Just before I was claimed by much-needed sleep last night, I caught a glimpse of the latest rerun of Blackadder II. The episode in question was entitled “Potato”, and was based around the return to England of Sir Walter Raleigh.
Blackadder, anxious to win back the Queen’s favour from Raleigh, tells the court of his intention to sail around the Cape of Good Hope (just down the road from here).
Raleigh scoffs:
“You’d never dare. Why, ’round the Cape, the rain beats down so hard it makes your head bleed!”
“So, some sort of hat is probably in order.”
“And great dragons leap from the water and swallow ships whole!”
“I must remember to pack the larger of my two shrimping nets.”
Which all goes to show that the reputation of the Cape weather was well known to Western Civilisation long before Jan ever got here. That said, it’s actually a very pleasant day today.