Silly Season Snapping at our Heels – It’s Market Day in Hermanus

This morning I didn’t wake up to the chirruping of songbirds, but to the clanging of a bucket, snap of a step ladder, and a yodelling painter, Wally is revamping. Roof trusses are being set up across the street as a new house goes up, and, according to the owner, his parents are moving in on the 15th of December!

Ignorance is bliss, I say. “For Sale!” signs are being taken down faster than you can say “Sold,” and before the ink is dry, renovators and decorators are tapping their stilettos and iPads to get the new owners settled. It’s that time of the year again. Soon we’ll be going from one dinner party to the next cocktail party.

Last I heard, Precious’ girls, at work, had decided on a “Master Chef” style cook-off competition for the annual Year-End Function.

Unless reservations are made timeously, many restaurants will be chock-a-block, spelling disaster for many of the “Swallows” landing on our shores. (Swallow = a person migrating from a miserable, cold, wet, grey Northern Hemisphere to our Sunny Shores for the Summer, where they can enjoy long, lazy days, our warm hospitality, good food, great wine, and a very favourable exchange rate.)

Most villages will now be hosting a Christmas Market, where shoppers can browse and pick from a wide selection of very affordable and delightful gifts to fill Christmas stockings, stock the gift cupboard or pantry, or indulge in a treat for the holidays.

I particularly enjoy filling my basket with an array of interesting bottled or pickled goodies, cured meats or cheeses, mixed herbs and spices, handmade chocolates and sweets, or an indigenous plant to take as gifts, along with bottles of wine or bubbles. Long past are my “bread and butter” letter days.

I look forward to seeing what the 2014 Men’s Barbeque Apron Collection holds in store. My brother always steals the show as he swings his tongs and sports his new apron in December.

In Onrus, the monthly Onrus Markie will be held on Saturdays. I know that it’s quite all right to go very early in the morning to get the “best” goodies on offer. Many of the participants are local ladies who bake and craft their offerings with years of experience, passion, and enthusiasm. It’s a great place to have an early-morning chat and see who’s come down for the weekend. I’ve never been disappointed, and I can recommend the Markie with confidence.

We’ve even had our Biltong delivered, and Sandra de Wet, who is the best cook I know, has a table groaning with delectable deli dishes. I can highly recommend her Baked Pudding with Orange sauce! But then again, everything from her table is delectable. As the seasons change, so does her menu.

After the Onrus Markie, we take a slow drive to Hermanus Pietersfontein Wine Cellar, where there’s a divine food market. Here, we catch up with friends over a glass of wine and a platter of Tapas. If you’re not careful, you might even stay until the market closes.

Never to be outdone, Hermanus hosts the Fernkloof Market at the Montessori School. A larger market with a wide selection of items for sale, it’s a winner and an all-time favourite with everyone. My first purchase is a bunch of beautiful Fynbos, often still dripping with early morning dew or the sweetest nectar, which attracts bees.

It’s off to the Sanity Farm Kitchen (which produces the finest-quality handmade sausages, boerewors, and biltong) to buy pork sausages to accompany our Chicken Braai. Of course, I can’t resist the German bakery next door, so there I buy the most delicious Artisanal bread and German pastries.

For medicinal purposes, I must see what’s on display at the Gluten Free stall, what could be nicer than a tart for afternoon tea, and it’s healthy too.  We taste beautifully crafted cheeses and buy a blue-veined cheese for our cheese course.

We drink wine from various cellars. Enjoy creative breakfasts and coffee while listening to the chap on his guitar, and watch children run around and play in the sand pit and on the jungle gym.

I love to see people with “real” jobs come up with something creative, living their passions, e.g., the drama teacher who makes clothes, the plumber who carves fish from huge chunks of wood, the grannies who sew and knit the cutest baby clothes, the ladies who quilt and make sunhats and then there’s Helen Silversmith who can turn antique Silver cutlery into beautiful heirloom jewellery.

The market buzzes with the sounds of people chatting, laughing, and singing; you can hear voices from Amsterdam to Zimbabwe. Before we leave, I drag my Precious over to the fresh fruit and vegetable stall to buy the freshest asparagus, tomatoes, artichokes, brussels sprouts, and fresh fragrant herbs.

If you have time, there’s the African Market in the centre of town where everything from clothes to curios can be bought. Pretend you’re a tourist; the bargain may be yours.

After a day browsing the markets, there’s only one thing left to do: sit on the wall at Frans se Klip and do a spot of Whale watching, then take a nap or go down to the beach and chat up the ’50s and ’60s crowd who go down for a swim and body surf every afternoon at four.

We head home just in time to slip into something black and strappy, grab a basket, fill it with bottles of wine, and something delectable for your hostess.

P.S. While you’re sipping your cocktail, know you’ve done the right thing, supported a local farmer, craftsman, or cook who grows organic produce, produces the very best product using the best produce from a farmer who’s doing it for the love of the land. Bottoms up!

HELEN SILVERSMIT (Silver Jewellery)