The Chance Muse: Amazing Muizies

The Chance Muse has always had a love/hate affair with Muizenberg. Well, mainly a hate one....

We have been coming here since we were children

Endless teenage holidays here waiting for something - anything! - to happen, the wind, the boredom, the adolescent ennui.... Oh, and did I mention the wind?

Then being here with our own children - although I admit this looks like perfection -
that one windless day you get every year, my darling Dad, Mr P with more hair and little Ms P still planning her future

It was my Dad's favourite place - he loved swimming here, was born here and is buried in the little Jewish cemetery nearby - Here he is on the catwalk to St James a very special walk he and my Mom did many times

People came for the sea, always the sea, the glorious Indian Ocean

The mountain and the fabled powder sand - the windy picnics, the crying kids, the sand in the sandwiches....

And the retro beach boxes scene of many a midnight tryst and many a hurried change by generations of families who have been coming here since the golden age of the turn of the last century - but it all went sour, the hotels closed down, the Pavillion was demolished, and Muizies became down and out, deserted, a Nigerian drug den, a junkie hang-out, a kind of poor relative of burgeoning Kalk Bay and classy St James

No longer! It's cool again

Here is the very classy Knead bakery which is really great for breaky and real fresh orange juice

And here the reason for Muizies recovery - it's a surfer's paradise. I am reliably informed that "Muizenberg has the longest break in the Cape Peninsula. The wave is rideble (sic) for approximately 1,5 km. The most ridden place is in the corner of the bay, and is aptly named the Corner. As a result of the emense (more sic) expance (oops) of surfable coast, the large amount of people that always surf here will not be a problem if you are prepared to surf a slightly lesser wave further down the beach." Ok, so surfers can't spell but they know a good wave when they see one?

Here's our amazing niece Tasha a few years back with her surfboard - she has since gone on to be Western Province under 15 surf champ and she can spell!

And here's the view from my Mum's window - best view in Muizies - coz you can't see her building the curiously named Cinnabar

Surfers as far as the eye can see

Here I am with my curmudgeonly uncle G in uncommonly smiling mode

And more recently on an early morning walk with Mr P

Right, now for the shopping!
If you feel like it there's "i felt like it" a design studio that specialises in handcrafted felted natural wool products, as the blog says "exploring the versatility and beauty of wool, creating objects of comfort, warmth and innovative design."" The range includes lampshades, chandeliers, scarves, wraps, throws and quilts

And the adorable Anke's Antiques in madly scruffy York Road

With lovely lloyd loom chairs

Right on the pavement for prime position - as one of my fave bloggista's - Beatnik who has gone on to do Beatnikbazaar - says: "well, i had the best day in ages on saturday.... i thought i'd research muizenberg as the chosen subject for my freelance journalism job. i stumbled upon the most epic street, reminiscent of the cobbled lanes i used to find by mistake when i lived in london, whilst running away from my landlord. it was in york street, muizenberg, where i discovered a curious lane, groaning with beatnik scatterings and mad hatters tea parties. with a gourmet cafe, used book store and fabric den bulging with luxurious and unique fabric sourced by the owner personally overseas, i was buzz buzz buzzing like a bumble bee! i fondled the yellowed pages of henry miller and anais nin, stroked the fabric, ate and drank with glee, browsed antique vessels and fawned over bone handled cutlery. there was an open shop there and i want it more than toasted hot cross buns with irish butter. encased within restored majestic buildings, shop fronts beckoning you with their over sized windows, black and white marble entrances and art deco facades, the experience was thick with the atmosphere of a warm parisian afternoon."
Voila! I couldn't have said it better! C'est la nouvelle Muizenberg!

Also in York Road, there's a crazy dress shop called the Mystic Rose

With fabulous one-off designer gowns that could grace any red carpet


And the Empire Cafe for tea and a toasted sandwich

And a place to sit and natter or in the local vernacular - indulge in a bit of 'skinner'

There's Carla's for the original LM peri-peri prawns - when she's open

And for a while the most amazing sneakers and trainers and converses which I think has up and gone?

The Astoria Theatre - not really a theatre but a cool shoe shop run by some cool brothers

For skinny-legged skate boarders and uber-hip hipsters

And second hand record shops

For all those not quite forgotten tunes that still rock around in the sub conscious somewhere

And surf shops for all those surfers

The Corner Surf Shop being the first of its kind and still carrying on a trade as roaring as a good old Muizies' South Easter

And lovely old-fashioned billboards for the world's favourate beverage -
if you can ignore the 'bergies' lying inebriated beneath them on stronger stuff

Yes, it's edgy here and and here's Ridgy's Jive Cafe

And a little down the road, Palmer Road is alive and dancing

Get on the Facebook page for the Melting Pot which brings music to the people with regular open mics and jam sessions in jazz and afro-fusion

And here's master baker Hasan who produces the most delectable artisanal bread and pastries from his tiny bakery, La Petite Boulangerie - possibly the smallest bakery in the world which makes some of the best bread in the Cape

And Closer - a vegan cafe with cool décor and entirely vegan menu -
that's soya milk, honey not sugar, yummy veggie burgers etc and should you feel carniverous - next door the Village Pizzeria with the wonderfully named burger the "Muizenburger"!

And Skermunlkil - a fab jewellery store and studio run by folk who make folk-inspired, fairy-tale cut-outs on spoons and silver discs. In her own words: "hallo hallo, my name is marietjie and i live and work in muizenberg, cape town, south africa. i design and make jewellery and dream of other things to make like porcelain mugs and jugs and dresses out of soft floral fabric. i would like to share the things i do and dream about and all the rad things i see..."
You can find their shop at 44 Palmer road, Muizenberg

And then there's Bellamy & Bellamy on the corner of Main Road and Albertyn Road.
A fantastic shop run by designer David Bellamy that houses a wonderful range of fabrics and cushions in a kaleidoscope of colours and offers exhibition space to selected artists