Author Archives: Paul

Johnny Clegg at the V&A Waterfront AquaFestival

Johnny Clegg at AquaFestival

Kerry-Anne and I were invited to watch the legendary Johnny Clegg performing at AquaFestival at the V&A Waterfront last night. This year is the first AquaFestival, and if last night's performance, vibe and setting were anything to go by, I can only imagine that the performances over the remaining week and a half will be magical, and that the festival will definitely be back next year!

You can't see it in the photo above, but in this photo you'll see that the entire stage on which the band performed was floating about 5 metres off the pier in the V&A's yacht basin. Table Mountain, the setting sun, beautiful yachts, and the city lights filled the background to make the setting comparable in beauty to that of the Kirstenbosch concerts.

Johnny Clegg is performing again on Monday night (at 20h30), and I think there are still a few tickets up for sale. Even if you can't make that show, check out the circus that's performing at 14h00 every day until Thursday, or book tickets for the evening ABBA or ballet shows; tickets cost between R60 and R250, depending on the show.

P.S. In case you're concerned about the persistent wind we've been having - I can't speak for the shows that I haven't been to, but there was only the slightest of breezes in the yacht basin last night, which was a freakin' fantastic break from the wind we've been enduring!

The infamous Volla

The Volkswagen Beetle

For many years the Volkswagen Beetle was a typical student car, and like most student cars, they have a reputation for not being the most reliable vehicles around.

Of course, students might have conveniently used the "my Volla broke down" line as an excuse for not attending lectures... and for only being able to get as far as the nearest watering hole. Be that as it may, the Beetle holds many memories, both good and bad, for the majority of those who were at one time or another varsity, technikon, or college students.

And, in case you were wondering, the title of this post makes reference to the Beetle as the Volla (pronounced for-lah) - an affectionate Afrikaans abbreviation for Volkswagen, and specifically this Volkswagen.

People under the stairs… or the bridge…

People under the Stairs

This photo reveals a little more context around my previous photo. People under the Stairs is an underground hip-hop group from the USA... who by all accounts played at Zula Sound Bar on 20 November. If you're into hip-hop I'm going to guess that you've heard of this duo, but if not, take a look at their MySpace page and listen to a few of their tracks - they have some interesting stuff!

For interest's sake, this photo was taken in Gardens, where Maynard Street crosses under Mill Street (the M3). The area is an awesome place to just wander around and take photos. While it's not an unsafe area (and perhaps I'm being over-cautious), I did notice a few loitering people around, whom I avoided. So, if you do take your expensive camera on a walkabout, just keep your eyes open and all will be well.

Live music and yummy food at Zula Sound Bar

Zula Sound Bar

Kerry-Anne and I visited Zula Sound Bar for the first time a few years back when Freshlyground was still largely unknown. It was their night to perform, and the intimate setting at Zula was amazing! Zula is practically an institution in Cape Town and definitely worth a visit (unless you can't take very crowded and vibey places :) ).

Each night Zula (in Long Street) rocks its patrons with the sound of a variety of live musicians. From what I've heard they have really good traditional food (like potjiekos, boerewors rolls and sosaties), and they also have half-price cocktail specials between 5pm and 7pm, Monday to Saturday.

Shopping for the holidays

Shopping for clothes
In addition to the inevitable madness of Christmas shopping, it's summer and a huge proportion of us are on holiday. Shops are overrun with large families shopping in troupes, girlfriends shopping together for summer fashion, couples walking slowly from store to store and (of course) tired-looking shop assistants.

It's certainly not a time to be spent in the shops. As Christmas draws close the madness will cease - for a day or two - and then it'll be back to large families shopping in troupes, girlfriends shopping together...

As a side note, I'm interested to hear how this December's retail earnings compare to those of the last few years. Perhaps it's just that I've avoided the shops as far as possible, but it seems to me as though spending is somewhat depressed.

Durbanville night market

Night craft market

Every first Saturday of the month, a variety of crafters get together under the trees in Durbanville to sell their home-made products at the Durbanville Craft Market. In December the organisers put together special night markets for people who would like to buy hand-made gifts for their friends and family. Apart from the handcrafted items that you can purchase, there's always take-away food available, and a variety of entertainers to keep shoppers amused. The night markets are finished for the year now, but keep them in mind next year - they have some pretty cool stuff for sale.

Click here to see a list of craft markets around the country.

The yacht Explorer

Explorer the yacht

Summer days are back. The sun is out, the wind is blowing (unfortunately), and people are heading for the beaches. The Explorer (the yacht in the photo) was anchored a little way off Sea Point, just bobbing in the waves. I thought that the vessel was a little too close to shore, but I assume that the skipper knew the waters and knew that he was safe.

One of the most awesome things to do in Cape Town is to take a trip out into the bay and view the city and mountains from a different perspective.  Find a charter company and do it - you won't regret it. Unless of course you're (like me) susceptible to motion sickness, in which case it's probably best to first head to a pharmacy for a carton of  little white tablets. :)

Wedding photos at the beach

Showering at the beach

This little beach just a bit beyond the Sea Point public swimming pool doesn't look like the greatest place to swim (far too many rocks), but I can imagine that it's a great place to catch a quick tan - if you're into that kind of thing. The interesting thing is that it actually has a beach shower, which I imagine means that people do swim here quite a lot.

The wind was absolutely pumping on this day, but despite that, a bridal couple arrived on the beach for a quick photo session (look in the middle, kinda to the back of the photo). Not only was the wind going absolutely crazy, but it was around 1pm, so the African sun was beating down on them with all its vengeance - from behind. So unfortunately I can't imagine that the photos will turn out too spectacular.

So, here's a tip if you're planning on getting married and would like to have great photos taken:

  1. If there's very little wind the beach is awesome, but a gusting Cape Town breeze is a spoiler - have a backup plan.
  2. Have your photos taken before 10am or after 5pm - the light is way prettier and less harsh. It would be ideal to start half an hour after sunrise or an hour before sunset, although I guess this isn't always practical.

Jack Black Premium Beer – a Cape Town favourite

Jack Black Premium Beer

I first tasted Jack Black one evening, about a year ago, at a bar in Observatory. The only reason I did so was because a friend mentioned that it was brewed locally at a small distillery - hence the word "Premium" in the title. I have to say that it's a great beer - not that I'm a connoisseur or anything, but it's really easy-drinking, which I guess could be a problem. :)

If you read their "Find Us" page you'll discover that this beer is only available at restaurants and stores in Cape Town and the surrounding areas of the Western Cape (or online at Diletto, for delivery anywhere in South Africa). Yet another thing to try when you visit Cape Town. ;-) You can read the story that inspired the name of the beer on the Jack Black website.

An outrageous sunset in Cape Town

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! ;)

The Christmas market at Neighbourgoods Market

Christmas Market

On Wednesday I popped in at the Neighbourgoods Market's special evening Christmas market. When I arrived, there was hardly place for a sardine to squeeze between the bustling shoppers. The after-work rush only started to disperse after 8pm (which is when I managed to find a spot to take this photo).

The market had plenty of gift-like items inside the main building, with the courtyard dedicated to all kinds of edible treats - just to make sure that people didn't leave early to go and have dinner. The organisers even arranged for a band to keep things festive, and by all accounts they did a pretty good job of that.

The best part of the evening for me was when I spotted a young woman and her accomplice carrying away a crate filled with delicious if-they-were-any-fresher-they-would-be-warm loaves of bread - presumably from Knead (who had a stall at the market). When I enquired of her as to where they were taking the yummy-looking loaves she said that they weren't selling fast enough, so they were taking them to a nearby homeless shelter! How's that for generosity? Instead of keeping the loaves to see if they'd perhaps sell a few more, or even trying to sell them the following day, they decided to give them away while still fresh.

Don't you think the gesture was appropriate for a Christmas market in particular?

Cape Town, a creative space

One Roof studio

Cape Town houses such creativity - I sometimes wonder if it's the mountain, the sea, or perhaps the forests that encourage its residents' artistry. I think it has something to do with all of these, but I'm of the opinion that it also has something to do with the African soil on which the city is built. :)

In addition to Cape Town Daily Photo, Kerry-Anne and I own another website, The Red Balloon Craft Junction, which allows South African artists and crafters to advertise their work for free. In South Africa, while many people get involved in arts and crafts purely for the love of the hobby, these days I think there are more and more who do so because it's a much-needed alternative source of income.

If you're interested in arts and crafts, consider signing up for Kerry-Anne's (free) monthly newsletter, the Craft Gazette, or click here to see what December's newsletter was filled with.

The photo above was taken at One Roof, the studio that I mentioned yesterday. If you have a moment, take a look at a few more of the photos I snapped while visiting.

One Roof, where artists rent space

Tubes of paint and colour

One Roof is a shared studio where artists, and other creatives, share space to perform their passion. It's a single large, large room, where everyone has their own little space to work on their art or craft, in an environment that allows them to draw on one another's creativity and passion.

Tessa and her husband Alex opened the One Roof studio early in 2009 because of Tessa's love for working with ceramics and the difficulty that they experienced in finding a small and affordable spot where she could exercise her love for the art. Today they provide a creative space for an assortment of artists and crafters who paint, make leather goods, craft ceramics, and do glass-blowing. The studio has an open day on the first Saturday of each month, so if you visit the Neighbourgoods Market at The Old Biscuit Mill, track down the studio - they're tucked away on the top floor of the main building.

The Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock

The Old Biscuit Mill
In 2007 I posted a photo taken at The Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock. The mill looks pretty at night, so I thought that I'd post this photo taken from outside the premises and at the same time draw your attention to the awesome flash website that they've put together. Now, while I'm generally not keen on Flash sites, this one grabbed my attention because of the music playing in the background and the fair-like feeling that it conveys.

While I'll not rehash what's special about the renovated mill (see their website, or my old article), in my next post I'll explain what was special about this evening and why I visited.

When books go out the window

When books go out the window

Besides the fact that this photo was taken outside a book shop in Cape Town, my story today has little to do with Cape Town itself. I love technology, and devices like e-readers and Amazon Kindles are awesome (I want one!), but won't it be sad when humanity eventually stops cutting down trees to print books?

Okay, yes, I know that it's a bit of a catch-22 situation - I'd support the saving of our forests, but on the other hand, a printed book is just so much better than a cold and generic electronic device. Apart from the touchy-feely part that makes real books cool, photos in particular simply look better in print - and I do wonder if digital would ever supersede the beauty of a printed photo.

P.S. I really have to find a publisher - I printed an 8x8 trial book a few weeks ago, and as I said, printed photos just rock!

District 5, aka De Waterkant, aka Cape Quarter

District 5, aka De Waterkant, aka Cape Quarter

Most locals would know that De Waterkant is also known as the Cape Quarter. I never realised, though, that it had previously been District 5, sibling to the infamous District 6.

Way back in the 1700s and 1800s it was the home of many Malay slaves, and then in about 1966 the government of the day forcefully relocated these people away from their sea view and mountain shade to the comparatively barren and flat Cape Flats. Unfortunately for the government, and definitely not according to their plan, it was not the upper crust that moved into District 5 - it was the bohemian liberals, free-thinking students, and proudly gay population. *snigger*

Today De Waterkant is still an energetic and colourful area with old buildings and cobble streets. It's an area that you should spend at least an afternoon exploring. Here's a map with a place marker to help you find this road. :)

Summer music in Cape Town

Synergy Music Concert at Boschendal

Things got way too busy and somehow we managed to miss Synergy, a weekend of music at the beautiful Boschendal Wine Estate, earlier this month.

Towards the end of November we spent a Sunday afternoon at one of the Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset concerts, and, as I mentioned in my last article, we managed to make it to The Killers on Sunday. We've also just been invited to take pics of the Johnny Clegg concert at the V&A Waterfront's AquaFestival later this month, and would love to make it through to the Sunshine Saturdays concerts at Wynberg Boys' High to watch Zebra & Giraffe, The Dirty Skirts, and Prime Circle.

So, the purpose of this post is to say that summer in Cape Town simply rocks, and that if you're not a local and you are able to make one or more outdoor music concerts a part of your holiday in Cape Town then I suggest you do just that, and experience the concert vibe. It really is something else! Also, if you are a local and haven't been to one of these concerts... dude, seriously, get tickets and be there!

Lion’s Head and sunset vs The Killers gridlock

Lion's Head
While most of Cape Town's inhabitants experienced a perfect Cape Town sunset - many sipping drinks at the beach - Kerry-Anne, myself and another 20,000 fans of The Killers spent 3 or more hours in traffic, trying to reach the Val de Vie estate in Paarl.

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! :D

2010 Football World Cup draw celebrations in Long Street, Cape Town

Brazillian football supporter
Following on from my previous post about the 2010 World Cup draw - after walking down from where we'd parked, we arrived at the security checkpoint, where our bags were checked and metal detectors were used to scan for weapons. That was the easy part. From then on we battled the crowd to work our way to a spot where we could see one of the large television screens.

The road got so crowded that we could hardly move at times, and the police eventually closed the gates to prevent any more people from entering Long Street. Apparently there were in excess of 120,000 people in the street! Still, everybody was having fun and it seemed there were smiles permanently etched on most people's faces.

From early afternoon, the stage (which was way up ahead of us) had hosted popular bands and entertainers; and all evening we had stilt-walkers, huge puppets walking over the crowd, and topless dancers keeping us entertained. (Nah, I'm kidding about the topless dancers. ;) ).

The crowd quietened down as the live telecast of the final draw started playing, and huge cheers erupted each time one of our national heroes was introduced. There was a palpable sense of collective pride at what South Africa and its people have managed to achieve. All in all, the atmosphere was fantastic - a taste of what visitors can expect to experience during next year's World Cup.

Take a look at our photo album for more shots from the Long Street party.

Getting to the 2010 football draw in Cape Town

Walking to the Football draw in Long Street
After work Kerry-Anne and I rushed in to the city to be a part of the 2010 World Cup Football celebrations. If you're not aware of what was happening - it was the final draw of who would play against who in the first round of matches.

Contrary to what I thought, traffic in Cape Town was a breeze, although finding parking close to Long Street (where the festivities were being held) was next to impossible. We eventually found a spot somewhere far above Long Street and took a brisk walk down to Long Street past groups of excited people - many talking about how awesome it'll be in June next year.

The evening was awesome, and in a little while and I'll write follow-up article with more detail about what happened along with a photo album that'll give you a feel for what it was like in Long Street.

Do something different – Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset concerts

Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concert

Summer has arrived in Cape Town, and with it the annual open-air Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset concerts. If you're coming to Cape Town between now and 4 April then check out the lineup and book your spot online with Webtickets. (Oh, and I'm not kidding when I say that you shouldn't delay - tickets do sell out fast).

The music styles range from rock to orchestral, so there's pretty much something for everyone's taste. Even if you're not into the particular music of the day, the crowd's vibe, the beautiful botanical gardens, and the Cape Town sunshine makes any concert worth the time.

Let me say again that if you'll be in Cape Town over the period, do make an effort to get to at least one concert. It really is something different and memorable. Even if you're alone, the people are so friendly that you're bound to make friends. (All that you need to do is to take some wine, beer, and snacks along to share. ;) )

Just for interest's sake, some of the awesome bands that we'd like to go and see are Prime Circle, Just Jinjer, The Dirty Skirts, aKING, Zebra and Giraffe and Flat Stanley.

The Kimberley Hotel in Roeland Street

The Kimberley Hotel in Roeland Street

The Kimberley Hotel is now around 114 years old, and besides being a place frequented by members of parliament - for lunch - it was, for many years, the place from which horse-drawn carts would leave for the town of Kimberley, some 830km north-east of Cape Town (as the crow flies).

P.S. Did you notice Table Mountain hidden, almost from sight, in the background? :)

Massimo’s authentic Italian pizza in Hout Bay

Massimo making pizza

I heard about Massimo's Pizza Club in January when they opened, and on Saturday we finally had the chance to visit for dinner with two of our friends. From the name I expected that the restaurant would be run by an Italian family, and as it turns out I was at least half right! And you do know that there's no better pizza than pizza made by a real Italian, right?

As you may already know, I'm in the IT field, so it was cool to hear that Massimo, the owner, spent many years as a mainframe programmer and software support specialist in Italy. He then spent a few years working in London (where I think he met his wife, Tracy), which led him to realise that IT wasn't the way he wanted to spend his life. So now Massimo and Tracy live in beautiful Hout Bay, and run Massimo's Pizza Club at night!

If you're in the mood for real Italian pizza, head over to Massimo's (here's a map) - and while you're there, try the Limoncello shots (which are really, really lemony) and the after-dinner flaming sugar cubes soaked in alcohol. They're really cool! :)

Sunsets behind Table Mountain

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.

GeekDinner at Café Max

GeekDinner at Cafe Max

Café Max was the location for the 17th GeekDinner, codenamed Quarrelsome Quince. We were introduced to Café Max's spectacular buffet dinner, as well as two brand new Internet start-up businesses based in Cape Town.

The first, Personera, allows you to import photos (along with your friends' birthdays) from Facebook into a calendar that they then print and mail to you. The second was JobCrystal, a new (and different) careers portal that matches you to the most suitable available jobs, based on information you provide and questionnaires that you complete.

Dinner at Café Max was great - the dessert of Malva Pudding with Creme Anglaise was to die for, and the rare rib-eye beef was perfectly complemented by the Delheim red wine. The area that you see in this photo is a large hall alongside the main restaurant, and it's actually a lot prettier and more cosy than it appears here. It really is a nice little restaurant; take a look at their website to see what I mean.

& Union for drinks

& Union Beer Salon

We had the chance for the first time to visit & Union (yes, that's And Union) for drinks and a light snack last Friday. We had an awesome evening, not only due to the fun people that we met up with, the exclusive selection of imported beer, and the yummy bratwurst snacks, but also because we were fortunate to be treated to a few dozen songs by photographer and musician, Andy Lund (pictured here, on the right).

As you may have gathered, summer has arrived in Cape Town. Days are getting longer and evenings are getting warmer - which means that restaurants have started spilling over into the open air, creating an awesome party vibe throughout the city. I love this time of year!

If you're looking for directions to & Union, no worries, here's a map. :)

The Book Lounge in Roeland Street

The Book Lounge in Roeland Street

We popped in to The Book Lounge on Tuesday for my first outing to a book launch ever. The Book Lounge is one of those traditional book shops with authentic dark-wood book shelves and comfy couches, and it's perfectly situated on the corner of the city's well-known Roeland and Buitenkant Streets.

The shop became very crowded and a little stuffy a few moments after I took this shot, as the book launch guests streamed upstairs for the evening's formalities. It seems as though The Perfect Weekend by author Dominique Herman and photographer Brett Florens drew more attention that I'd anticipated! Unfortunately we had to leave just as the talks were starting so that we could to make it to the Silicon Cape event on time.

Silicon Cape – first networking event

Silicon Cape networking event

I've mentioned previously that we've met several people visiting from our sister city, San Francisco, who've said that Cape Town reminds them of home. San Francisco's Silicon Valley is a world-famous hub of technology and innovation and has been the birthplace of Internet stars like Google and Facebook.

A year or more ago a small group of successful entrepreneurs, one of whom had already relocated his Internet startup's Head Office to San Francisico, gave birth to the vision of Silicon Cape. Cape Town, and even South Africa, is filled with bright developers, business people and entrepreneurs, and the idea behind Silicon Cape is to encourage the birth of Internet startup businesses and to promote local and foreign investment in the industry.

Tuesday evening saw the first official networking event that brought together developers, entrepreneurs, marketers and investors. The evening started with a couple of talks, followed by eating, drinking and a lot (a lot) of networking. :)

If you're interested in getting involved with Silicon Cape, take a moment to sign up on the website. Make a few friends, and keep your eye open for the next networking event.

Pimped-out Citi Golf

Pimped out Citi Golf

In my previous article I mentioned the end of an era, the end of the Citi Golf Mk1, as well as how the Citi Golf is loved by many, and pimped out by many. I found this Golf parked near the one in my previous article - the rims were so awesome that I just had to take a photo! :)

Do you see what I mean about people loving their Citi Golfs? I mean, who would do this to a Fiat Uno, Honda Jazz, or some other small car? Probably very few. In Cape Town you'll often find guys driving Citi Golfs that have been uniquely customised. When I see these cars, I catch myself thinking, "why not just buy a nicer car instead of spending so much money on pimping out your Golf?". I've however come to believe that it must simply be a matter of perspective, the sense of unique identity that it gives, and a love for the car that causes people to spend thousands of rands adding these kind of trimmings to their Citi Golf.

Goodbye to the Citi Golf Mk1

The last Citi Golf Mk1

South Africa's been producing Volkswagen Citi Golfs since 1984, and has since that date made about 377,000 of the little beasts. The last Citi Golf Mk1 rolled off the production line on 2 November 2009, and while it's a dream come true for many who dislike these old cars, it's the end of an era for many people who love them.

The Citi Golf became something of a cult car in South Africa. It seems like those who've owned one have fallen in love with the car, and talk fondly of memories that they've shared with this vehicle. If you were to ask current and past owners for a single word to describe the car I think the most frequently used word would be "dependable".

To celebrate the Citi Golf, and commemorate the many years of production, Volkswagen took this car (the last one to come off the production line) on a tour of South Africa, inviting fans of the brand to leave a short message and signature on the bodywork.

Wherever in the country this Golf went, fans were sure to follow, standing in long queues to get a chance to make their mark on the car. Indeed, it's the end of an era, and although production has now stopped, I assure you that based on morning rush-hour traffic it seems as though there are still around 377,000 of them on the road! Farewell Mk1! :)

See a few more photos of the signing of the Citi in our photo album.