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Paternoster, Heart of the West Coast
Barely and hour's drive from Cape Town on the rugged West Coast, in a tranquil bay embroidered with scattered rocks, is the attractive fishing village of Paternoster.
With it's picturesque white washed houses, green-grey veld and turquoise water, you'd be forgiven for thinking you have ended up in a distant hamlet someplace on the Mediterranean coast. Then again, you won't get anything more authentically South African than the native delicacy of bokkoms (salted, dried fish) - the seafood model of that different very South African deal with, biltong.
Being near Cape Town, this predominantly Afrikaans-speaking village is a popular weekend getaway destination for prosperous Capetonians preferring the unspoilt West Coast to the tourist friendlier South Coast. In summer time the close by camping site at Tietiesbaai within the Cape Columbine nature reserve, is frequented by hardy fisherman and snorkel divers.
Although the water is usually too cold for bathing, colourful boats baking in the sun is a typical sight on the town's unspoilt stretch of beach. On an excellent day up to thirty boats may be seen throughout the bay - nearly all of Paternoster's humble everlasting inhabitants are still solely at mercy of the ocean to provide them with meals and a way of income.
Legend has it that the town's name, which is Latin for "Our Father's prayer", was given by Portuguese seafarers who had bother in tough seas. Grateful for having safely reached shore, they vowed to build a church and christened the village Paternoster.
A visit to the Paternoster hotel will offer you a bit of perception into the town's colourful culture. The hotel's notorious "panty bar" - with it's partitions and ceiling covered in girls's underwear and soiled jokes - is the place you will find sturdy fishermen watching sport on television while consuming copious quantities of Brandy and coke. Across the road from the hotel's terrace, locals sell their catch of the day - whether or not Snoek legally or Crayfish underhandedly (it is illegal to buy or sell Crayfish or West Coast Rock Lobster with a leisure Crayfish permit).
Down the road is the Paternoster farm stall, the place merchandise features a delicious variety of homemade seafood pickles like mussels with coriander and chili or curried calamari. Diagonally opposite is the charming Oep ve Koep (the name directly interprets from an Afrikaans expression in typical West Coast slang as "open for buying") the place typical kitschy vacationer memorabilia sit between a large collection of vintage enamelware, glass containers and vintage signage.
On the beach entrance market indulge within the freshest fish and chips from the Seemeeu Kiosk or brave the pungent odor and buy a bunch of bokkoms - actually a delectable substitute for anchovy.
For the proper ending to a typical West-Coast visit, make dinner reservations at the quaint Die Voorstrandt restaurant. Situated right on the beach in one of many oldest buildings in the village, Die Voorstrandt offers a style of the freshest native seafood and unsurpassed views of the most stunning West Coast sunset.
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