LAURENCE MACKINreviews A Single Swallow By Horatio ClareChatto Windus, £17.99 and Top 10: Cape Town and the Winelands DK, £6.99
A Single Swallow
Horatio Clare belongs to that mysterious cabal known as birdwatchers, and here he attempts to trace a typical swallow’s migratory journey from a South African swamp to the hills of South Wales. The route takes him through some of the wilder parts of Africa and it is largely here that he strikes literary gold, in the “quiet place” of Congo-Brazzaville or in parts of war-torn Niger. Clare is a romantic tour guide, and the writing in this book is beautifully realised in parts, whether he’s describing how a swallow moults in perfect symmetry, or painting the rapids of the Congo with broad, excited strokes of his pen. He is enthusiastic and honest (especially with his own failings), and there is plenty of oddly useful information: his overly zealous breakdown of his rucksack’s contents is a succinct lesson in how to travel prepared. The journey itself, though, is a faint stab at following the swallows’ flight path and Clare loses little sleep about taking vast short-cuts. There’s enough quality prose here, though, to make this forgivable.
Top 10: Cape Town and the Winelands
The swallow’s journey effectively starts in South Africa, and this punchy guide sets its borders around Cape Town and its surrounding wine country. Although this is not a purely bacchanalian affair, this guide’s strengths lie in its restaurant listings and vineyard entries, while the colourful outdoor adventure ideas should help you work up a sweat (anyone for some kloofing, for example? It’s actually jumping into freshwater pools from heights of up to 15m).
A list of 70 ideas on how to spend your day on the pull-out map is also a terrific touch.
lmackin@irishtimes.com