Marilyn's Odyssey: Stellenbosch and Cape Town

Arriving in South Africa was quite the change from Tanzania and Rwanda. The change in economics was immediately evident and initially the city appeared much more like what we are accustomed to though as we travelled to Stellenbosch we did pass very large 'shanty towns' where the living conditions appeared to be poor as the structures were ramshackle and looked like they held each other up by the direction in which hey leaned. Stellenbosch is a lovely university town right in the middle of the wine region. Originally settled by the Dutch the old. Colonial architecture is prevalent and the streets are lined with cafes, boutiques and art galleries. The hotel we stayed in was the oldest one in South Africa and having been thoroughly updated while keeping its charm was quite delightful. Having said that our main reason for coming here was for the wine and we were not disappointed. Picked up first thing in the morning we were treated to an all day private wine tour and tastings at five wineries. The proprietors were generous with thier wine and their knowledge and it made for a wonderful day.

Old vineyards with mountains rising behind

Eric's happy place and it is only 10 in the morning

Tamara Winery was stunning with rolling hills of vineyards and olive trees surrounding a first class winery where no expense has been spared and the building and artwork are stunning.

We also did an olive and olive oil tasting while we at Takara which was delicious. Suitcases just are not big enough.

Wine tasted after two days we headed into Cape Town. Driving in the weather was beautiful and as it can change so fast here we decided to drop our things at the hotel and hightail it up to Table Mountain as it had just been opened 20 minutes before when the winds dropped. This turned out to be the best decision we could have made as hate mountain was closed the remainder of the days we were here either due to overcast or high winds.

Table Mountain serves as the background for Cape Town and I am sure is one of the most recognizable mountains there is. One accesses the top via cable car with the first one built in 1929 and rising to a height of 1085 meters.

Cable car on its way up the mountain. Only one car goes at a time and the bottom of the car is filled with 4000 liters of water to provide ballast against the wind.

Cape Town from the top unfortunately with a bit of 'mist'

Walking trails are all over the top of the flat mountain with various lookout points for magnificent views

It looks like a long way down when one is in the cable car waiting to descend.

We stayed at the Table Bay Hotel which is at the Victoria and Albert Waterfront which is a vibrant place to stay. This working Harbour is full of restaurants, a beautiful mall all done up inside like a ship, dozens of small shops, museums, street performers and more. One can go on any type of tour from here be it helicopter ,boat ,safari or for the crazy shark diving.

Definitely something for everyone. We also took a great tour through the city and then along the coastline. It is winter here right now but I am sure the beaches are packed in the summer.

No sunbathers were to be seen but there were surfers in the water.

On Friday the 10th we started our next tour and were moved to the Mount Nelson Hotel which opened in 1899 and I would liken to our Empress. As it is said to have the best high tea in South Africa Eric and I indulged though we did add a little bubbly for the digestion. It was quite lovely sitting in the conservatory eating tasty bits of delightful food. I must remark that the food and alcohol in South Africa is not only delicious but it is also cheap. We have eaten kudo, crocodile,lots of lamb and calamari and I have had oysters for breakfast each morning. Would be easy to become an overweight alcoholic if you were not careful! A city tour this morning took us to a coulourful area on the hill. This area of the city is Muslim and before apartheid it was the law that all houses had to be beige. When apartheid ended in he early 1990s the residents more Han made up for it and today the neighborhood is a wonderful mixture of colours.

To save money it is generally only the front of the house that is painted.

City hall stands amongst new modern buildings. It was from the porch of this building that Nelson Mandela gave his first speech when he was released from prison.