The Main Road was a different climate altogether, as is Cape Town's wont, and calm, dry conditions prevailed as I strode briskly along to my destination - Lekker, an eatery opposite the station car park where I have enjoyed good coffee on a number of occasions. With the summer southeaster firmly off the weather map, the front windows were wide open - in fact there are none, as has become customary in Kalk Bay restaurants, where the sounds of traffic and chattering passers by simply add to the ambience - and a glorious vista lay before me.
Shades of grey were the order of the day. Grey paint, grey tarmac, grey sea, grey mountains, grey clouds. Soft and soothing, as was the music playing perfectly in the background - Italian Café (Putumaya), lulling me into a Friday torpor.
The Eggs Benedict were beyond expectation - golden yellow yolks burst and flowed enticingly through a generous coating of light, fluffy Hollandaise (possibly the most culinarily correct I have ever had) and, were it not for the presence of others, I would have licked the plate. The cappuccino was strong and satisfying, in a large cup that obviated the need for a top up, and the bill for all this refreshment was quite a bit less than R100. Refreshing indeed!
Kalk Bay in winter is a delight. Plenty of parking, easy seating in places you can't get into in summer, and the harbour with its colourful boats and locals just a step away across the railway line.
