Cape Town

We are staying at Scalabrini Guest House, which is part of a Catholic Mission in Cape Town, dealing largely with migrants and refugees. There is a soup kitchen downstairs. We have not yet seen any of the clientele. The Guest House is, as Lonely Planet says, “spotlessly clean” and comfortable, with our own en suite and a shared kitchen where we make our breakfast. It has taken us a while to get our bearings in Cape Town, but we are getting there. It certainly has a cool, funky night scene – totally wasted on us oldies who try to be in bed by 9.00.

Highlights:

1.       Climbing Lion Head to get a 360 degree view of Cape Town, Table Mountain and ocean. Lots of rock scrambling towards the top, thank goodness for all those years of training in the Grampians.

2.       Totally unexpectedly, discovering a collection of Dutch old masters paintings in an art gallery in a beautiful old Dutch building in the city centre – of course, all that Boer heritage, it makes sense now.

3.       Today’s wine tour through the Stellenbosch region. Beautiful mountains and scenery, delicious and cheap wine. We bought a few (surprise!) but can only bring back three bottles each. Will have to polish off the others over the next few days. What a chore!

Observations:

1.       I have now adopted the Afrikaaner’s “Yaar”, for “yes”.

2.       Lots of armed security guards on the streets, though all the locals keep assuring us that it is a safe city, because of all the security.

3.       Some locals living under a tarpaulin in the middle of the city ):

View of Cape Town and Table Mountain from Lion Head. Unfortunately, the famous cable car up to Table Mountain was closed for annual maintenance. Did you hear Geoff breathe a sigh of relief?

The things you have to do for a view these days. Yes, it's my bottom again.

Near the top. The other side of the hill, Camp's Bay and the way to the cape of Good Hope.

Souvenir shopping.

Our lunch venue today, Stark-Conde winery, near Stellenbosch.