SOUTH AFRICA - DAY 6

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Today is all about wine. Our first stop was supposed to be Table Mountain but high winds have closed the cable car so we head to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. As we arrive at around 8:30 the skies opened up. Of course I had left the rain gear in the hotel and the umbrella on the bus. We were able to see a small part of the gardens and I especially enjoyed the beautiful Mandela Bird of Paradise hybrid but the rain came down harder and we sought shelter. We lurked outside the conservatory until it opened at 9:00. The exhibit was mainly desert plants, many looked like stone or dead trees and had developed amazing ways of coping with the lack of water. What I enjoyed most was the wonderful sculptures and the ancient bonsai.



Our first Winery was in the Franschhoek area we tasted a selection of the wines from the Haute Cabiere winery, home of the wines carrying the Pierre Jordan label. The wines were alright but nothing stood out. The second winery was in the Stellenbosh region where we had a tour of the caves where the wine aged and a demonstration of opening wine with a saber. Very entertaining but the wine was nothing special. Lunch was served at yet another winery, Moyo at Spier and it was a fun stop. We wandered the spacious grounds, checked out the craft stalls, discovered a fellow with a small owl and got to pet it's feathers. The buffet was held in an outdoor venue and many of us had our faces decorated. The food was grand and varied and we enjoyed a short drum performance.



On the way back to Cape Town we stopped at Vector Verster Prison, the prison from which Nelson Mandela was finally released in 1990 after 28 years in captivity. There is a statue of Mandela at the entrance capturing in stone the moment of his release. He is a remarkable man who never lost his way or let himself be consumed by hatred. He had been labeled a terrorist and a communist and was revealed as a statesman and a compassionate human being.



Went back to the hotel and again had tasty treats at Fork, the tapas restaurant nearby. Stopped for a nightcap at the hotel bar, watched a little soccer and headed to bed for another good night's sleep.

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