Red sky at night, sailor's delight

We really do have beautiful sunsets in Winter.

Flat Stanley Lambchop

Although one may imagine this to be a tragedy, it wasn’t all bad because Stanley’s flattened state allowed him to travel the world very economically – in an envelope. Cristin (class mom of her son’s first-grade class in New York) sent Michael M’s flat Stanley for a visit to Cape Town and this photo is from a small outing that we went on to show Stanley Table Mountain at sunset.

On the left, in the distance, is Table Mountain covered with it’s well-known table cloth, a sheet of cloud that often covers the mountain. If you haven’t seen her up close before, click here to see Table Mountain without its cloudy covering.

To the right of Table Mountain is Lion’s Head (so named because from a particular angle it looks somewhat like a lion’s head), and a smaller hill known as Signal Hill.

The sun sets on summer

If you missed the previous 5 photos in this series, click here to jump to the beginning.

The sun sets on summer

And there Cape Town surprises us all with a beautifully warm weekend filled with plenty of sun and warmth ideal for visiting the beach. Don’t worry though, next week will see winter returning with all her chilly force. Brace yourself Cape Town – and remember to think of this weekend when you’re freezing your toes blue towards the end of the coming week.

Sun sets on summer (and a pirate boat)

Wouldn’t it be awesome to hire the boat for an adult pirate party – at around this time of day?

In case you missed my previous post, I’m publishing a few photos of the sun setting on what could have been the last warm day until summer arrives at the end of the year. See the previous photo in the series here.

The sun sets on summer

But, that said, I guess it’s best not to think about the physics of light and to just enjoy the beauty of it.  In case you missed my previous post, I’ll be publishing a few photos of the sun setting on (what I suspect may have been) the last reasonably warm day until summer arrives at the end of the year. See the first photo in the series here.

The sun sets on summer

You may have noticed that I’m about a week behind on publishing photos. So, please excuse me while I take the opportunity to catch up by posting a small set of photos that I took on Friday. This set of pics may after all turn out to be the our last reminder of Cape Town’s last warm day until summer arrives!

Do you recognise the location?

Sunset road

Perhaps it doesn’t look that way from this angle, but the roads in this area are so narrow that everyone parks on the curb in order to prevent this two-way road becoming fit for only a single lane. The little green Mini Cooper that you see parked on the curb is Kerry-Anne’s. You’ll notice that we decided to follow suit when parking. This was not only out of courtesy to other drivers, but also to prevent her little car from being scratched by other (under-cautious) drivers.

Sunset at the docks

The V&A Waterfront is built directly alongside Table Bay harbour – Cape Town’s fully functional commercial harbour. I guess this is part of the attraction and what makes the Waterfront so darn attractive. In one basin you’ll see sleek yachts, in the next small run-down fishing vessels and in the next large cargo ships.

One often finds old ships in desperate need of attention in this particular dock yard. You’ll often see large scaffolding surrounding the vessels with workmen clambering all over with large sanders, grinders and welding machines. It’s actually quite interesting to watch them work as you make your way along the footpath to the Clock Tower and the rest of the V&A Waterfront.

Table Bay

Alas, it’s not so, I don’t know of a single takeaway coffee shop in the area! Do you?

Swimming pool and deck chairs

Friends of mine have installed a heating system consisting of fine black tubing that’s carefully layed to cover several square meters of their roof. The sun heats the black tubing as the swimming pool pump forces water through the thin, warm, pipes. I believe that it’s able to heat the pool by up to 10°C – which makes their winter-water about the same temperature as my pool’s summer water!

Sea, sand, and a setting sun

Perhaps being almost surrounded by wide open ocean is what makes Cape Town so attractive to her residents – and to visitors I guess. Were it not for the (often frustrating) wind, our city could be one of the most perfect places on earth. Although, I guess were it not for the wind perhaps we’d be one of the most smoggy and dirty places on earth… :-/

A couple's silhouette

I spent the day at a conference and slept over at the Lagoon Beach Hotel (to the left in this photo). While the room was perfectly good, in fact – pretty nice, I have to advise that if you ever find yourself staying over, make sure that you’re as far away from the entrance to the underground parking as is possible.

A County Fair farm

I recently had the opportunity to visit a friend who lives on one of County Fair’s farms. County Fair is one of the large broiler rearers in South Africa – to the left of this photo are the large structures that house the chickens.

I have to say that the visit to the farm made me somewhat sad. While I know that many will say “they’re only chickens”, I can’t escape the fact that theirs must be a terrible existence. Kerry-Anne buys only free-range chicken and eggs, and while there’s a chance that free-range chickens don’t necessarily have a much better life than the non-free-range variety, at least they do get to potter around outside in the sunshine.

Take a moment to visit Peaceful Prairie Sanctuary’s blog. The sanctuary rescues farm animals, and the blog tells their stories. (They also have some great farm animal photos ).

HDR sunset photo from Woodstock

I don’t often “fiddle” with our daily photos much, but decided this time to try and compile an HDR version of the the spectacular sunset that we had last Wednesday. And, while this is an HDR photo, I didn’t play with the colours and didn’t fiddle with brushes or weird filters to alter the original photos in any way.

If you’re unfamiliar with HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography, give me a moment to explain. Typically, when humans look at high-contrast scenes (like sunsets) our eyes adjust so quickly that we’re able to see detail in a huge amount of contrast – from the very bright sun dipping below the horizon, to the dark shadows caused by mountains, buildings and other obstacles.

HDR photos are typically composed of three or more photos of exactly the same scene, taken one after the other from exactly the same position, only at different exposures – meaning that one photo will be really dark (underexposed), one will be really bright (overexposed) and one will be properly exposed.

One then uses software to merge the three (or more) photos into a single picture that typically takes the best from all three photos and combines them into a single photo. My photo above got a little out of hand (with the eerie-looking shadows creeping along the road and down from Devil’s Peak) ending up looking perhaps like the scene belongs more in a movie about demons and vampires.

PS. I promise, there are no vampires in Cape Town. Demons, however – there are plenty – we’ve been battling several of them at work in the last week!

Lion's Head

We arrived at the venue just as the sun was setting, and I have to say that the frustration of three hours spent in stop-start traffic quickly faded as we watched the sun set over the mountains to the music of supporting band, Zebra and Giraffe. The Killers were spectacular; the show was better than either Kerry-Anne or I had expected… in fact, it was outrageously good!

Unfortunately, the heavily packed parking area, the 2km single-lane exit road, and the crowd of 20,000 people trying to leave at the same time meant that some of our friends only arrived home at 04h30 in the morning, after spending hours just waiting in the parking lot for traffic to clear! We were the lucky ones – because of where we were parked (fairly close to the exit), we weren’t stuck in the traffic for quite as long as that. We arrived home after only two and a half hours, at 1am.

Luckily for Cape Town it seems as though Big Concerts, the organisers of this event, won’t be handling the arrangements for the 2010 World Cup football!

Sunset behind Table Mountain

We met up with some friends at an interesting restaurant last night, which I’ll tell you about tomorrow. Today I have to share this photo of one of the most beautiful sunsets I think I’ve seen in Cape Town (which, to be honest, is a really tough matter to judge!).

The photo doesn’t really do the view justice (it’s so difficult to capture exactly how the light was) but perhaps what the picture will do is allow you to understand why we love this part of the world so much. We arrived at the base of the towering Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak about 10 minutes after taking this shot. The light changed to bright orange and pink and then slowly started to fade.

Cape Town’s summer sunsets really are the best.

Wakame's drinks deck

Cape Town has a way of looking beautiful and stormy at the same time. The angry dark clouds in this photo rolled in below the beautiful pink and blue sky, creating a perfect contrast.

Though slightly on the expensive side of average, Wakame more than makes up for it by having this awesome deck – perfect for sitting outside and relaxing while chatting with friends and enjoying a couple of drinks.

Also, I’m not particularly fond of sushi, but I have to admit that theirs is pretty good. Although for most people it’s the raw fish that puts them off sushi, for me it’s a combination of the seaweed and the rice – and Wakame’s rice seems far more palatable than any other sushi rice I’ve tasted.

Sea shells on the sea shore

For the full story, and the reason why we’re so proud of the National Sea Rescue Institute, read their report of what happened, on the NSRI website.

For more photos, take a look at the news report on News24′s website.

What you’re seeing in the photo are bajillions of crushed seashells on the seashore. I do hope that the ship doesn’t start breaking up into a bajillion small pieces on Blouberg Beach!

Scarborough Beach at Sunset

Our last couple of posts showed a little of the village of Scarborough. This post shows a little of why Scarborough is so special to its inhabitants. The beaches are wide, open, almost untouched and the sunsets in this area are reportedly some of the best in Cape Town. Even though this side of the beach looks fairly rocky, behind me there’s a long sandy beach – with an ocean that is (based on the sign in the last post) safely swimmable.

The Scarborough Conservation Group was established in 1992 with the goal of changing Scarborough into a Conservation Village and ensuring that the natural environment is properly taken care of. They’re been involved in beach clean-ups as well as the replanting of indigenous vegetation in the area. You can read more about their goals and activities here.

Scarborough Sunset

In the previous posts Kerry-Anne told you about a seaside village where a friend of ours owns a beautiful wooden house. Some of you guessed correctly that the little village is Scarborough – well done! This quiet suburb is to the west of Simon’s Town, just on the other side of Cape Point. Find it here on the Google Map.

I browsed the web for the word Scarborough and found that this village is not by any means the only place bearing the name. It would seem as though our British friends have indeed been busy – according to Wikipedia there are a plethora of place-names (and other names) containing the word Scarborough, all around the world.

Another view from the room

Here’s another visual clue to the location of our friend’s house, mentioned in our previous post. Isn’t this view just divine? Even though it’s quite a distance to travel from here through to the city centre for meetings or social events, I can just imagine that coming home to this heavenly picture makes all that driving seem somewhat insignificant.

And then, of course, there’s always the possibility of spotting a whale frolicking in the surf…

Robben Island sunset

The 27th of April is Freedom Day in South Africa. This public holiday marks the start of our first democratic elections in 1994 (the elections were held over 3 days). I wasn’t old enough to vote back then (I turned 18 two and a half months later), but I remember that day so clearly. There was an incredible sense of excitement, and news broadcasts showed images of long voting queues snaking their way through dusty township streets, and elderly black people tearfully telling reporters how it felt to finally be able to vote for the first time at the age of 80 or 90. Got to admit, I still get teary thinking about it.

We held our 4th general election last week, and for the first time since 1994 there was a similar sense of excitement and optimism. And it didn’t seem to matter who you were voting for either (just as it didn’t matter much in 1994) – everyone seemed enthusiastic, and it felt good to be united as a nation in a common activity. Despite all the controversy surrounding our president-elect Jacob Zuma, I think there is a lot of optimism right now amongst people of all political persuasions. It’s a fresh start, and a change, and perhaps that’s the most important thing for our teenage nation right now.

I found this photo in our archives; it’s a month or two old, but I thought it would be fitting to post a photo of the sun setting behind Robben Island to mark Freedom Day.

Table Mountain after sunset

There are so many fantastic sunset spots in Cape Town: Clifton 4th Beach, Summerville in Camps Bay, Signal Hill, Table Mountain itself, Scarborough, upstairs at Wakame in Mouille Point, Blouberg Beach (which is where today’s photo was taken), the top of Tygerberg Hill, Lovers’ Lane… if you live in the city, or have been here, which is your favourite? And yes, I know, that’s like asking you to name your favourite dessert – but give it a try anyway.

As much as I love all the other spots, I’d have to say that the two most spectacular sunsets I’ve ever experienced were the two I watched from the top of Table Mountain. Clifton 4th Beach is a close second, though, and a bit more accessible, to be fair.

Red-sky sunset

I decided to post this photo today for two reasons. Firstly, the fiery sky symbolises the raging flames that have been ravaging large parts of the Cape over the past few days. Last night’s rain and today’s slightly cooler weather served only to slow the fires down. We’re hoping that this evening will bring more rain so that the firefighters can take a break from the battle.

And then, this photo also reminded me of the fact that it’s Valentine’s Day next Saturday… and I need help! I still haven’t booked anything, and have no clue what we should do. Here are some of the ideas I’ve had, and suggestions that have been tossed my way:

• Have dinner at the Ritz in Sea Point: The Ritz has a revolving restaurant on top of the hotel that gives diners 360° views of the city, mountain and oceans. It’s a great idea, but the restaurant is already fully booked.
• Have a picnic at one of the many wine farms around Cape Town: Awesome idea, but I’m not sure at this stage what the weather’s going to be doing.
• Go to the theatre: One of our friends is taking his wife to see Beauty and the Beast at the Artscape Opera House. Strangely enough, Kerry-Anne didn’t seem to be particularly taken with this idea, though. Perhaps because she knows I’m not keen on musicals…
• The big one – a weekend at the famous Kruger Park: We’ve never actually been to the Kruger Park (can you believe it?), even though it’s one of South Africa’s major tourist destinations. I thought this was an awesome idea (and discovered that it’s surprisingly affordable!), but Valentine’s Day is now only a week away and there’s no way I’ll be able to get leave from work.

So really, guys (and girls), if you have any suggestions I’d be very keen to hear them!

Royal Ascot at sunset

Tonight we got to spend some time with a group of people whom, for the most part, we’d never met before. It seems that these days we have several friends who don’t know each other, so when birthday parties crop up (like tonight) we often find ourselves meeting new and interesting people – which is awesome!

Scott and Robynn live in what must be one of the best situated apartments in Milnerton’s Royal Ascot development – right next to the Gold Circle stables and horse training track. If our plans work out as we hope we’ll be joining them for breakfast next week – where, apart from enjoying good company and good food, I’ll try snapping a few photos of the horses training in the early morning. Watch this space!

Signal Hill and Lion's Head

On Sunday, after launching our new WordPress version of Cape Town Daily Photo, I caught a flight with four colleagues to Johannesburg (the largest city in South Africa), a mere two hours’ travel time from Cape Town.

I remembered after landing how different Cape Town is from Johannesburg. It seems almost like a different country entirely. We ate lots of good food, stayed in a nice hotel, and spoke with many interesting people, but today I’m really happy to be back in sunny Cape Town.

Perhaps I’ve mentioned it before, but us Capetonians are often teased about how preoccupied we are with our mountains – especially Table Mountain.  Even though I’m aware of this there came a point when I genuinely realised that I missed the mountain – I just couldn’t find my bearings without the landmark. Were it not for a trusty GPS I’d still be roaming the streets looking for our hotel. I really think Cape Town would slip into a huge emotional depression if the earth one day swallowed up our beloved mountain.

We are silly, aren’t we?

Twelve Apostles from Table Mountain

It is a beautiful scene, isn’t it? The photo can’t fully describe how phenomenally spectacular a sunset from the top of Table Mountain is. The cableway is still running a special where you can buy a return ticket after 18h00 for only 72.50 ZAR. A price like that for a view like this? It’s a no-brainer.

I have to be honest and confess that this photo is a little out of date. We’re in the process of preparing version 2 of Cape Town Daily Photo, so there really hasn’t been much time to get out and take photos. I shot this one a month ago when we went up Table Mountain with our visiting family from Sydney.