Oh Hello Cape Town!

 Cape Town from atop Table Mountain

I’ve just returned from 5 amazing days in Cape Town.

Before I left for Africa, someone told me (I think it was train friend David), that you always leave part of your heart in Africa…

I totally understand now.

Cape Town is now up there with my most favourite cities in the world…Jerusalem (Israel), Annecy (France), and now Cape Town, South Africa.

I’m not sure whether it was the perfect sunny 28 degrees celcius days, the mountains, the 

Camp's Bay

oceans, the great coffee, the amazing food or the people…whatever it was, it amounted to a pretty perfect long weekend.

There are so many highlights.

There were so many must-do’s.

But let me tell you about my new friend Chris.

Apartheid

I was connected with Chris through one of the bed & breakfasts I stayed at.

He took me on two full day tours – one of the Peninsula, the other of the Wine Region.

Chris is incredibly personable, easy to talk to, friendly, open, all great qualities of a tour guide.

I’d have to say though, that after spending two days together, I have made a new friend in Cape Town.

In my attempt to learn more about apartheid, I visited the District Six museum.

It is an area in Cape Town (one of many) where, beginning in the 1960’s the government decided to make it a White’s Only area.

People who lived in District Six were a mix of different “colours” and faiths. They got a long well. They were each other’s family.

And then the government expelled them.

Just like that.

They were sent to live about 30km away from the city.

They lost their homes.

They were not compensated at all.

(Today the South African government is taking steps to rectify this.)

To those of us who live freely in countries that do not see colour, race, or faith as a “barrier”, we cannot imagine this, much less comprehend this.

Nelson Mandela and I

Chris drove me through District Six, pointing out where he was born, where he played with his friends, the church he and his family attended, and then where they went after they were expelled from the District.

He told me stories of his anger.

He told me about dropping out of school to work and help support his family.

(And then later finishing his high school diploma as an adult)

He showed me the half-way house his family ran for ex-prisoners of Robben Island.

While the District Six museum definitely helped me begin to understand apartheid in South Africa, my time with Chris helped me to really begin to be aware of the atrocities of that time and be in awe of the fact that up to 20 years ago, people were still segregated based on the colour of their skin.

Beauty

The beauty of Cape Town will hit you as soon as you land at Cape Town International.

There is something about the sea air, the breeze, the view of the surrounding mountains…

Did I mention I went parasailing?
INCREDIBLE experience!

Have you heard about Table Mountain?

It was recently named one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

It’s super cool – a big tall mountain in the middle of the city with a flat top, hence, “table” mountain.

I took a cable car to the top and back down again, but there are several routes you can take to hike up the mountain.

I was there just before sunset and it was gorgeous!

Oh – the cable car is totally dependent on the ever changing weather and wind in Cape Town – make sure you check before you go up there to make sure the mountain is “open”.

There is also this phenomenon call the “Table Cloth” when wind brings the cloud in over the mountain and a layer of cloud covers the top and drapes down the side of the mountain…soooo pretty!

Cape Town was also named Design Capital of the World 2014. You will instantly see why.

The architecture of the city is mixed from old Dutch to modern. It’s a great mix!

To add to this are all the local artists and designers – a really fun way to see a good mix of them is on the Saturday Neighbourhood Goods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill.

The “mill” is just like the Distillery District in Toronto…old cobblestoned, very sweet!

And the market on Saturday mornings is such a fun way to spend a few hours – shopping and eating local delicious foods, sipping organic coffees, juices and alcoholic beverages too…

Oh…did I mention live music?

That too!

Table Mountain with its "table cloth"

The Peninsula!

So why would you spend a whole day driving down to the “point”?

Well – other than seeing where the two oceans meet – again, it’s beautiful…and every little fishing village you pass along the way is just beautiful.

The route you can take will also take you to Boulder’s Beach where you can see the South African Penguin or Cape Penguin…I can’t remember what’s its new name is…it used to be the Jackass penguin – I’m not kidding! You can walk along the beach and see the penguins just hangin’ out!

It’s really cool and the huge boulders on the beach are awesome also!

The Cape

There are two points - Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope.

Cape Point is where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet.

The Cape of Good Hope is the most south-western tip of the Cape. It’s the site of many historic landings of Cape, especially during the time of the Spice Route trades.

At the Cape of Good Hope – you’ll see lots of stone, jenga-like towers (kinda like inukshuks).

I heard from someone that this is a Chinese thing?

A Chinese sailor, explorer, diplomat Zheng He is reportedly one of the first to round the Cape on his way to the Americas, as early as 1407. This was apparently before the Dutch, British or Spanish…

And so the Chinese commerate this by building these little stone towers…

Of course the Chinese in me needed to the same! :)

Making my stone tower at the Cape of Good Hope

The Wine Region

There are two areas – Stellenbosch and Franschoek

Because of the way I needed to structure my day, we stayed in Stellenbosch…

Gorgeous.

Delicious.

SO sad it costs almost double to ship such amazing wine to Canada…

Yes – we do get South African wine in Canada –

But you guys, what is available in South Africa is a hundred times better!

I did 3 tastings, including a “master tasting” that included cheese with each of the 8 wines.

The master tasting was at Fairview Estate.

We do get some of their Goats Do Roam wines I believe…

But Fairview was the only “commercialized” winery we went to…

The others were small and local and perfect.

We started the day at Hertenberg – they had an incredible 2008 Shiraz which I hear you can get from a distributer they have in Toronto…

And ended the day at Stark Condé.

They had an amazing 2011 Syrah that I fell in love with…

Did I mention that I also did a chocolate tasting

Yeah…that has changed my life forever with chocolate –

Nothing less than 70% cocoa will do!

Dinner at the Codfather's

Food

Having been in landed locked Botswana for two months, I craved seafood like nobody’s business

I ate at local joints that had amazingly fresh seafood –

From sushi/sashimi to grilled lagostines and tiger shrimp and kingklip (local fish), I was in heaven.

Cape Town is a haven for fresh and delicious fish.

Foodies check out!

The Miller’s Thumb, Peter’s, The Codfather and Willoughby’s at V&A Waterfront.

Right now I cannot say enough about Cape Town.

There’s so much more to say.

So many more stories.

Locals that I have met who took me out and recommended delicious eats and fun things to do…

There’s still so much more to explore.

My palette has been whet.

God willing, one day I will return…

For more pictures click HERE for a Flipagram