Blogs from Western Cape, South Africa, Africa - page 6

The roots of the South African wine industry can be traced back to the exploration of the Dutch East India Company when a supply station was established in Cape Town. Cape Town was then only a stop for ships and crew to pick up fresh produce during their journey along the spice route to India. Jan van Riebeek was given the task to manage the station and plant grapes to produce wine; falsely believing the eating of grapes and the wine created from them would prevent scurvy and other diseases between sailors during their long voyages. In 1659 the first South African wine made from French Muscadel grapes were successfully made. Thank you Wikipedia. So today, after touring downtown Cape Town and the beautiful gardens around the government buildings, Jenny drove us to the Winelands. It’s ... read more

We arrived in Cape Town yesterday and had a busy day so I’m just now getting the chance to blog about our adventures here. Our hotel, the Cape Grace Hotel, is absolutely beautiful and is one of the nicest hotels I’ve stayed in. The decor is stunning, as is our room, the pool, the restaurant and all of the common areas. And I must not forget that this is also the home of a whiskey bar that houses 450 single malt scotch whiskeys, the largest collection in the southern hemisphere. We enjoyed a tasting of South African wines at the hotel bar and dined at a fish restaurant on the Victoria & Albert waterfront, just a quick walk from our hotel. Next I’ll be blogging about our first full day with our tour guide, Jenny.... read more

A long and interesting day trip today around the Cape Peninsula, and even though we started out in cold, windy weather, we returned to Cape Town in bright sunshine, with a few spots of rain on the way (maybe we are really in Melbourne ?). We first drove along the Atlantic coastline, through the expensive beach side suburbs (for the 3rd time, but heading south this time, so a different perspective). Couldn't see the Twelve Apostles today, too much cloud. After passing Hout Bay, we then drove along Chapman's Peak Drive, a scenic 9km road with 114 curves! Had a photo stop overlooking Chapman's Bay, then in to the middle of the peninsula, past an ostrich farm, to the Cape Peninsula National Park. There are virtually no trees, just "fynbos" as it is too windy. Between ... read more

Woke this morning to bright sunshine, and when we got to breakfast we could see Table Mountain (without any cloud). Yayy! So back to the Hop On Hop Off bus (red route this time) which also travels through the centre of Cape Town, and then part way up Table Mountain to the Lower Cableway Station. Off the bus, along with everyone else, to join the queue! Waited an hour to ride the cable car to the top. I guess (like us) everyone had waited for a clear day. There are two cable cars, one going up and one down at any given time, they each hold up to 65 people, have a revolving floor, and take 4-5 minutes to the top (or bottom). Once at the top there are paths around the mountain and spectacular views ... read more

Arrived in Johannesburg in the dark - 5am, got our bags and then rechecked them through to Cape Town and were again escorted from the international terminal to the domestic, but this time by a representative from the tour company - a nice touch. And not so rushed - had a 3 1/2 hour wait for our flight to Cape Town. Arrived there mid morning, but could not see Table Mountain on the drive from the airport - it was covered in cloud (the tablecloth apparently). But we were able to get into our room at the Table Bay Hotel. It is a beautiful hotel, on the waterfront where the cheaper rooms have ocean views (ours!) and the expensive ones have views of Table Mountain (hiding behind the clouds). It was nice to be able to ... read more