David Christiaan de Waal
David Christiaan de Waal was Mayor of Cape Town from 1889-1890. Before he became mayor but while he was a city councilor and member of the Legislative Council of the Cape Colony, he planted thousands of trees. De Waal loved trees for their “serene dignity and branches pointed heavenward as a symbol of prayer”. He helped develop De Waal Park in Cape Town’s Oranjezicht suburb. It opened to the public in 1895.
Trees
Some of the trees planted in the park include Erythrina Caffra, Stone Pine, Strelitzia Nicolai, Aloe Barberae, Jacaranda, Betula Papyrifera, Cladrastis, Swamp Cypress, and White Gum. In 1968 the park became a “National Monument maintained in perpetuity as public gardens”.
De Waal Park is a popular Cape Town dog-walking park with a vast array of friendly canines frolicking there. It was a good dog fix with the wagging tails and wet noses. On the way to the park I stopped to ask directions, and the person who helped was a retired American opera singer who had once performed at the Hult Center in Eugene Oregon – amazing!
After walking in the park for a few hours I unknowingly popped into a gay restaurant on Kloof Street for brunch. It was immediately obvious when I began looking at the menu items and artwork displayed. The fun guys welcomed and accepted me, and the frittata I ordered was delicious.
Strelitzia Nicolai