Netherlandish |-ˌlandi sh | |ˈnɛðərˈløndɪʃ|

 

 I saw this on my way to watch the match yesterday. I have never come across a nation with such gees. I'll miss seeing them around town.

Reservoir days. And dogs.

 
I've been waiting for a quiet day to take pictures at the reservoir. Today is that perfect Cape Town day, with no ripples on the water. Even the smog looks picturesque. At this time of year there is always a pair of goose parents and their brood. Father Goose sits up high making a ruckus when you run past. 

I go at different times of the day and it's never crowded. I see girls with i-Pods, guys with long loping strides and last week I did a few laps with a charming bunch of Spaniards. There's a very old man who shuffles around a few times. He wears a blue track suit and knitted hat, very flash nikes and he always says "good morning, lovely day!", then he stands under the palms and does his calisthenics.
 

 The East-African guards told me today that taking pictures is "not official", so I had to shoot from the hip. Luckily I have lots of experience from all my years of taking photos of props in shops that don't allow it.

On my way back home, I pass a house that belongs to two of my favourite dogs. They are always guarding the stoep and when the vacuum cleaner is being used indoors, dog on the left does a perfect 'howling at the moon' stance and yodels. I kid you not. Today the gate was open and they came out to greet me with much shyness and tail-wagging.
 

NED VS URU

 My lovely friend is very upset that the newspaper headline wasn't "Die Kaap Is Weer Hollands". Because it was. I was so pleased to see them all again. They are filled with an outrageous bonhomie. Last night: the ubiquitous sea of orange and much laughter. The funniest little moment: a guy came out of a bar, intent not to spill his big glass of beer, but looked straight up into the eyes of a horse and got the fright of his life. (There happened to be two mounted police going by on the pavement.)

The best part: going to the lovely friend's house, fire going, ordering pizzas, watching the game with a bunch of madcaps and having a little boogie afterwards.
 

Germany and Argentina.

 Sublime weather and more people together than I've ever seen anywhere in Cape Town. Much louder, much more garbage, but still a great feeling in the air. Optimism, I think. I do feel the whole experience subsiding, though. People are trying to jam the last bit in, but the car flags are becoming tattered and fewer. I've seen a few being blown off cars on the highway, probably not to be replaced.
 

The fan walk revisited, Spain vs Portugal

 We started out later - it was already dusk. It was overcast and cold. The street lights weren't on. These fans were more hardcore, more drunk, more unruly. I saw a tall Spaniard, all in yellow and red, with a big black bull on the flag hanging from his back. I wanted to take his picture, but his face was such a thundercloud, I didn't dare ask.

There's a big Kentucky Fried Chicken in Green Point and it's really well-lit. It was filled with fans in colours. Last time it was so full of Dutch fans, the orange glow spilled onto the pavement.

I missed those jolly Hollanders last night.

Painting the town orange

 We did the fan walk last night, my lovely friend and I. If anyone hasn't done it yet - do! It was other-worldly. The Dutch fans were so jolly and I didn't pick up a single bad vibe anywhere. Besides the innovative outfits, there was so much to look at along the way. We saw larger than life marionettes (Handspring, was that you?), a band of drummers with black ostrich plumes on their hats, a chain of luminescent soccer balls with people inside them, a group of opera singers, people on stilts, children jumping rope in a fantastic way... all of this just down the road from you.

It was a little sad that there were so few Cameroonians. Very little green in a sea of orange.

The mosaics in the stadium tunnel are beautiful and the biodiversity garden next to it - breathtaking. Indigenous plants and trees, fountains, a lake! Where did that come from? The wide path takes you all the way to the lighthouse and the sea.

We ended our walk with a lager at Brewers@Union. Perfect.

He made me smile

I saw a wonderful thing as I was driving back from the market today. A smallish Harley slowly cruised by me as the light turned green. The guy on it was wearing brown leathers and riding shotgun was a very happy Alsatian hound. The dog was stretched out in front of him on the seat, tongue lolling. There was a yellow vuvusela strapped upright on the back, flying an orange Holland scarf. My friend, you are the coolest dude in town.

I came home to find a flock of guinea fowl on the lawn.
 

home is a place that comes up through your feet

 It took me almost twenty minutes to get to the Garden's Centre for shopping. (This is normally a five minute trip) The city has turned into a grid-locked beast. Cars are hooting and there's the ever-present lowing of vuvus like hungry cows coming home. Now and then someone drifts from the herd and walks the streets in my quiet neighborhood, blowing his horn.

At the supermarket they are handing out free Mexican snacks. People are wearing green, yellow or red wigs. Fan finery everywhere. Happiness.

I came home and caught the last bit of a peachy sunset on the berg. Cold and crisp.

Green Glass & Flags

 The boot sale has been miserable lately, but I did find another green wine goblet. In the past I have always been on the look-out for red glass, but lately the green has had more appeal. My mom bought the place mat in Swaziland when I was a baby. I'm lucky enough to have three. I rather like the Tretchikoff boobies in the background.  

 

 Patriotism is even extending to fruit juice these days.
 

 In my mind the colours of South African sport have always been green and yellow. It's an imprint from my childhood. I'm not a sport-nut nor have I ever thought of myself as patriotic - I'm one of those people who only gets the feeling when I'm far, f-a-r away from home. And then only after quite some time has passed.
BUT.
The World Cup has made people do strange things - I go down to the Gardens Centre for some shopping and all the cars have small flags fluttering from their windows. Their mirrors have funny little flag socks pulled over them. The other day I walked past a small navy blue Renault and in the back window, on the dash, was a South African flag, neatly laid out and folded in at the edges. I got a lump in my throat.
 

 

 Some people are obviously batting for more than one team.