My happy place

St James beach huts

Kalk Bay has always and always will be my happy place. No matter if it's pouring with rain or the most beautiful December sunshiny day Kalk Bay has the ability to transport you to a little carefree places full of happiness...well that's what I think at least

We hadn't been to Kalk Bay in ages and sometime, like a mermaid calls lost sailors you get this little tugging feeling that it's time for a visit and some Ice Station Ice Cream (Possible the best ice cream you'll ever taste).

Olympia Cafe

Pieter and I don't often get days off together so we always need to make the most of what time we have...and what we had happened to be a really chilly day. One thing to remember about Kalk Bay is what ever the weather is where you are it will be the complete opposite there so as luck would have it we arrived and as we got out of the car it started to pour with rain. 

The nice thing about running in the rain in Kalk Bay is that most of the pavement is covered so we darted across the road and straight into Olympia Cafe, a place I haven't been in years. Olympia is the place to go in Kalk Bay for delicious baked goodies. We had some wonderful cappuccinos, an almond croissant and one of their pasta de natas which is a little piece of heaven with every bite. If you don't feel like sitting down or you just driving through pop around the corner and you will find their bakery which holds just as much freshly baked magic.

The sky started to clear and we took a walk down the main road enjoying all the antique shops and locally made clothes and jewellery. Something about Kalk Bay just makes it so unique that it brings you back time and time again. On the sea side of the road you find a whole line of restaurants with the most incredible view of the harbor. Brass Bell and Cape to Cuba are both ones we've visited more times then we can remember and they never disappoint. 

After exploring some of the shops we decided to drive along to Simon's Town and see what we could find. Simon's Town is where you will find one of the naval bases so there's a lot of history and interesting tourist places - one to stop at is definitely the statue of Just Nusance, the only dog to ever be enlisted into the Royal Navy.

While we were there we stopped for lunch at a place that Pieter recommended, The Salty Sea Dog. Now this little place doesn't look like much from the outside and almost seems a bit like a take-away joint but we sat down inside and had the best calamari I've had in my entire life and the service was great. I would definitely recommend popping in here.

So if you're ever feeling blue or the sun is shining and you need something to do, a little exploring is always the answer.

*A little tip for the busier seasons is to park outside Muizenberg Station and hop on the train - a return ticket is really reasonable and it's a fairly safe line to use. It also gives you the best view of the famous St James beach huts. Plus parking is always hard to find on a busy day in Kalk Bay.

Chapman's Peak Sunday Drive

 

One of the things we really love to do together is go to new places so a few weekends ago we decided to take advantage of the wonderful Autumn weather and finally take a drive along Chapman's Peak.

 

This is one of the most beautifully scenic coastal drives you'll ever experience. It starts in Hout Bay and reaches all the way to Noordhoek (or visa versa but because we drive on the left hand side I'd recommend starting in Hout Bay - far less scary) and consists of 114 curves!!!! It's an absolutely stunning drive with the rock face on one side and the sea on the other.

 

Chapman's Peak is also known for it's horrific rockfalls but when the sun is out it makes for the perfect day out - there are even a few spots that are safe to stop at have a picnic.

We were both really blown away by how beautiful it was even though there were recently terrible veld fires which left a lot of the plants burnt, but the magical thing about nature is that the regrowth had already started leaving wonderful patches or vibrant bright green amongst the burnt bushes.



 

 

 

 

There is a tariff to use the pass but is definitely worth going. The Pass is occasionally closed for safety reasons when there is bad weather.

Madam Butterfly

So last night we got really cultured and went to the beautiful Madam Butterfly opera at the Artscape Theater in Cape Town. What an absolute treat! 

I was lucky enough to have won tickets on Facebook through 021 Magazine (definitely worth following in you live in Cape Town - they often have very cool give-aways) so off we went all glammed up to watch the opera. Even though it was pouring with rain it was an unforgettable experience.

Madam Butterfly is an opera by Puccini about an American navel officer who marries a Japanese lady and then abandons her. It really is a beautiful opera and what made it even better was that the entire opera is has subtitles from Italian to English of a screen above the stage.

If you are planning on having a drink or something to nibble before hand keep in mind that is it slightly price and if you want to be part of the cool crowd you'll need a fur coat - we do highly advise against it though as PETA's worst nightmare may just well be the opera.

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.

A night with Madam Zingara

Madam Zingara has been on my Bucket list for as long as I can remember and we've finally ticked it off.

For those of you who don't know Madam Zingara's Theater of Dreams is a travelling dinner circus, not the kind with elephants and poodles. The kind where beautiful girls with glitter and feathers do amazing acrobatics from the top of the circus tent while you enjoy your delicious 4 course meal. It takes place in the only Spiegel tent in Africa and is propped up by 1000 beveled mirrors.

We arrived a little earlier to enjoy the atmosphere and take in as much as we possible could. The entrance itself is a feast for your eyes with so many different things happening around you, from the Geisha on a podium to the floating top hats at the bar.

Once you enter through the door you find a fancy dress shop so you can make yourself feel at home as well as face painters do the most exquisite art works.

Fancy dress shop

Face painting

                                     

Welcome drinks are passed around and you're ushered to your seat (we were lucky enough to get an upgrade so we were even closer to the action). Before the show started we were served a wonderful mezze platter with a wonderful spinach and pear soup as well as cheeses,roasted nuts, bread sticks and a variety of dips.

Delicious Mezze plater to start the evening

The lights dim and the magic starts. A giant chandelier is lowered from the top of the tent and two women climb on and are lifted to the ceiling where they start the most spectacular acrobatics - no safety nets or strings attached. It's hard to take your eyes off them as they dangle above the audience.

The show is stolen by Cathy Specific, Queen of the Skies. She has a body to die for and quick wit to match, she had us laughing every time she was on stage. Cathy Specific is originally part of the musical comedy Mile High with Cathy Specific. What an awesome performer...she's have you eating out of the palms of her very large hands.

After the first half of the show dinner is served. What a menu, they've really made a huge job out of choosing what you want as a main. After our waiter Sheroo had gone through the list it was a no brainer to choose the Madam Zingara specialty of Chocolate Chilli Fillet with a magnificent tower of vermicelli which was equally spectacular on the taste buds as the show was on the eyes. (This awesome dish can also be found at the Bombay Bicycle Club if you can't get tickets for the show)

The rest of the show was one jaw dropping performance after the next with Russian balancing acts and contortionists to mention a few. Madam Zingara definitely brings a slice of magic to Cape Town and the Theater of Dreams will be at the V & A Waterfront until June. Tickets range from R385 - R475/R495 depending on where you are seated but seating is staggered so you are able to see from anywhere. Booking online seems to be the simplest way to book.

Snakes and old places

It's Summer in Cape Town and there so many places to go!!!!

A few weekends ago we decided it was about time we dug into the adventure fund and go to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens for a picnic. I think we had the same idea as every other Capetonian but fortunately there's enough trees for everyone and we found a lovely spot with the guinea fowl. It really is a beautiful place to spend and afternoon.

There's so much to see at Kirstenbosch that I never knew existed. If you walk to the top of the gardens you'll find a little coffee shop and gift shop as well as a huge nursery with all sorts of plants. We wandered around the garden for about an hour along different path ways and found some stone art and a big black SNAKE!!! Living life on the wild side...one things for sure,I'm glad he didn't join us for a picnic or my nature days would be over.

On our way out we decided to stop an have a quick drink at Moyo...what an experience! Such friendly staff and the most delicious ice tea under the African Sun. The menu is great and unlike some of the other Moyo's they have an Al la carte menu which is very affordable - Spring onion and cheese samoosas are a definite winner and were accompanied with delicious complementary bread. The best part of this experience was the fact that we had our hands washed before our meal by our lovely waiter.

Around the corner from Kirstenbosch is Rhodes Memorial* and everytime Pieter and I drive through to Cape Town he asks 'What's up there?'.
So off we went to Rhodes Memorial. Other then the lovely view of Cape Town it's really forgotten about and could be a little more looked after and enjoyed (Although I hear the tea room has a great reputation). There must have been at least 3 very brightly colored wedding parties having their photos taken which was sweet but they took over the 49 steps -one for each year of Cecil John Rhodes life- and made it very difficult to get to the top of the memorial. It's worth seeing at least once though.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhodes_Memorial
* Entrance to Kirstenbosch is R42 for adults and R10 for children under the age of 18.
   Gates are open from 8am to 7pm in Summer.

                                                 

This is not the Post Office

Because I’ll literally jumping out my skin I’m so excited to go to Madam Zingara Theater of Dreams this month (you just have to check out this website) I thought I’d do a bit of a prelude and share our adventure to This is not the Post Office.

A while back we went through to Cape Town on a complete different adventure which landed up not happening so we took the opportunity to do a little exploring and ventured up Kloof Street. The main reason was to find the Bombay Bicycle club (this strangely enough is also part of Madam Zingaras group) which I'd heard about a few times and was rather curious. It's hard to miss with their massive Jollywood sign on the roof and the car balancing next to it. When we got there they told us their kitchen wasn’t open yet –really disappointing because the menu looked delicious. In hind-sight it was probably a good thing ,because the décor is so crazy I don’t know if I would have been able to keep my eyes on my plate. One of the tables even has swings suspended from the ceiling instead of chairs. The theme seems to change like Cape Towns weather so there's always something new happening.

After we left the Bicycle club we wondered down the road to the giant post box we saw on the way up to investigate further. This is not the Post office is one of the most exciting places you’ll ever stumble upon. I can only describe it as an Alice in Wonderland meets Nania meets Harry Potters under the staircase  room meets some wonderful magical carpet ride. It’s a hoarders dream with nik-naks and sparkly things from floor to ceiling and like Mary Poppins carpet bag it just keeps on going the more you look around.

This is not the Post Office is open mondays to fridays from 10:30 till 6pm 

Saturdays from 10:30 till 5 and sundays from 11 till 4pm

you can find it at the top of Kloof street (number 114)

or you can phone them on 021 423 7817 if you get lost