I took this photo through of the spa's indoor swimmingpool - isn't it lovely? Can you imagine spending a few hours in this room, away from the often-persistent-and-annoying Cape wind? Even though the restaurant and the grounds outside left me generally uninspired, there may be merit in visiting the spa to spend a day at the spa... to get away from the busyness and clutter of our lives.
Do you may recall J Arthur Brown and the Fidentia asset management scandal of a few years ago? As far as I know, Santé Spa was (or is) owned by by Mr. Brown's wife and I can only assume that Santé was somehow negatively effected by scandal. The hotel and spa seemed extremely quiet - almost dead. In fact, I swear that I saw a tumbleweed pass us in the courtyard!
The only thing that we really enjoyed about our visit was the drive and the beautiful views of the spectacular Simonsberg Mountain Range. Hopefully with some tender loving care they'll step up their game and become one of the great resorts of the Franschhoek Valley, but as for now, I can't say that we were overly excited.
For over an hour we stretched, waved, walked about, played tag, made a human dart board, and engaged in "The Epic Battle"... all under instruction of the voice in our MP3 players.
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If this sounds a little weird (and I'm sure it does), take a moment to see our photo album and watch the event unfolding to the voice of the "omnipotent Steve", being careful not to miss the Epic Battle. |
After reviewing the cost of transfers to the airport to various suburbs I realised that I must certainly be in the wrong profession - taxi operators must be making a killing!
What I found strange was that it costs more than double the price to get from the airport to where I live in Durbanville than it costs to get into the City... even though the distance is largely comparable. What's also interesting is that it costs the same amount of money to travel from the airport to Durbanville than what it costs to travel another 20 or 30 kilometers to Melkbos (the small seaside town a little way beyond Blouberg).
If you plan on visiting Cape Town, rather hire a small car with a GPS - you'll more than certainly save a lot of money (unless of course you intend never leaving your hotel). :)
Lately however it seems that with the migration of hard-working Johannesburg residents to Cape Town that the city has started working longer and harder, and that we've started missing out on what our natural surroundings have to offer. With all the stress and strain our harder working regimen has brought we've started ignoring the natural rejuvenation that nature offers - and it's taking a toll on our minds and bodies.
This I'm guessing is the reason why over the past few years we've seen a huge increase in the number of day spas all over the city and suburbs... if only we had the time to make more use of them... if only we had the time to make use of our mountain, forests, and oceans!
Have you recently visited Cape Town? Did the stadium manage to make it into your array of photos?
While many people find folk who wear punk- or goth-style clothes strange and even weird, for some reason I find that I more often really them. Most often I find their eccentric demeanor (which in my experience completely contradicts who they really are) strangely attractive.
Perhaps it's exactly that contrast and their different experience of life that I enjoy. Now isn't that strange?
Since I'm not particularly widely-traveled, and since people's taste differs on beauty, it's difficult for me to justify saying that Cape Town's most-beautiful-woman quota is on the high side when compared to the rest of the world. But, from what I've experienced in the USA and Australia, I have to say that we're right up there on the top of the pile. :)
Intelligence, personality and attitude are all huge contributing factors to actual beauty - so taking all into account, how would you rate Cape Town, and if you disagree with me, what country would you say is the birth place of the world's most beautiful woman?
For those living close to the mountain, it's the easiest thing to head out onto one of the plentiful footpaths before work. Being so close to nature first-thing in the morning must be one of the best ways to start one's day.
If you're planning on visiting Cape Town some day, an insider tip is that you should be sure to book accommodation close to Table Mountain. We have plenty of other great places further away, but I'd recommend staying somewhere close to the mountain on your first visit - it's an awesome place to stay.
Do you live in an area like this? Is it easy for you to take a morning walk in a forrest with huge trees with little streams?
The only negative aspect of the concert was that they had to crank up the volume extremely loud because of the poor stadium acoustics - so much so that I heard ringing in my ears for ages after the concert! (No helpful suggestions now, next time I'll be sure to remember those darn earplugs! :D )
I unfortunately couldn't take my normal camera along to the stadium, so this is the only snap that I have - but take a moment and see this awesome photo (citation) of the stadium, taken during the concert from Signal Hill. Doesn't it just remind you of City of Blinding Lights? :)
Did you manage to see the 360° tour in your city? How long ago was it, and was it also awesome? :)
So, take some time to explore areas of your neighbourhood that you've not yet explored. I took this photo at a seldom-seen spot along our N1 highway, about 25 kilometers outside of Cape Town.
If you're in the dark about how to take pretty photos, consider taking the online GetSmarter digital photography course. It'll teach you all the basics about taking great photos, and you never know, maybe you'll end up being a pro photographer some day! :)
Doesn't this bridge (map) at Spier wine estate (near Stellenbosch) look like a great place play a few rounds?
Even though they may make serve as great ornaments, don't you think they look better in the wild?
I'm sure you can see that progress has been made in taking her apart, but still there's an awful amount of metal that's yet to be removed. Isn't it weird how easy it's for a ship to sail across the water and how difficult it is to remove it once run aground? I'm sure if it were possible that the ship would have been towed to Table Bay harbour for dismantling. :-/
If I'm not mistaken, this boat is very similar to the Gubert Tide, a vessel that I was once asked to take photos of while passing by Table Bay. Perhaps it's obvious from the design of it's stern, but this type of boat is often used to carry supplies between harbours and oil rigs. I guess in some way they're the bakkies (pronounced buck-keys) of the ocean. :)
As you may remember, the Wheel of Excellence was suppose to leave the V&A Waterfront at the end of 2010. Because of it's popularity it's stay was extended by two months - with it's last day being 28 February this year. So, if time has slipped you by and you've been putting off taking the trip, make sure that you make a plan to visit the Waterfront, and the wheel, before the the end of the month.
The wheel operates from 10h00 to 23h00 from Sunday to Thursday, and to midnight on Friday and Saturday. Visit capewheel.co.za for information and ticket prices.
As the title suggests, this is a view of the city's coastal suburb of Sea Point. The photo was taken pretty much 180 degrees from this one, which was taken from Green Point in the direction of Sea Point.
The problem of course is the matter of speeding fines - and the other (and more serious) issue of the soon-to-be-introduced Demerit Points System. Under this system, whenever a traffic offence is committed a point will be awarded to the offender. Unfortunately, it's not the kind of point you're going to do the dance of joy over. An offender's license is suspended for three months once they exceed 12 points. That's serious stuff, considering our less-than-ideal public transport system.
Every three months a point is subtracted from one's balance - reinstating the license when the number of points reach 12. The thing is, if a license is suspended three times it's automatically cancelled. Now that's serious stuff!
On the more serious side, did you know that seagulls can live for 20 or more years? The same seagull has most probably been attacking your seaside picnics for 20 years! No wonder there are so many of them around!
This must be the most beautiful ceiling fan that I've ever seen. The large blades remind me of a historical scene in which Cleopatra is relaxing in a boat on the Nile with servants fanning her with large leaves.
Truth be told, since the large room in which I found these is fully air-conditioned, from what I could tell these fans are more decorative than functional (although they work perfectly). Still, it's far nicer to imagine that the cool air filling the room is the result of such a pretty fan rather than a fridge in the ceiling, isn't it? :)
While having breakfast at the Table Bay Hotel and enjoying our quiet spot outside, we noticed a burst of excitement on the pier. Gazing out towards Fish Quay, we spotted a small school of dolphins playing what seemed like a game of tag.
Contrary to how it may appear, we don't actually spend that much time at the Waterfront, and while I'm not sure how common this sight is, it's certainly the first time either Kerry-Anne or I have seen dolphins in the harbour.
The small school frolicked in the water for about 10 minutes and eventually headed off to the open sea. I'm sure it was a very memorable experience for the tourists visiting the Waterfront at the time - especially one little Asian boy who kept jumping up and down like a jack-in-the-box, pointing in the dolphins' direction. :)
I debated with myself about whether or not to post this photo - it's not the most appealing side of Table Bay harbour, and I do have other prettier photos of the beautiful Queen Mary 2, that you may prefer to see.
Unfortunately, due to the size of the Queen Mary 2, this is one of the few places that she's able to dock. The pier at the Table Bay hotel is in a far nicer area, but the world's largest ocean liner is simply too big and is thus forced to dock at this unsightly commercial pier.
Rumour has it that Cape Town's preparing to extend the harbour and build a proper terminal specifically for passenger ships. I'm not sure where they're going to build this alleged terminal, but I'd imagine that it would be closer to the V&A Waterfront than this pier which is way over in the unsightly commercial section.
Click here to see my small album of Queen Mary 2 photos.
I'll show you another photo or three in my next post, but for now, perhaps you'll find it interesting to know that even though Cunard's Queen Mary 2 isn't the largest passenger vessel, she is the world's largest ocean liner. The largest passenger vessel is a cruise liner named GT Oasis of the Seas built in 2009.
Now you may be wondering what the difference between an ocean liner and a cruise liner is. It's simple - the Queen Mary 2 is an ocean liner because it's primary purpose is passenger (or cargo) transportation, whereas a cruise liner (like the GT Oasis of the Seas) is intended to be an entertainment ship - a holiday at sea.
Through an arrangement of circumstance Kerry-Anne and I were invited to visit Sun International's Table Bay Hotel (the one next to the V&A Waterfront mall), to enjoy their buffet breakfast before setting out to the other side of Table Bay Harbour to take a few photos of Cunard's awesomely HUGE and beautiful Queen Mary 2. (I'll post a few photos of her docked in the harbour soon.)
I had previously visited the The Atlantic restaurant at the Table Bay Hotel for a phenomenal lunch, so I was more than looking forward to what I anticipated would be an absolute feast. It would take me hours and many words to describe all the yummy dishes that we tasted, so I'm afraid that you'll just have to visit for yourself! :)
Just to give you an overview, let me list a selection of the 230 dishes that comprised the buffet, starting with a plethora of fruit dishes, regular cereals, yummy muesli, yoghurt and nuts; cold meats, salmon, tuna, olives and other savoury treats; cheese, bread, and pastries (including the most delectable custard-filled pastries you could ever imagine); dainty pieces of sushi and nigiri, with a bowl of fresh oysters; scrambled egg, and the most awesome poached eggs and ham; crispy and not-crispy bacon; chicken, beef and pork sausages; mushrooms, French toast and other warm dishes; a small selection of Indian curry dishes; and finally, the daily carvery (usually gammon or crispy duck). What a mouthful! ;)
Would you call this a flock of birds or a small family of siblings? I haven't quite decided, but they do kinda look like a quintet of sisters. The five of them appeared to potter about the lawn in a small cluster, attacking worms 'n bugs with great enthusiasm. A second before I took this photo a loud sound startled what I presume to be the oldest sister, causing her to take flight towards shelter, with her four sisters immediately following suit.
My untrained bird-watching eye identifies these birds as being of the Cape Sparrow variety, often referred to by the Afrikaans name, Mossie (which sounds something like "maw-see"). Assuming my bird-watching eye hasn't let me down, then these are five females, as the males, you'll find, have black feathers covering most of their head.
Although Cape Town has it's fair share of statues, they're mostly political in nature and weren't placed in the public domain for reasons of artistic appreciation (I don't think). However, there appears to have been a gradual move towards public art displays - with the most notable one being the scuptures of girls and butterflies along the Sea Point promenade.
The Infecting the City public art festival is set to take place from 21 February until 26 February in Cape Town. (Here's a schedule). While the main hub will be located on the square outside the Cape Town Station the displays and performances will be spread all over the CBD area. If you're not normally in the city, make a plan to visit - there's going to be plenty to see and admire!
Having entertainers like the long-legged air-walker above, the fire-eating hula-hoop-swinging seductress from Vaudeville, and the strange long-legged poodle-people at events must help people to relax and loosen up. Entertainers like these probably help to transport folk away from the normality of day-to-day living, perhaps allowing adults to be less adult, and adopt a more child-like minds. Well, this is the effect that it has on me, so I can only assume that it would have a similar effect on many others.
Please, if you know where to contact the entertainers in the photos, leave a comment below so that we can make their contact details available and thereby have the pleasure of seeing them at more events. Oh, and I promise, I'm not just trying to get the fire-eating hula-hoop-swinging seductress from Vaudeville's number. ;)
While these are all true, after our time at the J&B Met I've come to believe that the overriding excitement in horse racing is the tension that is built while the horses are on the field. As a dozen horses charge down the field there's nothing quite like hearing the faint sound of 48 hooves crescendo into what sounds like a thousand drums. It's truly an amazing sound!
