South Africa Day 11 - Coffee Stops, Chocolate and wine, Contemplation

It's our last day (sob) but it's ok, because before we go were off to the Boschendal vineyards to taste some wine. It's the first time we're driving out of the city rather than around it, but the mountain roads are much the same. We stop off at Kalk Bay en route, and enjoy a coffee overlooking the ocean road and seafront railway as trains pass through the little station on their way around the coast. 

Recharged, we continue our journey away from the sea and into wine country. After a little while, we're into the land of the vineyards and we continue past many signposts until we reach Boschendal. The restaurant and vineyards themselves are one way, the wine tasting is another. It's about lunchtime, so we head to the restaurant side first and sit outside, enjoying some freshly made dishes, washed down of course with a glass of wine. The grounds here are truly beautiful, there's a quaint British feel to the structured gardens and tree lined pathways. It's very serene, and another lovely sunny day which certainly helps add to the relaxed atmosphere. 

We finish our lunch and have a brief stroll around the grounds, before we head to the other side of the estate to sample a wine and chocolate tasting experience. First up is a tasty Sauvignon Blanc with a citrus infused chocolate, followed by a part oaked Chardonnay with a white chocolate. The chocolate is nice but the wine isn't to my taste, which isn't surprising since it's rare for me to find a new world Chardonnay that is. We sample a tasty Shiraz and the Vin d'Or, a delicious dessert wine with a golden colour that gives it its name. The chocolates on their own are ok, I'm not sure about the matching with the wines, but the wines themselves are delicious. We sample one more of the selection before buying a bottle of the Vin d'Or to take home, where it will invariably live on a shelf for years before we eventually find a reason to open it! We languish a little longer in the afternoon sun before heading back on the road to make the journey home. (It's worth noting that the non drivers helped the drivers out with their wine samples. Stay safe folks.)

It's been a lovely day, and an amazing holiday, and it's with a little sadness that we return to the cottages for our final night, eating the remainder of our food for dinner and packing up ready to head to the airport in the morning. Cape Town is really one of the most bizarre cities I've visited, with urban districts and built up suburbs separated by a huge mountain. It's normality for the people who live here, but as a visitor it remains unique and unfamiliar to traverse coastal cliff paths or winding mountain roads to get from one area of the city to another. We've packed lots of sightseeing in to the time we've had here and it's been a really great holiday. Erica and Steve are staying for a few more days but we leave in the morning and return our car, picking up some last minute gifts at the airport and returning to rainy Britain where we head straight to work from Heathrow. South Africa was a fantastic holiday destination, parts of it very similar to life at home and parts of it totally different. There are lots of other places in the world I'd like to visit next, but one day it would be lovely to return and see more of this spectacular country.

South Africa Day 9 - Fur seals, Fish lunch and Finding Nemo

Well rested after the day of wedding celebration, we're heading g down to the V&A waterfront today, for a bit more sightseeing and exploration of Cape Town lifestyle. On the way, we take Chapman's Peak Drive, a fairly petrifying mountain road carved into the cliff edge. There are rockfall shelters along part of the road to prevent bits of cliff falling on top of the vehicles below. 

Once we're safely around the mountain, we head through the city streets towards the Waterfront, where we park in a multi story car park, the first time on this trip that we've really been anywhere that feels like inner city civilisation. Wandering down to the waterfront, we take a moment to pose for some pictures in front of the giant frame, with Table mountain as an impressive backdrop. 

We continue our leisurely stroll past many curio shops, down to the harbour front, where we see the boatyard, the tour boats leaving for trips to Robben Island and some cape fur seals swimming in the water. We cross the swing bridge to a platform where the seals are basking in the sun. It smells quite putrid down here, presumably down to these large sea mammals' love of rotting fish. Leaving the area quite briskly, we continue on past the iconic Victorian gothic style clock tower to explore the rest of the waterfront. 

We take a look at some more trinkets and head to the Cape Town Fish Market for lunch. We share 2 delicious seafood planks between the 4 of us to start, with a selection of samosas, king prawns and calamari on a wooden board accompanied by tasty dipping sauces. Next up I opt for a Big Bay sushi platter, which is quite small, but very fresh, and just the right amount to fill me up without sitting heavily for the afternoon. I sample another pleasant South African wine with my meal (I forget which it was!), before we finish up and head back along the waterfront to the Aquarium. We enter into the predator exhibit, with amphitheatre style seating looking into a huge tank filled with fish, shark, rays and turtles. It's currently feeding time, and we can see the staff in scuba gear amongst the sea life with their box of feed for the creatures circling them. We stay and watch for a little while, catching the end of the talk about the exhibit and its inhabitants, then continue on to explore the rest of the aquarium. 

There is an assortment of exotic species to discover, each in their assorted tanks to represent their native environments. The beautiful but extremely poisonous scorpion fish with its array of spines floats serenely in the water safely behind a glass screen. My favourite new discovery is probably the cow fish, with its characteristic 'horns', bright yellow colouring and unusual shape. 

Next up there's a large tank with an assortment of amazingly patterned but frankly terrifying looking eels, and further along, a tank with a hollow centre accessible through a hole at floor level which allows visitors a 360 view of hundreds of beautiful little clown fish. 

Along the way, there are giant crabs, starfish and tiny seahorses, before we pass some more sharks slowly drifting through their dark watery home and exit into the Penguin River exhibit. 

Out here the penguins include the characteristic crested rockhopper, with its distinctive yellow feathers and noisy cry. 

We head back inside and wander around the Ocean Basket Kelp Forest exhibit, peering in at the fishes and sea plants that are kept here. Trying to get a good picture of a black and white striped zebra bream proves pretty tricky, as they seem to swim away as soon as I think I've got a good shot. We make our way to the exit and leave the aquarium, heading back to the waterfront to grab an evening coffee.

It's another stop at Mugg & Bean, where we order enormous slabs of cake and watch the sun set beind the spectacular silhouette of Table Mountain. 

The evening's relaxed activity is a braai at the house where the groom's brother is staying, which consists of more meat, some beers and family time. We head back to the cottages and settle in for the night after another great day exploring South Africa's southernmost city.

South Africa Day 8 - Nuptials, New Faces and Not taking pictures

Today is the wedding day! Craig and Erica's cousin Alistair is marrying his partner Lindsay at the beautiful Blue Horizon Estate, just outside of Simon's Town - a short drive from where we're staying. It's an early morning wedding, and as we arrive we wander around the grounds and admire the breathtaking views over the bay. 

The rising sun is casting a glimmering reflection over the sea; it's a perfect day for a wedding. As the last few guests arrive, we are ushered to our seats in the garden area under a pleasant white canopy for the service. 

We smile as Alistair and Lindsay's daughter and son lead the way, throwing flower petals ahead of the bride, who looks radiant in a classic strapless, full skirted white gown. The ceremony is simple but personal and not too long, the children sitting as patiently as can be asked on what is becoming a very hot day. Alistair and Lindsay make their vows to one another in this beautiful setting near their home, witnessed by friends and family from near and far.

After the ceremony is complete, the bridal party and guests pose for photos in the glorious sunshine, brushing remnants of non-bursting bubbles from their outfits. Magic solution for bubbles that don't burst for a while might sound like a great idea, but when everybody is covered in little bubble shells it's not quite so convenient! Bubbles aside, we begin to quench our thirst with drinks from the bar and head inside for the (literal) wedding breakfast. Pastries, cold meats and juice begin proceedings, followed by an enormous assortment of nearly every cooked breakfast item imaginable. Stuffed full of food, we hear speeches from the couple's nearest and dearest before the first dance. The rest of the day is filled with talking to new people, catching up with family and friends and enjoying the loving atmosphere and beautiful surroundings. I don't have any pictures because I'm not a big fan of an abundance of cameras at weddings. There's a hired photographer to capture memories of the day, I don't know the bride and groom personally, I'd rather be a friendly face to them than a screen. Also, I'm terribly forgetful and not great at taking pictures. So there's that too! In the evening, we head home to relax - it's been a long day and we've got another 4 days of exploring Cape Town ahead of us.

South Africa Day 7 - Cape Point, Paths with a view and Penguins

We enjoy a lie in after the long drive yesterday, and rise in the late morning with some coffee, cereal and toast. Today's adventure is a drive down to Cape Point, one of the most Southern points of Africa. Cape Point is on the infamous Cape Of Good Hope, the sight of many sailing disasters over the years. The warm Indian ocean meets the cold waters of the Atlantic around this Southern tip of South Africa, leading to dangerous currents and treacherous conditions. It's a beautifully sunny day as we drive down to the parking area, so by the time we've walked to the welcoming point we're already quite hot! We decide to skip the funicular to take us up to the lighthouse, and opt instead to take the path, stopping to catch our breath and take in the views along the way. 

There are dossies up here, hiding in the shade of the rocks, and lots of little dark lizards too, happier out in the open soaking up the heat of the sunshine. The area around the lighthouse itself is very busy, but there's just time to grab a few snaps of the expansive ocean and the signpost pointing to various cities around the world. 

We grab a quick drink from the shop, have a wander around the point and head back down the path at a leisurely pace to pick up the cars and head to our next stop, Boulders beach. It's a small fee to get onto the wooden walkway that's been build from the road down to the waters edge, and we can already spot what we came here to see in some of the undergrowth. 

The African penguin lives happily on the shore here, and as we near the seafront we see more and more of them nesting, wandering along the sand or just enjoying the sunshine. 

Down on the beach there's a viewing platform, and we can see hundreds of birds on the shoreline and swimming in the sea. It's a crazy sight to see penguins here, living essentially in the wild, just outside Africa's southernmost city. These creatures are native to the south western coastal region of South Africa, with the colonies now listed as endangered species. We take lots of pictures, and wander back to the cars, stopping for an ice cream along the way. The family have ordered pizzas for this evening so we pick up some salad and head back to the cottages for a relaxed dinner, as the sun sets and we turn in for an early night, ready to get up for the early wedding in the morning.