South Africa, January 2016
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- Sue, Marina, and Rudy, with the sun setting against Table Mountain (and the ocean breeze messing up some hair-dos).
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- (1) Our apartment; (2) the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront; (3) Metropolitan Golf Club clubhouse; (4) Sea Point Promenade; (5) Signal Hill; (6) Lion’s Head; (7) Table Mountain (wearing a white table cloth).
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- Christian, Liz, and Allen
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- The race is called.
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- Our captain (and the commodore), Ray
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- Heading back towards Table Mountain and the yacht club.
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- Rudy at the tee
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- That’s the back of Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak in the background.
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- Sue putting.
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- Sue has been using Dave Driedger’s golf bag.
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- Great scenery at Rondebosch.
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- Carol, Marina and Emma, Sue, Rudy, and Rohann
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- Sofisticata — stracciatella chees, parma ham, balsamic reduction & sun-dried tomatoes
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- Crazy cloud formation swooping down over the top of Table Mountain.
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- Stadium across the bay
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- A view of Signal Hill and Lion’s Head from the path leading through Green Point Park.
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- Lots of cycling groups along Beach Road
South Africa, February 2016
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- Maredsous 8 – Brune. A Belgian brown ale brewed under the supervision of the monastic community of Maredsous, according to Benedictine tradition.
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- A big water wheel, and across the pond is a large children’s play area.
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- One of the entrances to the Biodiversity Garden.
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- The golf course with the World Cup Stadium in the background.
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- The vast 314ft-long Vava II – which costs more than £250,000 just to fill the fuel tanks – was commissioned for former Miss UK Kirsty Bertarelli, by her billionaire husband Ernesto.
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- Street acrobats entertain some of the visitors who came to Bree Street for “First Thursday”.
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- The ‘Safari’ pizza toppings included Springbok, sun-dried tomatoes, and Rocket.
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- Nelson Mandela’s cell at Robben Island.
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- ‘Recharged’ and ready for more!
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- Well, THESE guys at least LOOK like Africans!
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- Seasick? Not me! Just stop rockin’ the boat so I can get a decent photo.
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- Please don’t feed the elephants.
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- The prison at Robben Island
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- Entrance to the prison at Robben Island.
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- Kodak photo with R&S at Table Mountain
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- Robert, Arlene, and Sue in the Company Gardens
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- Arlene, in the Company Gardens, with Table Mountain in the background.
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- Morning coffee break
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- Panorama of Cape Town from Table Mountain
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- Marine Court — we rented an apartment here when we stayed in Hermanus in 2001
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- A jellyfish in the sand
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- There’s life on the rocks.
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- ‘The Rocks’
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- Hey, a fort!
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- Our view of the sea — from the ‘big room’ upstairs at our lodge.
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- Note the slogan “Champion Men Deserve Champion Beer”! Makes you wonder what kind of beer Champion Women deserve…
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- Horse-racing at the Sea Point Promenade.
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- Hey, looks like our illustrious senator from Landmark is even more popular here in Cape Town!
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- Sue and a seafood platter for 2.
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- Mumtje all ready for an early morning hike up Signal Hill and on up to Lion’s Head.
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- Okay, so how do we actually get UP there?
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- Oh, okay. There’s directions!
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- Sue’s got the walking stick — and Cape Town city bowl and the harbour in the background.
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- Selfie: Sue’s not that excited about it — or is she just pissed at Rudy wearing her hat?
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- I’m still not sure I know exactly how we’re going to get up there!
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- Cape Town below — and still a long way to go to the top.
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- The road in the background goes to the parking lot at the top of Signal Hill — the path Sue is on is getting trickier.
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- From here we can see the Clifton Beaches below, and Camp’s Bay out in the distance.
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- Now we’re getting close — Table Mountain with a cloudy top in the background.
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- Sue’s still feeling great about this — but the best is still to come.
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- Snakes and Ladders! Once we got to the ladders and chains and hooks, Sue was less excited about summiting.
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- Rudy’s going up — and although Sue’s not with him, he’s NOT alone!
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- Now we’re at the hard part — hand-over-hand climbing to get to the very top.
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- It’s steep — and a L-O-N-G way down.
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- I see the first marker near the top.
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- Made it! My first panorama shot from the summit. The marker, the ocean, the city, the mountain.
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- The ‘Seven Apostles’ (mountains) on the left, then Clifton Beaches, the marker at the 669 metres above sea level.
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- Green Point Park, our golf course, and the big soccer stadium on the right, with the road to Signal Hill. Sea Point below in the foreground. Robben Island out in the bay.
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- And this jerk beat me to the top! A family of Capy Hyrax (or Dassies) were sunning themselves near the top of Lion’s Head.
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- I won! I made it! I hiked up Lion’s Head – Feb 25, 2016
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- Now what? Knees are a like jelly, my feet are killing me, and Sue is waiting for me on a ledge down below, about 45 minutes from here!
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- And this is the way down.
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- Hang on the chains and find good footing as we make our way down.
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- Yep, there she is. Waited here for at least 45 minutes — and Sue was in better spirits than you might guess from her expression here.
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- On our way down — and the perfect day for hiking was also a perfect day for parasailing off the top of Signal Hill (350m).
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- Lion’s Head from the Promenade
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- Lots of parasailors in the park today
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- Dunes Beach Bar in Hout Bay — G&Ts for Happy Hour.
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- Sunday lunch at the Blues Restaurant in Camps Bay: Yellowtail fish for Rudy, prawns with risotto for Sue.
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- The view from the Blues Restaurant overlooking the beach at Camps Bay.
South Africa, March 2016
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- Cappuccino at the Labia Theatre
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- Our view from the front ‘stoep’
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- Graham, Paddy, and Sue
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- Shirley, Graham, and Paddy
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- Bird Cottage
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- The outdoor shower
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- Graham and Paddy’s house
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- The trees at the parking lot along Sea Point have been ‘bent’ over by the constant ocean breeze. They provide shade for the cars that are small enough to park under them.
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- Folk singers at an outdoor cafe
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- Traditional African drummers on the Waterfront
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- Shoe shopping at the V&A
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- Casper showing some of the wild flowers growing in his backyard.
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- Megan’s table.
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- Fritz watches as Sue takes aim at the green.
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- Considered ‘living fossils’, cycads are the oldest living seed plants and have survived three mass extinction events in the earth’s history.
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- A blurry photo of Mike and me taken by the waiter at Rocomamas.
Trip Journal here.