Monday 17 February 2014

Cuppa.



Hidden behind the Walvis Bay Yacht Club, beyond a nondescript approach road and a car park lies a charming cluster of shops and restaurants that make up the leisure (epi-)centre of what can safely be described as an ugly industrial town of sorts. And although you can still see the working harbour with its container ships and rows of 20ft units stacked high into the sky, this makes for quite a pleasant panorama when admired from one of the cosy wicker chairs at Café Cuppa. With the bar next door, a curio shop just across and the celebrated Lyon des Sables (which claims to be Namibia's best restaurant) on the first floor this is as holiday as it gets in Walvis Bay. Boats and catamarans with tourist groups zip in and out of the harbour, the sea is dotted with small sailing boats and the odd posh yacht, gulls scream overhead. You might even spot the occasional cruise ship spitting out immense numbers of middle-aged or retired travellers in beige attire that will most definitely make their way to where you are right now in a matter of minutes. So, order yourself a good cup of coffee and a slice of cake to go with it and enjoy the general brouhaha.

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Tuesday 11 February 2014

Shearwater Oyster Bar.



Lüderitz, despite its tourism appeal, is not normally known for its culinary delights and your best bet most of the time is home-cooking in your self-catering apartment. Fortunately, at least on Friday nights (and daily for lunch) the Shearwater Oyster Bar in the town's old quay area on the way to Shark Island makes for a pleasant alternative. Housed in the same building as the aquaculture company of the same name this low-key but charming affair welcomes guests with an eclectic mix of re-purposed fishing paraphernalia. Lobster cages double as tables, old fenders have been turned into lamps, and the industrial ceiling is camouflaged with fishing nets and little flags. The menu is rather short with a focus on - surprise, surprise - oysters, which come in fresh and au gratin versions. But then, oysters is maybe what you want from an oyster bar. Order a cold bottle of white wine from the bar and as many oysters as you like because they are most likely the most affordable quality oysters you'll get anywhere in the world. Sit back and enjoy the maritime atmosphere while strong, cold winds from the Atlantic batter the ships out at sea. Cosy!