means ‘station platform’ and Evita is of course also the name of South Arica’s most famous white woman - Tannie Evita Bezuidenhout!  And this is one of three reasons why we visited Darling on Saturday – where Pieter-Dirk Uys performs his internationlaly-acclaimed one-hour shows on stage with Evita, or with familiar political characters.  Our Canadian guest was charmed by the theatre’s intimate café-interior and of course by the man himself in ‘Pieter-Dirk Eish!’ along with his incredible cast of political characters – all of whom as Pieter so aptly says, “write the scripts for him”  No one is spared and no quarter given, the biting wit and cynicism prevail.  There are a choice of several different one-hour shows, so we will return next month to see one of his other productions. You can view the programme here.  
 

Our day began with an early lunch at the quirky Marmalade Cat in the Main Road, where Sandi Collins and her friendly team offer fresh and delicious home-made breakfasts, lunches, teas and an array of tempting bakes.  Browse the shelves and shop filled with fun gifts whilst you wait for lunch to be prepared, wander next door for crisp linen clothing or peruse a selection of antiques – all accessible from the restaurant.  We booked for lunch at 12, to be on time for the matinee – they ask you to be at the theatre by 1.30pm to ensure everyone is settled before the2pm start.  Marmalade Cat tel 022 492 2515. 

Our afternoon ended on a high note with a visit to one of South Arica’s foremost and talented artists, Nicolaas Maritz, to view his latest Exhibition in his Studio Gallery. Hidden in a slightly overgrown garden, from where you enter a world of vibrant, dynamic colour there are over 100 paintings, ranging from small to large and no wall space has been spared.  There are 81 new paintings on display covering three themes - Still Life, Landscape and Apparition - with whimsical names like ‘Tapping Bettle Hill’, ‘Dung Patties’ and ‘Midnight at Spookkrans’.  Of course hisfamous cats are there too - all well described in the catalogue.

The Exhibition runs until 15 February, 2015. Viewing by appointment – tel 022 492 3202, cell 078 419 7093, matizstudio@telkomsa.net

To celebrate the exceptional talent of Nicolaas Maritz, Penny Dobbie has published a book, richly illustrated in full colour ‘NICOLAAS MARITZ Paintings, Drawings & Prints’.  Copies are on sale for R250 at the Maritz Studio Gallery in Darling, or in Cape Town from Penny Dobbie, Tel (021) 424 8349, cell 083 940 5744, or denarius@mweb.co.za.

Stay on the West Coast

The West Coast stretches from Yzerfontein in the south to Strandfontein in the north and incorporates the Swartland. Formerly one of the hidden gems of South Africa, this hub of the Southern African commercial fishing industry is becoming an increasingly popular destination for visitors. For most of the year however, it maintains its wild, somewhat desolate atmosphere that sets it apart from the more lush regions of the Western Cape.

Chreck out our personally selected West Coast accommodation.

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