Author Archives: Paul

City parking parkade

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City parking parkade
It's no doubt that during the week you'd find hundreds of cars parked above each other in the multi-level Golden Acre parking garage.

Do you ever find that having so much concrete above you makes you a little nervous? I have to admit that I feel a twinge of unease if, while in this kind of structure, I dwell on this point for too long. :)

Cape Town City Hall

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A Cape Town City Hall vantage point
Ten points to the first person to guess exactly where I was when shooting this photo. Photographers, it an interesting vantage point - that's actually not very difficult to find and offers a few interesting perspectives on the city.

Where the street has no name

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Where the street has no name
It is in the city, but to be perfectly honest, I have no idea which street this was - though I'm sure one of you will recognise the buildings and identify it for me, right? :)

This road reminded me a little of San Francisco. Not that Cape Town is by any means as hilly, but still, I find the rises in the distance somewhat reminiscent of that great West Coast city.

Walk this way

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Walk this way
I found these three posters outside a shoe store in St George's Mall. Don't you think that the contrast between the grey colour and old style of the building make the them jump out at you? I guess that was the idea, hey? :)

The Golden Acre underground mall

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The Golden Acre underground mall
The Golden Acre underground shopping mall in Cape Town used to be awesome. These days it's a little run down, a little dirty, and not a place that I'd rush to hang out at for an afternoon.

I used to work in the city a few years ago, and at that time I appreciated it greatly - not for the stores, but for the underground walkways. They offered a way to avoid having to wait for traffic lights to cross busy roads, and also provided shelter from the rain for much of the 10 minute walk between the train station and our office building.

A mural, of sorts

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A mural, of sorts
I found this mural below the Cape Town Civic Centre buildings in Cape Town. If you click the photo to see the large version you'll barely be able to make out a small sign with red text to the lower left of the mural that reads "Emergency Exit - Keep Clear". It's pretty cool that the door was included into the mural - it's barely visible when walking past. :)

Sprinkler stop valve

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Sprinkler stop valve
A friend mentioned that a major retail chain recently had a small fire break out in their store and that the sprinkler systems activated, torrenting down water across the entire shopping floor.

Imagine that happening while you're shopping. Imagine the water, the panic, the slippery floors. Also, imagine the cleanup job - drying the floors, walls, and fixtures; and then replacing all the stock. It can't be a fun experience for shoppers nor store employees.

I'm however sure you'd agree that all that wetness is far preferable to fire and smoke.

Identify this building?

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Identify this building?
I'm embarrassed to say that I have no idea what this building is. It overlooks the Camps Bay side of Table Mountain, somewhat below the upper cable station. If you happen to know what this building is, please help us out and leave a comment. :)

Walking the Table Mountain Pipe Track

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Walking the Table Mountain Pipe Track
The Pipe Track is a beautiful walk along the Atlantic Seaboard side of Table Mountain. Each morning you're bound to come across dozens of locals taking their dogs for walks, or simply enjoying a stroll along the mountain contours, enjoy the view below.

This photo was taken at about 9am, though it's probably best to walk this trail before 8am, while it's still cool and before the sun's had time to rise over the mountain ridge.

Tobago’s Restaurant at the Radisson

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Tobago's Restaurant at the Radisson
We'd never had dinner at Tobago's Restaurant at the Radisson Blu hotel in Granger Bay, and since it was such a beautifully warm and clear evening we decided to catch up with friends and reserve a table overlooking the ocean. While sitting at the table, I realised again that we live in an extraordinarily beautiful city and that we're extremely lucky to be able to afford the luxury of dining at hotel like the Radisson. In some ways not having kids has its perks. :)

On to my review. The service was perfect, and as mentioned, the venue was spectacular. I found the restaurant's menu to be very limited - which, in retrospect, was probably a good thing given my incredible indecisiveness when presented with an extensive menu. Even though the choices were limited, the lack of option was more than adequately made up for by the quality of the food - it was truly outstanding. We ordered dessert after our main meal, which I'm sad to say never lived up to (not even came close to) the standard set by the main meal. The waffles were a little soft, and the meager portion of ice cream not particularly tasty. It's a shame that our evening ended on that note, but still, I'd certainly recommend Tobago's, with caution to avoid the waffles if you're a connoisseur I believe as I am. :)

Fine Music Radio – studios at Artscape

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Fine Music Radio - studios at Artscape
I was pretty surprised to find the Fine Music Radio studios at the Artscape Theater Center - but there they we, in the foyer, behind panels of glass.

I'm not a lover of classical music and I find it difficult to appreciate jazz, but from time to time when South Africa's popular music stations irritate me (and they frequently do) I switch over to FMR on 101.3FM. In moments like these FMR helps me escape irritating DJs and annoying music, and fill my car with the peaceful order that classical music tends to bring. Unless of course I happen to tune into a triumphantly-loud orchestral piece... in which case I resign myself to endure silence. :)

Dirty Dancing at Artscape

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Artscape Theatre Centre

I found hit hard to hide my surprise on the phone when my bank manager called to offer Kerry-Anne and I a set of complimentary tickets to see Dirty Dancing, the musical, at the Artscape Theatre Centre in Cape Town. Thank-you ABSA, the outing was fantastic!

I think I saw about 5 minutes of Dirty Dancing back in 1987. I was young and like most teenage guys, not much into those kinds of movies - we preferred the likes of Rambo and RoboCop. The young girls of that time were however crazy about the movie. Patrick Swayze, the dancing, and the music were in many ways iconic of the era.

We arrived at Artscape at about 19h30, bought a programme, and headed for our seats which were dead-center, in the front, on the balcony. The acting and singing were brilliant, the cast was beautiful, and the dancing... well, the dancing was something else. It was a spectacular show that certainly deserved the audience's enthusiastic cheering and applause.

If you are in Cape Town then there still is time to see the show. Tickets cost R350 per person and the last performance is on Sunday, 3 March.