Food, Glorious Food

I love food!

I love thinking about what I’m going to eat. I love looking at food; in shop windows – especially cake shops – but also on Instagram and the telly. Eating it is my absolute favourite thing (expanding middle years waistline attests to that) and painting food was, for a while, an irresistible urge. It’s like the super slow version of an Insta lunch snap.

I’ve collected my best watercolour food paintings and posted them here as a sort of portfolio. Some are simple representations of pretty edibles and others have more of a narrative. Some were quick sketches done on the spot while for others I worked more slowly from photos I took before eating the subject. 

These food illustrations also form a  travel journal of sorts so I’ve divided them by region – London, West Bengal, Cape Verde and Andalusia – and put them in loose reverse chronological order. 

London

These first two illustrations are from my ‘Painted Snapshots of Bermondsey’ project, which aims to take the reader on a guided stroll through the streets of Bermondsey to see some of my favourite places.

illustration, brooklyn art library, the sketchbook project, sketchbook, pen and wash, watercolour, watercolor, painting, drawing, urban landscape, urban sketching, corona virus lockdown 2020, bermondsey, london, se1, se16, independent trader, bermondsey street, comptoir gourmand, patisserie, cake, shop, bakery, food illustration, food, fruit,tart, boulangerie

As I said in the intro, cake shop windows are a magnet for me; Comptoir Gourmand have a stunner.

illustration, brooklyn art library, the sketchbook project, sketchbook, pen and wash, watercolour, watercolor, painting, drawing, urban landscape, urban sketching, corona virus lockdown 2020, bermondsey, london, se1, se16,, casse croute, independent trader, bermondsey street, food illustration, restaurant, french food, wine, table, risotto, french cuisine, street sign

I had admired the view through the window of Casse Croûte many times before I ate there. Its double checked interior promised cosy continental conviviality amid steaming plates of deliciousness; the lure being greatest on dark, chilly nights. And it lived up to expectations in every way.

afternoon tea, goring hotel, cream tea, cakes, scones, jam, clotted cream, sandwiches, tea, tea pot, watercolour, painting, sketchbook art, sketchbook, food illustration, pen and wash, watercolor, drawing, sketching, london, tea strainer

The combination of the cake stand loaded with colourful, tasty morsels; the striped crockery and the reflective tea pots in the late winter sunshine was quite spectacular. Smitten, I took some photos in preparation for future painting sessions. Then I tucked right in. Afternoon tea at The Goring Hotel – a lovely way to celebrate a birthday with special friends.

Click here to see my original Afternoon Tea post.

yen burger, london, burger, chips, fries, stripes, watercolour, watercolor, painting, drawing, sketch, sketchbook, food, food illustration, illustration, pen and wash

As soon as I saw this Yen Burger nestled in its little bamboo steamer lined with festive stripy paper my painter’s urge was tweaked. I was on my way to an appointment with no time to paint on the spot so I took a few quick snaps for reference and tucked right in. Yummy Japanese take on the fast food classic. 

Click here to see my original Yen Burger post.

mushrooms, watercolor, puntarelle, bermondsey, london, watercolour, painting, sketchbook, pen and wash, food illustration, illustration, drawing, paint it then eat it

These gorgeous mushrooms are from the Puntarelle & Co Saturday morning fruit and veg market under the Spa Road railway arches. All their produce is lush and carefully laid out in traditional wooden boxes – the antithesis of supermarket shopping. The fungi had a certain sinister drama about them and proved to be delicious.

Click here to see my original Mushrooms post.

Too Good To Go:

Returning to London after a long absence gave me a ‘kid in a sweet shop’ feeling. All those cultural and culinary delights on offer. But the foodie indulgence comes at more than a calorific price.

A friend told me about the Too Good To Go app. It lets you know which local outlets are offering discounts on good food which would otherwise be thrown away at the end of a shift.

It perfectly combines my ‘thinking about what I’m going to eat’ and ‘looking at food’ loves with the bonuses of getting delicious food at bargain prices and combating food waste.

There’s also the surprise element; you’re not sure what you’ll get in your magic bag of rescued goodies until you pitch up at collection time with your online receipt.

These next three are all ‘paint it then eat it’ exercises of Too Good To Go swag.

lolas cup cakes, cup cakes, cake, watercolor, too good to go, fight food waste, watercolour, painting, sketchbook, pen and wash, food illustration, illustration, drawing

Lola’s cupcakes…mmm…yes, I shared them, they were mini but mighty at the same time. Pretty, cheap and exceptionally tasty!

Click here to see my original Cupcake post.

sushi, sushi shop, healthy eating, too good to go, fight food waste, watercolour, painting, sketchbook, pen and wash, food illustration, illustration, drawing

Sushi Shop …well sushi is a work of art in every sense. The high fish and soy content of Japanese food also makes regular eaters less likely to suffer from some classic menopause symptoms. What’s not to like? My rescued sushi was actually one box (at less than half the retail price) but I liked the way it looked as a triptych and it made for an Insta friendly square image.

Click here to see my original Sushi post.

cake, konditor, too good to go, fight food waste, red velvet, chocolate, watercolour, painting, sketchbook, pen and wash, food illustration, illustration, drawing

At the end of the last century I worked for a few months at the Konditor branch near Borough Market. I knew from that experience that the magic bag (box in reality) contents would be divine. Inspired by the promise of eating I worked really fast when I painted these fat wedges of carrot, red velvet and chocolate cake – which I did share with my flatmates.

Click here to see my original Cake post.

West Bengal 

I was lucky enough to spend six months traveling in India. It was an amazing experience and a huge culture shock.

In West Bengal the atmosphere tended to be cooler and calmer and the food was fabulous.
banana, banana split, banana plant, ice-cream, watercolour, watercolor, pen and wash, watercolour portrait, portrait, painting, drawing, sketchbook, food illustration, illustration, travel blog, travel illustration

A banana split is not an inherently Indian dish, but to eat one in close proximity to actual banana trees is an exotic experience. I tried to capture my travel companion’s ‘joy through dessert’ moment in this portrait cum food cum botanical illustration.

portrait, watercolor, painting, drawing, sketchbook, food illustration, travel blog, illustration, watercolour, pen and wash, tattoos, tattooed man, true love, lassi, orchids, flowers, leaves, glasses, bald head, clouds, pink drink

Here I’ve used the repeated orchid motif to represent the horticulture of Kalimpong and the background is inspired by the glorious decoration in the many Buddhist Monasteries there.

thali, watercolor, watercolour, painting, pen and wash, drawing, sketchbook, travel blog, illustration, food illustration, darjeeling, west bengal, dal fry, papad, saag paneer, spinach, cottage cheese, eggplant fritters, beguni, patta gobhi sabji, sabji, aloo sabji, homestay, little singamari, eat like a local, indian food, vegetarian food, home cooking

We boarded in a few home-stays where we were fed delectable, hearty and healthy home-cooked meals several times a day for very little money. We could really taste the love in this food – it was phenomenally satisfying.

puri sabji, indian food, indian breakfast, vegetarian food, aloo gobi matar, potato, cauliflower, peas, watercolour, watercolor, painting, drawing, sketchbook, food illustration, travel blog, travel illustration, eat like a local, food art, watercolour food, pen and wash

Darjeeling was bitterly cold and very damp for our first few days which made venturing outside quite an undertaking. Since I caught a cold as soon as we arrived I was happy to spend hours in front of the heater inside paying pen and watercolour homage to the culinary delights we were experiencing.

kunga restaurant darjeeling, tibetan food, wanton soup, momo, vegetarian food, vegetable spring roll, steamed momo, watercolor, watercolour, painting, drawing, sketchbook, food illustration, travel blog, travel illustration, watercolour food

When we did go out there was usually a visit to Kunga Restaurant involved. My interest in the wanton soup was verging on the hysterical. Momo (small steamed dumplings filled with chicken or vegetables) were ubiquitous in West Bengal and Sikkim – that made me very happy.

Click here to see my original West Bengal post.

Cape Verde

In 2017 I went to see a friend in Cape Verde. She was staying on Sal, the most touristic and least beautiful and interesting of the islands I visited. 

cape fruit, santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, breakfast, brunch, lunch, smoothies, natural bar, fresh fruit, healthy eating, smoothie, banana, strawberry, coconut, pen and watercolour, sketch, food, illustration, vegan

Cape Fruit restaurant was a great consolation – a beautiful oasis of rustic charm where an expert team of local women made and served healthy, tasty food and drinks. What a joy to order something lovely, paint it at leisure while sitting in the shade and then eat it.

cape fruit, santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, breakfast, brunch, lunch, smoothies, natural bar, fresh fruit, healthy eating, pancake, banana, grape, papaya, kiwi fruit, honey, water color. pen and watercolour, sketch, food, illustration, vegan

Click here to see my original Cape Verde blog.

Andalusia

At the end of 2014 I was invited to join the Vejer Sketchers, a small but enthusiastic group of artists who met on Saturday mornings in the southern Spanish town where I’d been living for a while. So that following year I finally undertook the regular sketch practice I’d been intending to start for ages.

There can be a ‘safety in numbers’ aspect to ‘urban sketching’ in a group. OK, so you still look like weirdos but you’re a band of weirdos and the inevitable attention of passersby is divided and therefore less intimidating. 

Sometimes we joined or were joined by groups of sketchers from other towns, like Cadiz and Jerez. There is always something new to learn from the methods and materials of other practitioners, and their passion for their craft is infectious. I also found that working in a sketchbook freed me up. There was no way I was going to tear a sheet out of that book so the paintings were for just for me. With no pressure to paint something saleable I started to draw and paint in a quicker, rougher, looser way than before, which made it more fun and more relaxing.

I didn’t often paint food with the group but I did apply my new, looser skills to my depictions of food.

green tea, té verde, book cover, portada, play, comedy, tragicomedy, marcel snyders, playwright, hospice, mother, daughter, illustration, cover design, art, drawing, watercolour, watercolor, acuarela, painting, pintura, ilustración, tea bag, cup, saucer

Marcel commissioned me to paint the cover for his play “Green Tea” (Té Verde) in the sketchy style he liked. He stipulated this complimentary colour combination and left the rest to me. There’s a sinister aspect to the play which is why some of those red splatters look like blood.

Click here to see my original Te Verde blog.

pen, watercolour, water color, drawing, painting, illustration, food, map, andalucia, andalusia, annie b, spanish kitchen, vejer, cadiz, jerez, sherry, cerdo iberico, queso de cabra, goats cheese, iberian pork, retinto, beef, tuna, atun, octopus, pulpo, flamenco, squid, calamari, lemon, limon, anchovies, anchoas, prawns, gambas, atlantic ocean, oceano atlantico, mediterranean sea, mar mediterraneo, solera, spices, vineyard, bodega, chorizo, olive oil, acete de oliva

Annie B is a force of good nature; her food and wine tours and cooking courses are ranked amongst the best on offer in Spain. I was delighted to complete these two commissions from her: to create an Andalusian food and drink map (above) and a food and drink themed Christmas card (below).

annie b, spanish kitchen, spanish cooking, andalucia, cooking courses, sherry, jerez, xerez, tours, lemon, pomegrante, orange, peppers, salmonete, red snapper, mussel, octopus, pulpo, pine, christmas, card, chorizo, pimenton, paprika, sketch, watercolour, pen and watercolour, pine cones, umbrella pine, paella pan, card, christmas card, drawing

Click here to see my original Food Map blog.

Click here to see my original Christmas Card blog.

One of the best aspects of living in a small rural town in southern Spain is the seasonality of the fruit and veg.The seasons for local produce may be very short but the produce itself is perfect while it’s in the green grocer’s.

asparagus, esparrago, spring, vegetables, pen and watercolour, watercolour, water color, acuarela, sketch, food, illustration

The subtle combination of mauve and green on these tender asparagus stems was utterly beguiling. 

asparagus, esparrago, spring, vegetables, pen and watercolour, watercolour, water color, acuarela, sketch, food, illustrationClick here to see my original Asparagus post.

strawberries, strawberry, fruit, fresa, fresas, conil, fruta, pen and watercolour, watercolour, water color, sketch, food, illustration, ilustracion, primavera, spring

Strawberries from Conil taste and smell like those from my pick-your-own childhood. They’re so perfectly ripe that you must eat them on the same day you buy them; resistance is futile.

Here’s my original Strawberries post.

fruit, food, drawing, water colour, sketch, pen and watercolour, juicy, cherries, cherry

I was never aware before Vejer that cherries were graded so fastidiously in Spain. The size of the fruit and presence or absence of a stalk will dictate how much you pay per kilo of these juicy explosions. I never learnt to tell the varieties apart by taste though.

Here’s my original Cherries post.

Tiny, sweet, tender and so, so pretty. I adore peas – and the additional meditative pleasure of popping the pods.

Here’s my original Peas post.

berenjena, aubergine, eggplant, vegetable, food, drawing, water colour, sketch, pen and watercolour, watercolor, illustration

To be honest I’m rarely up for the faff involved in making aubergines edible but that jewel-like burgundy-mauve shade is beguiling.

Here’s my original Aubergine post.

pear, pera, pears, fruit, food, drawing, water colour, sketch, pen and watercolour, juicy

The pear – emblem of feminine strength and creativity, sweet of the autumn. That lichen-like mottling on a pear skin really is splendid.

Here’s my original Pears post.

lemon, ginger, cold cure, fruit, food, drawing, water colour, sketch, pen and watercolour, juicy

And so on to winter, here’s an actual cold cure that I used to treat an actual cold.

Here’s my original Lemon and Ginger post.

A massive and famous advantage of living in Spain is the culture of tapas. A bite or two of a tasty something – usually home-made, with a glass or two of a tasty something – usually alcoholic. 

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In Vejer (as in other places) there are a couple of special weekends a year when tapas competitions are staged. Maps of the Tapas Trail or ‘Ruta de Tapas’ show the locations of the establishments taking part and what they’re serving. Those restaurants work flat out to put their best tapas forward for the delectation of the hundreds of people who work their way around the trail before voting for their favourite dish. 

tapas, ruta de tapas, tapas por vejer, vejer, vejer de la frontera, vejer sketchers, pen and wash, pen and watercolour, watercolor, sketch, illustration, food, pueblos mas bonitos de espana, drawing, painting, sketchbook, pasta, ricotta, spinach, red onion sauce, la posta, italian restaurant

This particular weekend I decided to record as many Ruta de Tapas dishes as I could in a ‘paint it then eat it’ way. So I had to work fast and loose…

tapas, ruta de tapas, tapas por vejer, vejer, vejer de la frontera, vejer sketchers, pen and wash, pen and watercolour, watercolor, sketch, illustration, food, pueblos mas bonitos de espana, drawing, painting, sketchbook, gamba, langostino, mercado de abastos, market, street food, fish, roe, mercado de san francisco

Three turned out to be my limit. My best advice for making the most of a Ruta de Tapas? Skip breakfast and start early to beat the crowds.

Here’s my original Tapas post.

corredera 55, restaurant, califa vejer, vejer de la frontera, andalusia, pen and watercolour, pen and wash, pen and watercolor, sketch, drawing, painting, facade, comer amar vivir, life without cake, vitamins abc

This painting of the facade of Vejer’s Corredera 55 Restaurant is a lovely one to end on. It features food in the bike basket, food in the orange trees, food on the facade and drink on the inside. Ellie the owner commissioned me to make this piece; the original is hanging in the restaurant alongside mini reproductions on the business cards. As it says on the flipside: Eat – Love – Live

business card, corredera 55, restaurant, califa vejer, vejer de la frontera, andalusia, pen and watercolour, pen and wash, pen and watercolor, sketch, drawing, painting, facade, comer amar vivir, life without cake, vitamins abc

Here’s my original Corredera 55 post.

A note on method and materials:

My sketchbook is a Moleskine Watercolour Album, with 200g/sqm paper – that’s the minimum weight of paper that will take good watercolour washes without too much buckling. It’s 21x13cm; small enough to be portable but the double page length of 42cm allows for a nice big span. If I’m working on a pen and wash commission I’ll use 300g/sqm paper and cut it to size myself.

I always start with a 2B pencil drawing; when I’m happy with the layout I go over the outline with water resistant pens. Adding squiggly lines to the main outline makes it more lively.

I erase most of the the pencil before layering watercolour washes; when I’m happy with the intensity of the colours I’ll add shadows. The finishing touch is a bit of coloured splatter which unifies the image and adds a bit more energy.

By preference I’ll scan the finished painting at a fairly high resolution and slightly tweak the image in Photoshop with a soft light filter before posting a lower resolution version  to my ‘Latest Work’ blog.

For Instagram – @kathrynhockey – I just post photos of the work.

Scanning generally gives ‘truer’ colour reproduction and there’s less distortion of the image.

While I was traveling I didn’t have easy access to a scanner so the original ‘Latest Work’ posts of some sketches feature the same Instagrammed photos.

I recently scanned all of the food travel sketches to improve the quality of the images for this blog. I have added links to the original posts.

Impresiones de Cabo Verde

Hace aproximadamente un año una buena amiga mía se mudó a Sal, una de las diez islas volcánicas frente a la costa de África que compone el archipiélago de Cabo Verde.

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, flag, shaddowMe dijo que allí nunca había invierno, de modo que febrero me pareció un buen mes para visitarla. Y eso fue todo lo que me documenté antes de viajar.
Oí que alguien mostraba interés por Cabo Verde como destino de vacaciones y por eso he colgado unos consejos, fotos y bocetos en este blog.

Click here to read the English version

Moneda

El escudo Caboverdiano : 100 CVE = aprox 1€

En lugares turísticos se puede pagar con euros (a veces solo se aceptan billetes y se da la vuelta en escudos) pero si vas a ir a sitios más rurales es recomendable comprar escudos de antemano en uno de los numerosos bancos o cajeros automáticos que hay en las cuidades.

Lengua

A no ser que hables creole (poco probable) te ayudará mucho si hablas portugués (yo no lo hablo pero mi español fue útil). Se habla francés en muchos lugares. 

Vuelos

Volé desde Sevilla a Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (con Ryanair) y luego hasta Sal (con Binter). Hay vuelos directos desde Lisboa hasta varias islas de Cabo Verde.

Visa

Una visa para una estancia de un mes cuesta 25€ y puedes conseguirla cuando llegues a cualquier aeropuerto de Cabo Verde al presentar tu pasaporte.

Impuesto turístico en alojamiento

Hay un impuesto de 2€ por noche para extranjeros que se quedan en Cabo Verde lo cual se añade al precio anunciado de habitaciones 

Temporada de lluvias

Septiembre y octubre.

Santa María, Isla de Sal

La ciudad de Santa María está a media hora en coche desde el pequeñito aeropuerto de Sal; el viaje cuesta 12€ / 1200 CVE en taxi o, si andas ligero puedes salir a la carretera principal fuera del edificio de la terminal y parar un colectivo (furgoneta compartida), gastar sólo 1€ / 100CVE y viajar como un lugareño.

cape fruit, santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, breakfast, brunch, lunch, smoothies, natural bar, fresh fruit, healthy eating, coffee, salad, vegetarian food

Prácticamente el primer lugar al que mi amiga me llevó fue el bar natural  Cape Fruit…woohoo!

Batidos y zumos super deliciosos, fruta fresca y yogur casero, crepes, tortillas, tostadas,  pasteles, café rico…todo servido con una sonrisa en un entorno encantador, relajado y acogedor. Siempre estan liados….

 

cape fruit, santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, breakfast, brunch, lunch, smoothies, natural bar, fresh fruit, healthy eating, smoothie, banana, strawberry, coconut, pen and watercolour, sketch, food, illustration, vegan

Huelga decir que yo desayunaba allí todos los días de mi estancia en Santa María (aparte del miércoles que cierran)…y finalmente inmortalizé mi batido favorito en rotulador y acuarela (arriba). Es de plátano, fresa y coco mezclado con agua, por cierto, el batido no el boceto.

cape fruit, santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, breakfast, brunch, lunch, smoothies, natural bar, fresh fruit, healthy eating, pancake, banana, grape, papaya, kiwi fruit, honey, water color. pen and watercolour, sketch, food, illustration, vegan

Después de eso me enfrenté al crépe con fruta fresca y miel (arriba)…ciertamente se abre el apetito al contemplar la comida durante una hora y pico antes de meterte de lleno en ella!

cape fruit, santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, breakfast, brunch, lunch, smoothies, natural bar, fresh fruit, healthy eating, smoothie, banana, strawberry, coconut, pen and watercolour, sketch, food, illustration, vegan

Aquí está el equipo dulce y encatantador de Cape Fruit; muchísimas gracias a ellos por los desayunos, por dar la bienvenida a mis bocetos con tanto entusiasmo y por colgarlos en su página de facebook, y también por regalarme una taza de Cape Fruit la que es ahora parte de mi rutina diaria del desayuno en casa.

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde,

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, fishing boatA continuación llegamos a la playa y es bastante larga, con arena blanca y fina. El mar, aunque un poco frío al entrar, estaba tranquilo y resultaba muy refrescante.

Había bastante viento todos los días que estuve  en Santa María, que es conocido como centro de wind y kite surf. También puedes bucear si es tu rollo.

Hay algunos grandes complejos hoteleros más adelante y han creado problemas con el suministro de agua. Sal es fundamentalmente una isla desierta, sin agua natural y las plantas desalinizadoras están luchando para satisfacer la demanda.

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, water color. pen and watercolour, sketch, travel, illustration

El muelle de aquí arriba se convierte en mercado de pescado cuando se traen las capturas diarias; mi boceto tiene un elemento 3D porque al soplar el viento hizo que la arena se quedara pegada en a la pintura aún húmeda.

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, construction

 

En general, lejos de los establecimientos elegantes turistícos al lado de la playa  Santa María tiene un aire desolado, con mucha construcción media terminada, muchos edificios abandonados, bastante basura y muy poca vegetación …

¡… pero no hay mosquitos!

 

 

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, washing line

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, superbok

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, derelict

Y no es sin su encanto.

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, catchupa

Catchupa es el plato nacional de Cabo Verde; una mezcla deliciosa lentamente estofada de frijoles, verduras y pescado o carne.

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, front line apartments

Se me ofrecieron sexo y marihuana en distintas ocasiones, que yo decliné cortésmente, ¡pero era bueno saber que estaban disponibles!

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde

¡El restaurante Kossivi hace muy buen sushi!

También disfruté unas partidas de póker con mi amiga y sus compañeros, aunque no gané nada más que un par de manos. Apostar es ilegal en Sal aunque acaban de abrir un casino, pero me han dicho que las mesas de póker son una estafa a 25€ por mano.

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde. church

Mindelo, Isla de Sao Vicente

Decidí buscar más música y cultura, así que reservé un vuelo de Binter desde Sal hasta Sao Vicente (40€ por trayecto, 40 minutos aprox.).

Un taxi desde el aeropuerto de Sao Vicente, que lleva el nombre de la célebre Caboverdiana cantante Cesária Évora, a la ciudad portuaria de Mindelo tarda 20 minutos y cuesta 1000 CVE / 10€. No hay autobús o servicio colectivo por lo que podía percibir.

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde

 

Saqué la foto de arriba desde la azotea de mi hotel (izquierda); barato y algo polvoriento, sus principales atracciones eran la buena vista y su ubicación, 5 minutos a pie del puerto y del centro de la ciudad.

 

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, ferry, port, boat

Fui en busca de alimento y agua tan pronto como llegué a Mindelo y me enteré de que iba a haber un concierto gratuito en la plaza de la ciudad esa misma noche.

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde

Dado que soy inglesa, llegué demasiado temprano, pude escuchar la prueba de sonido y ver la plaza llenarse poco a poco con una muchedumbre muy amable mientras estuve sentada en el escalón de una tienda cerrada bajo la luz de la luna llena. No tengo ni idea de quiénes tocaron, pero eran excelentes y le eché el ojo al bailarín Mandingo; un hombre vestido con una falda de hojas, agarrando un palo largo y con peinado de mohicano que bailaba con ritmo hipnótico entre la multitud, parando para fotos a cambio de monedas. 

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, water color. pen and watercolour, sketch, travel, illustration

Al día siguiente hice un boceto (arriba) y se acercó una mujer de París que se detuvo para charlar un ratito. Yo no la podía ayudar con las direcciones de la parada de autobús que ella buscaba y ella me aseguró que la playa de la ciudad de Mindelo era agradable y que la excursión de senderismo que yo planeaba en otra isla era fácil … ¡ambos falsos!

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, shutters

Deambulé hasta mi habitación para descansar…pero en seguida oí tambores… la clase de percusión que requiere ser investigada. Bajé a la recepción y les pregunté “¿Qué es ese ruido?” “Ah, eso es el Mandingo…” fue la respuesta. Así, al no tener ni idea de lo que significaba, salí y guiada por el sonido anduve hacia la parte alta de la ciudad…

Cuando llegué hubo un grupo pequeño que se reunía alrededor de los tamborileros y bailarines y se marcharon calle abajo…

….más y más gente se unía a la multitud todo el tiempo, la gente arrojaba dinero desde balcones, el ritmo y el ambiente festivo eran absolutamente energizantes y contagiosos, yo no pude menos de sonreírme de oreja a oreja.

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, mandingo, carnaval, drumming

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, mandingo, carnaval, drumming

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, mandingo, carnaval, drumming

Este tipo me ofreció un poco de la cerveza que bebía de ese cuerno que sostiene y me dijo que él y sus compis fueron cubiertos en carbón de leña para hacerlos más oscuros, me parecia más bien el aceite de motor y terminé untada con bastante… ¡podría haber sido una de esas situaciones perdidas con la traducción!

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, mandingo, carnaval, drumming

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, mural

La procesión a la que me incorporé era sólo un ensayo para el carnaval, que se celebró el 28 de febrero, el día en que yo debí salir de Cabo Verde…

Me encantó Mindelo: la yuxtaposición musical de influencias africanas y  portuguesas…

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde

…. el contraste entre los edificios coloniales bien conservados 

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde,

y los deliciosamente ruinosos….

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde,

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, abandoned house

.. .y los toques modernos estrafalarios y reciclados…

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, upcycled doors

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde,

…y también el náutico.

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, fishing boat

El año que viene me gustaría estar en Mindelo para el carnaval, pero preferería quedarme en alojamientos más confortbles como la Casa Branca, algo pituco y justo al lado del lugar polvoriento y apagado en que me alojé; fue recomendado por una pareja inglesa que la conocí en el ferry. Sirven un buen desayuno (incluido en el precio de la habitación) y cenas sabrosas de estilo tapas.

También comí bien en La Pérgola, donde ofrecen buenos platos vegetarianos y en el Café Royal, aunque yo evitaría Casa Café Mindelo porque es algo turístico, caro y antipático… tal vez tuvieran un mal día.

De la isla de Sao Vicente a la isla de Santo Antao por transbordador

Había oído que la isla de Santo Antao fue hermosa y que el Valle de Paúl en particular fue espectacularmente exuberante y un buen sitio para hacer senderismo así que planeé un viaje de un día.

Pasé por la oficina en Mindelo de Nobai, un agencia de trekking, para tranquilizarme de que sería fácil caminar por la ruta que quería sin guía y dentro de mi límite de dos horas. La agradable mujer francesa me aseguró que sí (¡mentiras!) me dio un mapa y consejos de transporte desde el puerto hasta el punto de inicio de mi caminata.

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, ferry, port, boat

Hay dos compañías de transbordadores que dirigen servicios del puerto de Mindelo a Puerto Novo en la isla de Santo Antao.

Los ferry salen a las 07:00 y 08:00 y vuelven a las 16:00 y 17:00, el viaje dura una hora y cuesta 800CVE / 8€.

Compré mi billete en la oficina  del puerto y al día siguiente, Día de San Valentín, desayuné temprano para que llegara al puerto a las 7:30 con tiempo para embarcarme en la travesía de 08:00.

mindelo, sao vicente, san antao, cabo verde, cape verde, ferry, port, boat

 

Los barcos son muy puntuales y se ofrecen bolsas de mareo por si acaso. Había tomado una pastilla de Dramamina y el mar estaba tranquilo por tanto el único drama era la vista de peces voladores que saltaban en la espuma de la proa.

Se quedan aerotransportados una eternidad, brillan el azul iridiscente en la luz del sol y realmente agitan sus aletas como alas. ¡No intenté fotografiarlos!

 

mindelo, sao vicente, san antao, cabo verde, cape verde, ferry, port, boat

mindelo, sao vicente, san antao, cabo verde, cape verde, ferry, port, boatmindelo, sao vicente, san antao, cabo verde, cape verde, ferry, port, boat

mindelo, sao vicente, san antao, cabo verde, cape verde, ferry, port, boat

Porto Novo, Isla de Santo Antao

port novo, san antao, cabo verde, cape verde, ferry, port, boat

Había una gran aglomeración frente a la salida de la terminal del transbordador en Porto Novo, se ofrecían transporte en forma de taxis privados y colectivos compartidos, quesos artesanales, frutas y verduras. Para evitar turbación es útil tener claro exactamente dónde quieres ir, cómo quieres viajar y cuánto esperas pagar antes de enfrentarte a la multitud.
La terminal de transbordador de Porto Novo también cuenta con un café con excelente tarta y café y un cajero automático.

Por cierto, una de las travesías de ferry que hice fue bastante áspera y había varias personas (principalmente niños) vomitando en las bolsas ya mencionadas.

port novo, santo antao, cabo verde, cape verde, ferry, port, boat

De Porto Novo al cráter Cova de Paúl 

Según los consejos de la guía de Nobai contraté un taxi privado para llevarme por el camino largo y abrupto al extinto cráter volcánico de Cova de Paúl desde donde planeaba descender por el valle de Paúl a pie.

taxi, port novo, san antao, cabo verde, cape verde, valentines day

Costó 2000 CVE / 20€ que parece tan elevado como el camino pero no es una ruta popular y el conductor no tiene absolutamente ninguna posibilidad de conseguir una tarifa de vuelta.

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, port novo, cavo de paul

Arriba, Porto Novo apenas visible en la costa y la isla de Sao Vicente en el fondo…

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, port novo, cavo de paul

….adelante y arriba…

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, cavo de paul

…hasta llegar al cráter volcánico en la parte superior, lo que es ahora tierra agrícola.

Antes de dejarme el taxista me señaló la ruta correcta “Has de bajar por allí, a la vuelta de la esquina, luego tendrás que subir de nuevo para  atravesar el desfiladero por allí y llegar hasta el valle de Paúl” me dijo en portugués. ‘Vale’, le dije, sintiéndome nerviosa, “es fácil, ¿verdad?” “Sí, fácil, sólo tienes que seguir el camino”, respondió.

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, cavo de paul

Así que partí a la vuelta de la esquina…

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, cavo de paul

pero aunque pude ver a gente subiendo por la roca en el camino aterrazado no pude averiguar cómo seguirla así que empecé a juguetear con mi mapa ineficazmente hasta que algunos agricultores me gritaron direcciones que no entendí con señales de mano que sí….

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, cavo de paul

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, cavo de paul

…y yo estaba de nuevo en la vía correcta.

El Valle de Paúl desde arriba

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, paul valley, vale do paul, hiking, terracing

Y ésta era la impresionante vista del Valle de Paúl que me saludó en cuanto salí del desfiladero. Me enamoré…

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, paul valley, vale do paul, hiking, terracing

….y comenzé a andar cuesta abajo por el precioso camino sinuoso con las nalgas y rodillas apretadas, los tobillos torcidos, y los pies resbalando,  repitiéndome el mantra ‘no te rompas nada’ bajo el aliento.

paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, paul valley, vale do paul, hiking, volcano

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, paul valley, vale do paul, hiking, terracing

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, paul valley, vale do paul, hiking, terracingLos niveles de cultivo y población aumentaban gradualmente al bajar y la temperatura subía.

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, paul valley, vale do paul, hiking, terracing

Me detuve al lado del camino para comprar café molido de granos cultivados en el valle a algunas mujeres antes de llegar a un tipo de aldea.

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, paul valley, vale do paul, hiking, terracing

Ya, después de más de dos horas caminando, mis piernas y pies se quejaban fuertemente, pero sólo había llegado a mitad de camino a mi destino de Vila das Pombas, un pueblo en la costa, donde sabía que podría conseguir transporte de regreso al puerto… así que tuve que seguir caminando… hasta que vi un colectivo y con gratitud lo paré. 

“¿Me puedes llevar a Pombas por favor? Necesito hacer mi camino hasta el ferry.’ ‘Seguro’, dijo el conductor en Inglés excelente, ‘de Pombas voy a Ponta do Sol para recoger a alguna gente que necesita estar en el Porto Novo para la travesía de las 16:00, ¿quieres ir conmigo?’ “¡Sí, por favor!”. No hay nada como una desviación no planificada para reanimarse.

Mientras viajamos a bastante velocidad hasta la costa en la furgoneta yo sabía que no había visto lo suficiente del Valle de Paúl…

Ponta do Sol

santo antao, ponta do sol, cape verde, cabo verde, fishing, boats, nets, floats

El conductor del colectivo  me dejó en el pequeño y animado puerto pesquero que se dobla como un mercado de pescado

santo antao, ponta do sol, cape verde, cabo verde, fishing, boats, nets, floats santo antao, ponta do sol, cape verde, cabo verde, fishing, boats, nets, floats santo antao, ponta do sol, cape verde, cabo verde, fishing, boats, nets, floats

y serpenteé calle arriba en busca de agua potable antes de ser recogida otra vez.

santo antao, ponta do sol, cape verde, cabo verde santo antao, ponta do sol, cape verde, cabo verde

A continuación hicimos un recorrido por el pueblo recogiendo a las personas de sus casas antes de salir a los 45 minutos de viaje de regreso a Porto Novo. El viaje entero me costó 500 CVE / 5€.

santo antao, ponta do sol, cape verde, cabo verde

Habiendo regresado a Mindelo en el ferry, me pasé el día siguiente cojeando sobre las dolorosas caderas y rodillas y cambiando mis planes de viaje para que yo pudiera volver a Santo Antão y explorar más del valle de Paúl.

El valle de Paúl desde el medio

Reservé una habitación en el hostal Chez Hujo en la zona  Boca de Figueiral del valle y organizaron un colectivo a recogerme desde Porto Novo que cuestan 350 CVE / 3,50€.

chez hujo, paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa

Mi habitación, en la parte de atrás del hostal, tenía una vista impresionante y costó 3500CVE / 35€ la noche, incluyendo un desayuno enorme, la mitad de lo cual guardaba para el almuerzo.

chez hujo, paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa

Chez Hujo ofrece también una cena enorme y sabrosa (pollo, cerdo o pescado con ensalada, arroz y patatas) a 800 CVE / 8€, lo cual es genial dado que el restaurante más cercano está a una media hora de caminata. Hay también un bar sencillo en la planta baja que se abre por las noches.

chez hujo, paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa, water color. pen and watercolour, sketch, travel, illustration

 

 

 

Me dieron una bienvenida muy cálida y en cuanto se me registró me puse a dibujar la vista desde la parte delantera del hostal, a la izquierda y abajo.

chez hujo, paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa

 

 

 

o curral,, paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa, water color. pen and watercolour, sketch, travel, illustration

 

 

 

Al día siguiente me subí por el camino durante una hora a la plantación bio O Curral y dibujé la impresionante vista desde el lado abierto de su restaurante (derecha) mientras disfrutaba de un plato de frutas frescas y yogur casero.

El lugar se llenó de senderistas a la hora del almuerzo que con entusiasmo se metieron en tazones de catchupa acompañados de botellas de cerveza.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

font cafe, paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa, water color. pen and watercolour, sketch, travel, illustration,

Este siguiente boceto del Font Café (arriba), que estaba a la vuelta de la esquina del hostal, me llevó unas cuantas sesiones durante un par de días para terminarlo. Debo decir que sentándote en una pared al lado de un camino durante horas es una gran manera de conocer a gente. Y la gente del Valle de Paúl es encantadora. Finalmente la anciana que vive en la choza de primer plano se acercó y me saludó. Le mostré el dibujo, “Bonito”, me dijo, “ya sientate bien en esa pared, para que no te caigas en el río”.

El Font Café (abajo) en el día de lavado, las ropas lavadas tendidas encima de las rocas para secarse. 

paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa

chez hujo, paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa, water color. pen and watercolour, sketch, travel, illustration

Una vez que los propietarios de Chez Hujo, Hudson (Caboverdiano) y Joel (Francés) descubrieron que yo era artista, me pidieron pintar el hostal (derecha y abajo).

chez hujo, paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa

Contra mi naturaleza introvertida acepté una invitación para cenar con algunos alemanes en el hostal una noche… resultaron ser meteorólogos majos, quienes habían llegado a Mindelo en un barco de investigación científica desde Montevideo y habían venido a Paúl para hacer un poco de senderismo antes de regresar a Alemania. Después de la cena todos nos dispersamos, yo estaba en mi habitación cuando escuché tambores en el valle y como yo estaba mirando afuera de mi ventana en la profunda oscuridad preguntándome: “¿salgo y sigo el ruido?” vi a algunos de los alemanes en el patio abajo preguntándose lo mismo. Por lo tanto, una pequeña pero alegre banda de nosotros caminamos hacia el siguiente pueblo bajo un cielo super estrellado para ver los tamborileros y sentir de cerca el ritmo en nuestros huesos. Después de media hora o así se habían arreglado las luces y el sistema de sonido en un camioneta y llegaron algunas chicas vestidas de trajes de carnaval y la procesión se puso en marcha cuesta abajo. La acompañamos al igual que una muchadumbre creciente a lo largo del camino….increíble y totalmente inesperada!

roche grande, paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa, water color. pen and watercolour, sketch, travel, illustration

Mi último boceto fue de la granja de cerdos (derecha y abajo).

paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa, roche grande, pig farm

El dibujo tardó un par de sesiones para terminarse, sentada en un muro en el borde de una gran caída que me hizo sentir mareada cuando miré hacia abajo.

paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa

 

 

 

 

 

Me encontré muy emocionada durante mis paseos por el valle. No sólo es la belleza de la naturaleza intemporal e impresionante, sino los elementos hechos por el hombre – chozas de piedra con techos de paja, las laderas terraplenadas y cuidadosamente cultivadas por todas partes, incluyendo los lechos de los ríos – son verdaderas obras de arte.

paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa, river, terracing paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa

Me sentí más inspirada para dibujar en el Valle de Paúl de lo que he estado en mucho tiempo, realmente no quise irme, y me encantaría volver y quedarme un rato más largo para dibujar y hacer senderismo.

Nunca se sabe, puede que aprenda algúnas palabras de criollo….

paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa, road works paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa

paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa, dry stone wall

 

Impressions of Cape Verde

About a year ago a good friend of mine moved to Sal, one of the ten volcanic islands off the northwest coast of Africa which makes up the archipelago of Cape Verde.  


santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, flag, shaddowShe told me it´s a place with no winter so February seemed like a good time to pay her a visit. That was the extent of my pre-travel research.

A few people have expressed interest in Cape Verde as a holiday destination so I thought I’d put some tips, photos and sketches together in this blog.

¡Haz clic aquí para leer la versión española!

Currency

The Cape Verdean escudo: 100 CVE = approx 1€

In touristy areas you can pay in euros (sometimes only euro notes are accepted and you’ll get your change in escudos) but if you’re heading for more rural areas you’ll need to buy escudos beforehand. There are banks and cash points aplenty in towns so it’s no bother.

Language

Unless you speak Creole (hugely unlikely) it will be a major help if you speak Portuguese (I don’t, but my Spanish was useful). English is widely spoken on Sal but less so on other islands where French is very handy. Even shoddy O Level French. 

Flights

I flew from Seville to Las Palmas in Gran Canaria (Ryanair) and then on to Sal (Binter). There are direct flights from Lisbon to several of the Cape Verdean Islands.

Visa

You can buy a month’s visa for 25€ when you reach your destination airport in Cape Verde and present your passport.

Tourist tax on accommodation

There’s a 2€ per night tax added to the advertised room price for foreigners staying in Cape Verde.

Rainy season

September and October.

Santa Maria, Island of Sal 

The town of Santa Maria is about half an hour’s drive from tiny Sal airport; the journey costs 12€ / 1200CVE by taxi or, if you’re travelling light you can walk out to the main road from the terminal building and hail a colectivo (shared minivan), spend a mere 1€ / 100CVE and travel like a local.

cape fruit, santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, breakfast, brunch, lunch, smoothies, natural bar, fresh fruit, healthy eating, coffee, salad, vegetarian food

Pretty much the first place my friend took me to was the natural bar Cape Fruit…woohoo! 

Super yummy fruit smoothies and juices, fresh fruit and homemade yoghurt, pancakes, omelettes, toasts and cakes, great coffee…all served with a smile in  lovely relaxed and cosy surroundings. They’re always busy….

cape fruit, santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, breakfast, brunch, lunch, smoothies, natural bar, fresh fruit, healthy eating, smoothie, banana, strawberry, coconut, pen and watercolour, sketch, food, illustration, vegan

Needless to say I was there for breakfast every day of my stay in Santa Maria (apart from Wednesday when they’re shut)…….and eventually I immortalised my favourite smoothie in pen and watercolour (above). It’s banana, strawberry and coconut mixed with water, by the way, the smoothie not the painting.

cape fruit, santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, breakfast, brunch, lunch, smoothies, natural bar, fresh fruit, healthy eating, pancake, banana, grape, papaya, kiwi fruit, honey, water color. pen and watercolour, sketch, food, illustration, vegan

After that I took on the pancake with fresh fruit and honey (above)…it certainly sharpens the appetite to stare at your order for an hour or so before diving in!

cape fruit, santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, breakfast, brunch, lunch, smoothies, natural bar, fresh fruit, healthy eating, smoothie, banana, strawberry, coconut, pen and watercolour, sketch, food, illustration, vegan

Here is the sweet and lovely Cape Fruit crew; huge thanks to them for the breakfasts, for welcoming my sketches with such enthusiasm and featuring them on their facebook page, and also for the gift of the Cape Fruit mug which is now part of my daily breakfast routine at home. 

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde,

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, fishing boat

Then we hit the beach, and there’s plenty of it, lovely fine white sand and the ocean, although a tad chilly on entry, was calm and very refreshing.

It was pretty windy everyday in Santa Maria which is famed as a wind and kite surfing centre. You can also snorkel and dive if that’s your bag.

There were some huge hotel complexes further down this beach adding to problems with the water supply. Sal is essentially a desert island with no natural water and the desalination plants are struggling to keep up with demand.

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde,, water color. pen and watercolour, sketch, travel, illustration

The pier above doubles as a fish market when the daily catches are brought in; my sketch has a 3D element as wind blown sand stuck to the wet paint.

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, construction

 

Overall, away from the smarter beach side tourist establishments Santa Maria has a bleakish dilapidated feel, with lots of half finished construction, plenty of derelict buildings and litter and very little greenery…

…but there are no mosquitoes!

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, washing line

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, superbok

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, derelictAnd it’s not without its charm.

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, catchupa

Catchupa is the national dish, a delicious, slowly stewed concoction of beans, veg and fish or meat. 

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde, front line apartments

I was offered sex and marijuana on separate occasions, both of which I politely declined, but it was nice to know that they were available!

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde

The restaurant Kossivi does really good sushi!

I also enjoyed a few poker games with my friend and her buddies although I didn’t win anything beyond a couple of hands. Gambling is actually illegal on Sal although they’ve just opened a casino if you’re there and fancy a flutter, but I’m told the poker tables are a rip off at 25€ a hand.

santa maria, sal, cape verde, cabo verde. church

Mindelo, Island of Sao Vicente

I decided to set off in search of more music and culture so I booked a Binter flight from Sal to Sao Vicente (40€ one way, 40 mins approx).

A taxi from Sao Vicente airport, which is named after the celebrated Cape Verdean singer Cesária Évora, to the port town of Mindelo takes 20 minutes or so and costs 1000CVE / 10€. There´s no bus or colectivo service as far as I could make out.

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde

 

I took the photo above from the roof terrace of my hotel (left); cheap and somewhat cheerful and dusty, its main attraction was the view and its location, 5 mins walk from the port and the town centre.

 

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, fishing boat

I went out in search of food and water as soon as I arrived in Mindelo and found out that there was going to be a free concert in the town square that evening.

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, concert

Of course being English I arrived far too early but was able to sit on the door step of a shut shop and listen to the sound check and watch the square gradually fill with a very friendly crowd under the light of the full moon. I have no idea who played but they were great and I caught my first glimpse of a Mandingo dancer; a guy in a grass skirt with a big stick and a mohican who moved with hypnotic rhythm through the crowd, stopping for photos in exchange for loose change. More of that later….

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, water color. pen and watercolour, sketch, travel, illustration

The next day I did a bit of sketching (above) and was approached by a woman from Paris who stopped for a chat. I couldn’t help her with the directions to the bus stop she wanted and she assured me that the Mindelo town beach was nice and that the hike I was planning to do on another island was easy…both untrue!

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, shutters

I wandered back to my room for a rest…but then I heard drumming…the kind of drumming that demands to be investigated. I went down to reception and asked ‘What’s that noise?’ ‘Ah, that’s the Mandingo…’ was the reply. So, having no idea what that meant, I went out and followed the sound uptown… 

There was a small group gathering around the drummers and dancers when I got there and they moved off down the street…

….more and more people joining the throng all the time, people throwing money from balconies, the rhythm and atmosphere were absolutely energising and infectious, I couldn´t help but grin from ear to ear.

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, mandingo, carnaval, drumming

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, mandingo, carnaval, drumming

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, mandingo, carnaval, drumming

This guy offered me some of the beer he was drinking out of that horn he’s holding and he told me that he and his chums were covered in charcoal to make them darker, it looked more like motor oil to me and I ended up smeared with quite a bit of it…could have been one of those lost in translation situations!mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, mandingo, carnaval, drumming

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, mural

The procession I joined was just a practice for the carnival which was to take place on the 28th February, the day I was due to leave Cape Verde…

I loved Mindelo: the musical juxtaposition of African and Portuguese influences…

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde

…. the contrast of the well kept colonial

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde,

with the deliciously dilapidated….

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde,

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, abandoned house

…and the quirkily modern and upcycled…

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, upcycled doors

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde,

…as well as the boaty.

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, fishing boat

Next year I want to be there for carnival, although ideally I’ll upgrade my accommodation to the rather swish Casa Branca, which is right next door to the dusty, drab place I stayed in and was recommended by an English couple I met on the ferry. They serve a good breakfast (included in the room price) and tasty tapas style dinners.

I also ate well at La Pergola, which has good vegetarian options and Café Royal, although I’d avoid Casa Café Mindelo as it’s touristy, over priced and not terribly friendly…maybe they were having a bad day.

Sao Vicente to Santo Antao by inter-island ferry

I’d heard that the island of Santo Antao was beautiful and that the Paúl Valley in particular was spectacularly lush and great for hiking so I planned a day trip.

I visited the Mindelo office of hiking guide Nobai to make sure it was easy enough to walk the route I wanted without a guide and within my two hour time limit and the nice French lady reassured (i.e. lied to) me, gave me a map and transport tips from the port to the start point of my hike.

mindelo, sao vicente, cabo verde, cape verde, ferry, port, boat

There are two ferry companies that run services from the port in Mindelo to Port Novo on the island of Santo Antao.

Boats leave at 7 and 8am and return at 4 and 5pm, the trip takes an hour and costs 800CVE / 8€.

I bought my ferry ticket from the office at the port and the next day, Valentine’s day, I had an early breakfast and arrived at the port at 7.30am in good time to board for the 8am crossing.

mindelo, sao vicente, san antao, cabo verde, cape verde, ferry, port, boat

 

The boats are very punctual and they give out sick bags just in case. I’d popped a Dramamine and the crossing was smooth so the only drama was the sight of flying fish leaping in the bow spume.

They stay airborne for ages, shine iridescent blue in the sunshine and actually flap their fins like wings. I didn’t even attempt to photograph them.

 

mindelo, sao vicente, san antao, cabo verde, cape verde, ferry, port, boat

mindelo, sao vicente, san antao, cabo verde, cape verde, ferry, port, boatmindelo, sao vicente, san antao, cabo verde, cape verde, ferry, port, boat

mindelo, sao vicente, san antao, cabo verde, cape verde, ferry, port, boat

 

Port Novo, Island of Santo Antao

port novo, san antao, cabo verde, cape verde, ferry, port, boat

There are crowds of people at the exit of the ferry terminal building in Port Novo offering the disembarking voyagers onward transport in the form of private taxis and shared colectivos, artisan cheese, fruits and vegetables. It’s a bit of a scrum so it’s handy to know exactly where you’re going, how you want to travel and what you expect to pay beforehand. 

Port Novo ferry terminal also boasts a cafe with excellent coffee and cake and a cash point.

By the way, one of the ferry crossings I made was quite rough and there were several people (mostly kids) throwing up into the aforementioned bags.

port novo, santo antao, cabo verde, cape verde, ferry, port, boat

Port Novo to Cova de Paúl crater

As suggested by the Nobai tour guide I hired a taxi to take me up the long and bumpy track to the extinct volcanic crater of Cova de Paúl from which I planned to descend through the Paúl Valley on foot.

taxi, port novo, san antao, cabo verde, cape verde, valentines day

It cost 2000 CVE / 20€ which seems as steep as the road but it’s not a popular route and the driver has absolutely no chance of a return fare. 

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, port novo, cavo de paul

Above, Port Novo just visible on the coast and the island of Sao Vicente in the background…

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, port novo, cavo de paul….onwards and upwards…

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, cavo de paul

…to the volcanic crater at the top which is now farm land.

The taxi driver dropped me off and pointed me in the right direction ‘Go down there, round the corner, you’ll need to go through that pass over there to get to the Paúl Valley’ he said in Portuguese. ‘OK,’ I said, feeling nervous, ‘it’s easy, right?’ ‘Yes, easy, just follow the path’ he replied.

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, cavo de paul

 

So I set off around the corner….

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, cavo de paul

but although I could see people climbing up the rock on a terraced path I couldn’t work out how to follow them so I started fiddling with my map ineffectually until some helpful farmers shouted directions which I couldn’t understand with hand signals that I could….

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, cavo de paul

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, cavo de paul

…and I was back on track.

Paúl Valley from the top

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, paul valley, vale do paul

And this was the breathtaking view of the Paúl Valley which greeted me as I emerged from the pass. I fell in love…

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, paul valley, vale do paul, hiking, terracing

 

….and started my buttock clenching, knee bracing, ankle ricking, slippy, slidy descent down the gorgeously terraced, twisty path repeating the ‘down break anything’ mantra under my breath.

paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, paul valley, vale do paul, hiking, volcano

 

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, paul valley, vale do paul, hiking, terracing

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, paul valley, vale do paul, hiking, terracing

The level of cultivation and habitation gradually increased as did the temperature as I went down.

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, paul valley, vale do paul, hiking, terracing

 

I stopped to buy a bag of coffee ground from beans grown in the valley from some women at the side of the path before reaching a village of sorts.

cape verde, cabo verde, san antao, paul valley, vale do paul, hiking, terracing

 

By this time, after two plus hours of walking, my knees and feet were complaining loudly but I was only about half way to my target destination of Vila das Pombas, a town on the coast, where I knew I could get transport back to the port…so I had to keep walking….until I spotted a passing colectivo and gratefully flagged it down.

‘Can you take me to Pombas please? I need to make my way to the ferry.’ ‘Sure’, said the driver in excellent English, ‘from Pombas I’m going to Ponta do Sol to pick up some people who need to be at Port Novo for the 4pm crossing, do you want to come with me?’ ‘Yes please’. Nothing like an unplanned site seeing diversion to enliven the limbs.

As we whizzed down to the coast in the van I knew I’d not seen enough of the Paúl Valley…

Ponta do Sol

santo antao, ponta do sol, cape verde, cabo verde, fishing, boats, nets, floats

The colectivo driver dropped me off in the small but lively fishing port which doubles as a fish marketsanto antao, ponta do sol, cape verde, cabo verde, fishing, boats, nets, floats

santo antao, ponta do sol, cape verde, cabo verde, fishing, boats, nets, floats

santo antao, ponta do sol, cape verde, cabo verde, fishing, boats, nets, floats

and I meandered up the road in search of drinking water before being picked up again. 

santo antao, ponta do sol, cape verde, cabo verde

santo antao, ponta do sol, cape verde, cabo verde

We then did a tour of the village collecting people from their houses before setting off on the 45 minute journey back to Port Novo. The whole trip cost me 500CVE / 5€.

santo antao, ponta do sol, cape verde, cabo verde

Having returned to Mindelo on the ferry, I spent the next day limping about on my sore hips and knees and changing my travel plans so that I could go back to Santo Antao and explore the Paúl Valley further.

Paúl Valley from the middle

I booked a room in the Chez Hujo hostel in the Boca de Figueiral region of the valley and they organised a colectivo to pick me up from Port Novo which cost 350CVE / 3,50€.

chez hujo, paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa

My room, at the back of the hostel, had a stunning view and cost 3500CVE / 35€ a night including an enormous breakfast, half of which I wrapped up and ate for lunch. 

chez hujo, paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa

Chez Hujo also offer a huge evening meal (chicken, pork or fish with salad, rice and potatoes) at 800CVE / 8€, which is great since the closest restaurant is half an hour’s walk away. There’s also a simple bar downstairs which opens in the evening.

paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa, water color. pen and watercolour, sketch, travel, illustration,

 

 

 

They gave me a very warm welcome and right after I’d checked in I set about sketching the view from the front of the hostel, left and below.

chez hujo, paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa

 

 

o curral,, paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa, water color. pen and watercolour, sketch, travel, illustration

 

 

 

 

 

The following day I hiked up the road for an hour to the O Curral bio plantation and drew the stunning view from the open side of their restaurant (right) while enjoying a bowl of fresh fruit and homemade yoghurt.

 

The place packed out with serious hikers at lunch time who enthusiastically tucked in to bowls of catchupa accompanied by bottles of beer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

font cafe, paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa, water color. pen and watercolour, sketch, travel, illustration,

This next sketch of the Font Café (above), which was just round the corner from the hostel, took a few sessions over a couple of days to complete. I must say that sitting on a wall at the side of a road for hours at a time is a great way to meet people. And the Paúl Valley people are lovely. Eventually the old lady who lives in the foreground cottage walked up and greeted me. I showed her the drawing, ‘Pretty’, she said, ‘now sit on that wall properly so that you don’t fall over the side into the river.’

The Font Café on laundry day, below, with the river washed items spread on the rocks to dry.

paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa

chez hujo, paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa, water color. pen and watercolour, sketch, travel, illustration

 

Once the Chez Hujo owners, Hudson (Cape Verdean) and Joel (French)  found out I was an artist they asked me to paint the hostel (right and below).

chez hujo, paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa

Against my introverted nature I accepted an invitation to join some Germans at dinner in the hostel one night…they turned out to be super cool meteorologists who’d reached Mindelo on a scientific research ship from Montevideo and come Paúl for a bit of hiking before heading home. We dispersed after dinner and I was in my room when I heard drumming from down the valley and as I was looking out of my window into the deep dark thinking ‘ooh, shall I go out and follow the noise?’ I saw some of the Germans on the patio below wondering the same thing. So a small but merry band of us trudged down to the next village under a super starry sky to watch the drummers practice and feel the rhythm in our bones at close quarters. After half an hour or so the lights and sound system on a truck had been rigged up and some girls dressed in carnival team outfits joined the throng and the truck set off down hill with the drummers in tow. We tagged along as did a growing crowd along the way….awesome and totally unexpected!

 
roche grande, paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa, water color. pen and watercolour, sketch, travel, illustration
 
My last sketch was of the pig farm (right and below).
 
 
 paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa, roche grande, pig farm
 
 It took a few sessions to complete, sitting on a wall at the edge of a very high drop which made me feel quite queasy when I looked down.
 
 paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I was close to tears at one point on my stroll up the road. Not only is the natural beauty timeless and breathtaking but the man made elements – stone houses with thatched roofs, terracing and careful cultivation everywhere, including the river beds – are stunning works of art.
 
paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa, river, terracing
 
paul valley, santo antao, cape verde, cabo verde, africa
 
I felt more inspired to draw in the Paúl Valley than I have in a very long time, I really didn’t want to leave, and plan to return for a longer sketching and hiking holiday next year.
 
I might even learn some Creole….
 
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