Blogs from Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa, Africa - page 8

South Africa 2017: May 11

Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Cape Town May 11th 2017

V&A Waterfront, Clock Tower in foreground

It has rained heavily overnight, a bit of relief for the drought. The morning is cool and cloudy. JP picks us up at 8 am. The plan today is visit the Victoria and Alfred (V&A) Waterfront in Cape Town City Centre, while keeping an eye on the weather to see if it would be appropriate to tackle Table Mountain later in the day. First it's breakfast at a nearby restaurant. Eggs Benedict are always a treat. After breakfast we pile back into the van and head for the V&A Waterfront. You might think, by the way, that the name should be Victoria and Albert, but it's named after Alfred, the second son of Queen Victoria, who was the first British royal to visit South Africa in 1860. On the way, JP points out a couple of ... read more

Table Mountain with a "tablecloth" from V&A Waterfront

South Africa 2017: May 8-10

Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Cape Town » Durbanville May 10th 2017

Tulips at Amsterdam Airport

Sadza

We are travelling to South Africa in a party of three: myself, wife Violet and friend Karen. Our itinerary, which has been arranged by Go Touchdown Travel, includes one week with Cape Town as a home base, after which we will travel to the northern part of the country for a week in and near the major game reserves. Our route is Ottawa-Toronto on Westjet, then Toronto-Amsterdam (7 hours) and Amsterdam-Cape Town (11 hours) on KLM. The entire trip is 27 hours. The flights are long but relatively comfortable. Happily, both planes are newer 777s, which have acceptable legroom for me. We are well treated and well fed by KLM. For me, it is a chance to catch up on movies that I have wanted to see but would not be of interest to my dear ... read more

Cape Town - One for the bucket list. And while you're at it, put it at the top!

Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Cape Town » Green Point April 26th 2017

First glimpse of Table Mountain

Two Heads One Dream

Flying into Cape Town last Sunday, we were understandably tired after our fifth flight in two days but all signs of tiredness quickly vanished once we caught our first glimpse of Table Mountain on the descent into Cape Town. Breathtaking. Amazing. Mother nature at her very best! With all the last minute preparations for our year away I don't think we had allowed ourselves to get excited about our week in Cape Town. But before our feet had even touched the ground I think we both knew we were in for a magical week. And that was BEFORE we found out that the Western Cape was experiencing an unseasonal heat wave with 30+ degrees Celsius. #winning First stop this week was the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (V&A) - Cape Town's most popular tourist attraction - with ... read more

Cape Town, it's Tiffany Easter holidays...

Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Cape Town April 1st 2017

Second time for Tiff and I, but a first with Tanya!

Maisondubonheur

It's holidays time, this time for Tiffany as she has three full weeks to enjoy away from boarding school. On the program, as you can guess some fun diving at home....but not only! South Africa has so much to offer that we won't get bored visiting every corner of it too soon! Many people are asking me when I tell them we moved to South Africa if we are living in Joburg or Cape Town. Trust me, Cape Town is an amazing place, but winter here are way too cold and wet for me...and prices way too high to simply enjoy it properly. Shall I also add as a diver, water is way to cold to have fun diving here few times a week! This is the second visit for Tiffany, but a first for Tanya, ... read more

Seven gills shark, also known as the cow shark...very friendly and curious!

Ans Meer? In die Berge? Beides! Kapstadt!

Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Cape Town March 9th 2017

Bo-Kap

AnnaSchlanna

Nach einem mehr als 15-stündigen Flug und leichten Schwierigkeiten am Flughafen genau unseren Uber-Fahrer zu finden kommen wir ziemlich geschafft in Kapstadt an. Wir wohnen bei Andrew im quirligen Bo-Kap, dem muslimischen Viertel an den Hängen des Signal Hill. Bo-Kap bedeutet "oberhalb von Kapstadt" und ist bekannt für seine von bonbon-bunten kleinen Häusern gesäumten steilen kopsteingepflasterten Straßen. Hier lebt die große Gemeinde der so genannten Kapmalaien, Nachfahren der von den Niederländern im 16./17. Jahrhundert (allerdings überwiegend aus Indonesien und nicht aus Malaysia) nach Südafrika eingeschleppten Sklaven. Unser Haus ist gelb. Wir erkunden noch ein bisschen die kleinen Straßen um unsere Unterkunft herum und laufen hinunter auf die Long Street, eine der Hauptstraßen in Kapstadt mit etlichen Läden, Cafés und Restaurants. Hier schlendern wir durch einen Park un... read more

On our way home.....

Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Cape Town January 26th 2017

Cable car going up to the top of Table Mountain

Edmichel

As we wait for our evening flight from J'burg to Heathrow, decided to add one last blog. These are from a great 10 day trip in the Capetown area. Capetown is a beautiful waterfront city, often compared to San Diego. The weather was gorgeous, except for our first day when they had incredibly strong winds and gusts. Fortunately it only lasted the day, but did cause a major fire on the outskirts of the city. The visit included taking the cable car up, and in our normal western assumption, thinking it would be easier to just meander/walk down. But I am not sure what part of the granite mountain we would be meandering... We were later to be told, nobody walks down, that's much too hard. It was a very rocky narrow path, but we made ... read more

View from the top of Table Mountain of Capetown

Table Mountain viewed from almost anywhere in the City

Colorful beach shacks for changing in Muizenburg

Tuesday

Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Cape Town December 6th 2016

image.

Fredski

Well, none of us feeling too hot this morning but good going for us when first hangover of the holiday is nearly at end of holiday!!. Chockey went off to Paarl after breakfast and Veronica and I did a bit souvenir shopping. Fred did his best impersonation of a half shut knife. After a snooze in the afternoon (yes another one) we got ready to go out for a meal with Claudine and Francis. They came to us after work and had booked a table for 6pm at wine farm called Dieu Donne. We started off on terrace for pre-dinner drinks - the views were stunning. We then went for a stroll after we ordered dinner to take in the views. We thought views from Mont Rochelle were good but this was absolutely beautiful- you would ... read more

Thursday - last day in Camps Bay

Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Cape Town » Camps Bay November 25th 2016

Fredski

Well we all had a goods night sleep 3 of us didn't get up till 9 and Chockey nearer 10 so all is well with the world. However Veronica concerned about Chockey and so Fred took him to docs and he was prescribed antibiotics and an inhaler - Fred welcomed him to the gun club. Hopefully he will start to feel better, in all the years we've been going on holiday this is first time he's had to visit doc. When we got up the mist was so thick we could hardly see anything and we were hoping to spend some time on beach as it's our last day here. Sun eventually broke through so we made our way down to beach at about 2pm. Chockey haggled with sun bed man as wasn't prepared to pay ... read more

Wednesday

Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Cape Town » Camps Bay November 23rd 2016

Fredski

Yesterday Chockey's friend David Bruni flew in from Namibia to see him - they haven't seen each other since 1973 and recently connected via Facebook. He came to villa and we went out for lunch then in the evening went out for a meal with his son and daughter-in-law. We left David and his family at back of ten and in bed by 11.30 - so sensible! Funny to meet this 68 year old and imagine him being a drinking buddy of Chockey's in the 70's None of us slept well last night - Chockey still coughing and Fred still has head cold so will probably be early night tonight! Supposed to rain today but when we left at 10.30 it was dry but overcast but still warm. We did the Red Tour Bus and as ... read more

Sunday 20th

Africa » South Africa » Western Cape » Cape Town » Victoria and Alfred Waterfront November 21st 2016

Fredski

Last night was very stormy and we were all woken up(with the exception of Fred) to the sound of furniture on the terrace being blown around. I actually thought someone had got into house and was expecting to see a big black man on the other side of the door!! Today is very calm so able to have breakfast on terrace. Picked up at 11.30 to go down to waterfront to meet Vivienne and Jean-Paul. We had a lovely long lunch at the Waterfront Fishmarket then back to Jean-Paul's for coffee. Finished off the day with a couple of drinks at Camps Bay and back to villa to see Andy win his tennis match much to the delight of his number one fan Veronica- in bed by 10. You can tell we are pensioners as obsessed ... read more

Brief history of South Africa

After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjug...more history

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