Cape of History

For years I have wanted to visit the Castle of Good Hopes, those walls hold so many stories and one can only imagine what has happened on that soil hundreds of years ago.

Last week we had to go to Cape Town to apply for our Schengen visas and decided that such a gorgeous winters day in the Mother City could not go to waste so we decided visit the Castle. We got there just in time because at 12pm sharp they have The Key Ceremony on the front lawns and it really is worth watching. You can see this at 11am, 12pm and again at 14pm every week day.

We bought a map and tried to figure out where what was and deep down inside hoped to run into one of the many ghosts that inhabit the Castle but there was no such luck that day. Instead we spent the afternoon wondering through old passages and up and down narrow stairways enjoying the view from the top of the bell tower. The map was a bit tricky to make head or tails of but the majority of rooms had a piece written about them outside.

Normally when you visit a castle or historical building you get a sense of the past and what happened many years ago so this visit was slightly disappointing as many of the rooms were being used for some political conference. There were tents and cameramen spotted all over the lawns and it really detracted from the history. There are 2 museums at the Castle, one is a military museum which was very interesting and the other the William Fehr Collection which is a collection of old paintings and furniture. 

We got in for an absolute bargain with our student cards - R15 per person - Adult rate is R30 and Children R15.
The Castle of Good Hope is open seven days a week (Monday to Sunday) and only closed to the public on Christmas Day(25 Dec) and New Year(01 Jan).

Contact Details:

Telephone:            +27 21 787 1260

Tour Bookings:     +27 21 787 1249

E-Mail:                    casteel@mweb.co.za

Gates open:                               09h00 daily (last entry 15h30 - close at 16h00)
Key Ceremony                          Monday-Friday (10h00 & 12h00)
Firing of Signal Cannon:          Monday-Friday (10h10 & 12h10), Saturday (11h00 & 12h00)

Stairway

Key Ceremony

Model train at the Military Museum

The most handsome man in the World

Little Oasis in the big city

Company Gardens (Cape Town)

Not even there 5 min and the pigeons
are happy to see us

We went to Cape Town to have a look at the Company Gardens in the center of town. A garden in the center of town that has a relaxed atmosphere? Who would have thought that if they haven't been there before. Parking was a little bit of a problem but it is a popular part of town so we were mentally prepared for it....woosa! The effort is well worth it. 

The gardens are beautiful and full of life......families having a picnic on the lawn while surrounded by doves that gets the attention of the little ones.Romance is in the air as couples relax on the grass, holding each other in their arms while the time slows down and they notice how lucky they are. Groups of friends relaxing and listening to music. The professional photographer making the sky twinkle like stars in the day light. The air is filled with laughter, smiles and appreciation for the atmosphere/beauty that mother nature provides.

The Company Gardens has a little restaurant that provides delicious meals for reasonable prices, it is not fine dinning but it is nice comfort food. The Company Gardens is surrounded by 5 museums, the South African Museum, SA Museum Planiterium, SA National Gallery, Slave Museum and the Jewish Museum. Unfortunately all the museums were closed when we were in the area because it was a public holiday.