WULF UTIAN’S LETTER FROM CAPE TOWN – APRIL – MAY 2023 – A SAD END TO THE SEASON
WULF UTIAN’S LETTER FROM CAPE TOWN APRIL – MAY 2023 A SAD END TO THE SEASON For us, March ended on a tragic note. Moira’s brother, Ben Mervis, passed away suddenly with his funeral on what would have been his 79th birthday, March 31st. Moira and Ben spoke every day, and of course she is […]
WULF UTIAN’S LETTER FROM CAPE TOWN MARCH 2023
BEHIND THE PEARL ROCK About 40 minutes out of Cape Town, the south-to-north N1 freeway to Johannesburg vertically transects the Western Cape wine country. The valleys and mountains to the right (east) include the picturesque towns of Stellenbosch and Franschoek and attract the bulk of tourists. On the left side (west of the N1) an […]
WULF UTIAN’S LETTER FROM CAPE TOWN FEBRUARY 2023
THE OTHER CAPE TOWN “A number of leading figures in the Cape Province – both black and white -advocated a federal union to ensure preservation of the Cape franchise. But the Convention (1910) chose a unitary state, centrally administered. One consequence of this was that the traditional racial attitudes of the Afrikaner republics eventually prevailed […]
WULF UTIAN’S LETTER FROM CAPE TOWN JANUARY 2023
ON THE ROAD AGAIN There is just something special about putting suitcases in the trunk of our car and heading out of the big city into the countryside. Indeed, as we leave, Moira and I inevitably start our trip singing Willie Nelson’s memorable song, “on the road again.” Remember some of the words? “On the […]
WULF UTIAN’S LETTER FROM CAPE TOWN DECEMBER 2022
LIFE AT THE VICTORIA AND ALFRED (V & A) WATERFRONT “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the […]
WULF UTIAN’S LETTER FROM CAPE TOWN NOVEMBER 2022
PREQUEL – A SLOW BOAT TO CAPE TOWN We departed Cleveland for Lisbon on election day, uncertain what sort of America to expect on our return next May. Fortunately, America seems to have voted for “normal.” The ‘Humpty Trumpty right wing MAGA Republicans’ lost in every battleground state. The left wing ‘woke progressives’ likewise lost […]
WULF UTIAN’S LETTER FROM CAPE TOWN APRIL 2022
INTO THE BUSH Nothing quite matches observing things through the eyes of children. This month we had the unmitigated pleasure of spending quality time with our two grandsons, Jack 13, and Max 11, in a South African game reserve. Let me say unequivocally, the experience of spending a few days in the African bush observing […]
WULF UTIAN’S LETTER FROM CAPE TOWN MARCH 2022
TIME TO HIT THE ROAD With the historic South African Parliament Building a burned-out shell, South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, gave his annual State of the Nation Address (SONA) from a well-bedecked and colorfully lighted Cape Town City Hall. A major advantage of the new seating arrangements was that Members of Parliament did not have […]
WULF UTIAN’S LETTER FROM CAPE TOWN FEBRUARY 2022
A GASTRONOMIC CARPE DIEM As the political climate deteriorates in both the USA and SA, and unbelievably that is still possible, I continue my efforts to look on the bright side. Fortunately, the diversity and excellence of places to eat in Cape Town and its surroundings offer one powerful way to stay positive. My letter […]
WULF UTIAN’S LETTER FROM CAPE TOWN JANUARY 2022 LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
My 2022 New Year resolution is to try and view everything from the bright side. Given the state of my two homelands, this is going to be a challenge. The misnamed United States is anything but the united states. Both political parties are internally split, and externally in aggressive confrontation. The centuries-old and world’s longest […]