Lost and found

Your South Africa correspondent breathlessly notes the following:

An older gay friend of mine back home in London had recommended that on our Cape Winelands day out, we stop for lunch at La Petite Ferme, a five-star lodge noted for its views and stunning food. This suggestion was then corroborated by two other exceptionally discerning locals. So we called a couple of days ago and naturally it was fully booked. However, by a stroke of luck, we managed to get onto the waiting list and this turned into something more solid: a call came through this morning confirming we were in, albeit at with 'bar seats'. So, after a meander through Franschoek, gawping at the mountains shaped like freshly baked bread and the hectares of vineyards, we headed for the restaurant.

Which turned out to be everything we had been promised, and more; a gourmet extravaganza. But getting into a restaurant review is going to have to wait for another day...

As it turned out, we didn't just get a little stool at the bar as promised, but there was a cancellation and we got a full table with stunning views. This overlooked the stairs down to the garden where people were sitting around awaiting lunch. SM, my lunch companion, and I were chatting over the exploits of the previous night at Bronx and Loft back in Cape Town when a vision of beauty drifted out of the doors and paused momentarily, flexing his notable biceps to catch the view on his camera. I made an audible gasp: there was no doubt, it was Ian Somerhalder, the model/actor star of Lost and Rules of Attraction. I remember him being smoking hot in the first couple of series of Lost, before turning into the world's sexiest on-screen corpse, but jeeeeeez, since then the guy has been working out.

Luckily SM had the presence of mind to get me to snap a few with the zoom. Here is the indisputable evidence...

Wide angle first:

Now crop and zoom:

... and on the move. Note the eyebrow!

We told the ladies at the door as we left and they were all a-flutter. But it turned out celebrity was nothing new at Le Petite Ferme... Leonardo DiCaprio popped in last year.

Comments

[D'luv]

I saw him mincing into an electroclash club in Echo Park here in L.A. about four years ago with a band of gayz. Great pics you got!

Also, it's my editor-ly duty to point out the typo:

" I remember him *bring* smoking hot..."

[Phil]

He is a vision, but those arms look too big for the rest of his body: like lollipop head syndrome for arms. What would that be? Popeye arms?

Well done Mr Secret Squirrel

[TRICKY]

D'luv - for the purposes of clarity, he was accompanied, very much entangled, with a beautiful blonde woman and then had lunch with an older gentleman. Thank you kindly for the sub - fixed. Dankee! (as they say here, in Afrikaans).

Phil - Hmm, I am wondering if the arms are a bit squished by the menu under his pit. Mind, I am not complaining. He's not really in 'walnuts in a condom' mode yet, is he? Didn't look out of proportion per se, but more Hollywood gym trainer-honed...

Thanks boys!

[Ginny]

Truly Richard, you are leading a charmed life! xx

[Tony]

Secret Celeb Squirrel on tour. Haha. Love it.

[Adem With An E]

Phwoar; I remember giving in and - reluctantly - watching Lost purely for him... The minute I found out he karked it I gave up.

Those eyes of his are an absolute vision...

[Erica]

His arms are actually ugly and fat , but nothing i can say about his so beautiful face ! I love him!

[xolondon]

Okay, if those are "ugly and fat" arms then I am in serious trouble!

[TRICKY]

Gins - yes, charmed. But this was more a case of right place, right time, right zoom lens...!

Adem - I can confirm, the guy is utterly divine. One of those 'growing into the looks' types like Jared Leto would have been if he hadn't screwed it up.

Erica - I am with XO on this one - I can't agree. I saw those arms up close and they are *neither* of those things. The guy is as lean as a whippet... but this is a good thing, right?