Indian Summer

I celebrated my Indian Summer at the Cape of Good Hope with two simplified versions of the Punjabi salwar, the combination of scarf, kameez and baggy or tight trousers. The dark red one being an interpretation by a group of young designers for the label Hip Hop, now sadly defunct. This Indian reminiscence is not as far-fetched as you might think. Indians emigrated to the Cape since the 19th century and Cape Town owns its foundation to the thirst of the Dutch East India company VOC for South Asian and South East Asian spices.

The turquoise version has its origin in Mauritius with its fascinating mix of French colonial and Indian culture. At the market in Quatre-Borne I can hardly tear myself away from the stands with heaps of fabric for saris and salwars. In the street along the market I enter a shop with more fabric and more saris in brilliant colours. A mother and daughter are selecting a wedding outfit. One gleaming silk sari with sequin embroidery after another is spread out on the counter. After they have exhausted nearly all saris in stock they buy – nothing. The proprietor has finally time to attend to me. She shows me the turquoise salwa and promises to have it fitted the next day.

The lady happens to be one of the editors of a magazine dedicated to my favourite French Nobel novelist Jean-Marie Le Clézio hailing from Mauritius. What a lucky encounter!

His childhood memories accompanied me on my round trip on the island. I had the privilege to stay in the fairy tale La Maison Créole Eureka in the hills of Moka belonging to Le Clézio’s family and later with his aunt in Trou d’ Eaux Douce on the East Coast. I cannot decide what was more fascinating, the colonial manor house, the dreamlike park and ravine or the saga of the family told by the house's present owner, M. de Maroussem, a gifted causeur.

© Philippe Halle,123RF