The weather has been fantastic this past weekend. According to WeatherSA the temperature peaked at a spring-time high of 30 degrees Celsius today.

With warm weather like this and a huge aircraft carrier parked in Cape Town's back yard drawing everyone's interest, I'm not sure that an awful lot of work is getting done. Luckily for our economy it seems as though it's going to be cooling down considerably tomorrow, with even a possibility of rain!

TICT - This is Cape Town.

With over 200 cases of maritime piracy reported each year, naval vessels (like the USS Theodore Roosevelt) are indispensable in protecting the innocent and keeping our loved ones at sea safe from the modern-day-missile-launching-gun-wielding pirate.

As many of you will already know, this aircraft carrier was invited by the SA Navy and our government to visit Cape Town and meet with senior naval and governmental officials. The reason for the visit (apart from experiencing our beautiful city) is to foster better relations between our respective navies and to discuss matters of maritime security.

I'm not sure what the Americans were up to today, but we watched for about half an hour today as helicopter after helicopter left with some sort of cargo suspended below. While helicopters are cool and all, to be honest, I'm waiting with excitement to see if any of their F18 fighter aircraft take to the skies. :)

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt arrived in Table Bay today on a courtesy visit, amidst some controversy. Both Earthlife Africa and The Anti-War Coalition had said they intended to stage protests at the V&A Waterfront today to express their concern about the arrival of the ship. This is the first time a nuclear-powered vessel has visited Cape Town since the German cargo ship the Otto Hahn docked here in the 1970s.

The Big Stick, as the vessel is known, is 332m long and carries over 5,000 crew members. Read more about this mind-boggling beast here and here, and see a Google Maps image of it here. There is apparently a 2-nautical-mile No Fly zone around the ship, by the way; and I figure it's probably a good idea to heed that. ;-)

You can see a few more shots of the USS Theodore Roosevelt on Cape Town Daily Photo Extras. The ship is docked far out in the bay, for security reasons, so bear in mind that we had to zoom in quite a bit...

Friends of ours were kind enough to treat us to our first dinner at Mr Chan Chinese Restaurant in Sea Point.

The first thing I noticed about the restaurant was how many Chinese people were already dining when we arrived. My dad always tells me that if I'm looking for an authentic Chinese restaurant that I should watch to see where the Chinese folk eat - they know the real-deal. And, I hate to admit that he was right (only kidding), but he was - the food was absolutely yummy!

Oh, in case you're unable to make it out, that's a flower floating in this cup of tea. Apparently the tea does wonders for digestion - or so we're told. ;)

From about June or July (but mostly at this time of the year) our bays come alive with whales, until December, when the water becomes uncomfortably warm. The most common of these visitors is the Southern Right Whale.

Most will know that between the 11th century and the mid 1900s whaling claimed the lives of many of these peaceful animals. What you may not know is that up until 1937 recorded killings alone had amounted to a shocking 93,300 whales - nearly rendering the Right Whale extinct.

Between 1980 and 1984 legislation was introduced into South Africa to ban harming the animals in any way, and according to simonstown.com, it's even illegal to be within 300 metres of a whale (with a watercraft)!

Thanks Brad for stopping off in Kalk Bay to bring us this photo of a Southern Right Whale. Brad told us that there were plenty of whales frolicking in the bay yesterday.

We took this shot at Darling a few weeks ago. Over roughly the past 30 years, railway lines around the country have been refurbished, and timber sleepers (apparently known to our American readers as "ties") have been replaced with concrete or steel ones. These wooden sleepers have been retrieved, and are used to make sleeperwood furniture.

There are 164 blogs taking part in today's theme day. See how the theme has been interpreted around the world, by clicking here to view thumbnails of all the participating city daily photo blogs.

If you prefer, you can click straight through to the blogs you'd like to visit:
Albuquerque (NM), USA by Helen, American Fork (UT), USA by Annie, Arradon, France by Alice, Ashton under Lyne, UK by Pennine, Aspen (CO), USA by IamMBB, Auckland, New Zealand by Lachezar, Auckland, New Zealand by Baruch, Austin (TX), USA by LB, Avignon, France by Nathalie, Bandung, Indonesia by Bunyamin, Bandung, Indonesia by Eki Akhwan, Bandung, Indonesia by Harry Makertia, Barrow-in-Furness, UK by Enitharmon, Barton (VT), USA by Andree, Baziège, France by PaB, Belgrade, Serbia by BgdPic, Belgrade, Serbia by Bibi, Bellefonte (PA), USA by Barb-n-PA, Bicheno, Australia by Greg, Birmingham (AL), USA by VJ, Bogor, Indonesia by Gagah, Boston (MA), USA by Cluelessinboston, Boston (MA), USA by Ilse, Budapest, Hungary by Zannnie and Zsolt, Budapest, Hungary by agrajag, Budapest, Hungary by Isadora, Buenos Aires, Argentina by Karine, Canterbury, UK by Rose, Cape Town, South Africa by Kerry-Anne, Cape Town, South Africa by JSB, Cavite, Philippines by Steven Que, Château-Gontier, France by Laurent, Chateaubriant, France by trieulet, Chateaubriant, France by Bergson, Cheltenham, UK by Marley, Chennai, India by Ram N, Coral Gables (FL), USA by Jnstropic, Durban, South Africa by CrazyCow, Edwardsville (IL), USA by Mdflores, Fort Lauderdale (FL), USA by Gigi, Franschhoek, South Africa by JSB, Geneva (IL), USA by Kelly, Glasgow, Scotland by Jackie, Greenville (SC), USA by Denton, Grenoble, France by Bleeding Orange, Hamilton, New Zealand by Sakiwi, Hangzhou, China by zoe, Helsinki, Finland by PPusa, Hobart, Australia by Greg, Honningsvag, Norway by J., Hyde, UK by Gerald, Hyde, UK by Old Hyde, Islip (NY), USA by Bettye, Jackson (MS), USA by Halcyon, Jakarta, Indonesia by Santy, Jefferson City (MO), USA by Chinamom2005, Karwar, India by Yogesh, Knoxville (TN), USA by Knoxville Girl, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia by Edwin, La Antigua, Guatemala by Rudy, Lakewood (OH), USA by mouse, Larchmont (NY), USA by Marie-Noyale, Las Vegas (NV), USA by Mo, Lisbon, Portugal by Sailor Girl, Lodz, Poland by ritalounge, London, UK by Mo, London, UK by Ham, Madrid, Spain by Tr3nta, Mainz, Germany by JB, Manila, Philippines by Hilda, Manila, Philippines by Anthony, Manila, Philippines by Heyokity, Melbourne, Australia by John, Menton, France by Jilly, Mexico City, Mexico by Carraol, Middletown (MD), USA by Bernie, Milton, New Zealand by Milton Daily Photo, Milwaukee (WI), USA by karl, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Mitch, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Greg, Minneapolis (MN), USA by Scott, Molfetta, Italy by saretta, Monrovia (CA), USA by Keith, Monte Carlo, Monaco by Jilly, Monterrey, Mexico by rafa, Muizenberg, South Africa by Pentaxjunkie, Mumbai, India by Kunalbhatia, Mumbai, India by MumbaiiteAnu, Nelson, New Zealand by Meg and Ben, New Delhi, India by Delhi Photo Diary, New York City (NY), USA by Kitty, New York City (NY), USA by Ming the Merciless, Norwich, UK by Goddess888, Orlando (FL), USA by OrlFla, Paderborn, Germany by Soemchen, Palos Verdes (CA), USA by tash, Paris, France by Elsa, Paris, France by Eric, Pasadena (CA), USA by Can8ianben, Pasadena (CA), USA by Petrea, Pensacola (FL), USA by P J, Petoskey (MI), USA by Christie, Philadelphia (PA), USA by Andrew Foderaro, Phoenix (AZ), USA by Sharon, Pilisvörösvár, Hungary by Elise, Port Angeles (WA), USA by Jelvistar, Prague, Czech Republic by kakna, Quezon City, Philippines by ann pablo, Quincy (MA), USA by slim, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea by Jules, Ramsey, Isle of Man by babooshka, Reykjavik, Iceland by Vírgíll, Riga, Latvia by Riga Photos, Roanoke (VA), USA by Tanya, Rome, Italy by Giovanni, Rotterdam, Netherlands by Ineke, Rouen, France by Bbsato, Saarbrücken, Germany by LadyDemeter, Saigon, Vietnam by Simon, Saint Louis (MO), USA by Strangetastes, Saint Paul (MN), USA by Kate, Salt Lake City (UT), USA by Eric, San Antonio (TX), USA by Kramer, San Diego (CA), USA by Felicia, San Francisco (CA), USA by PFranson, San Francisco (CA), USA by Burd Zel Krai, Schenectady (NY), USA by Buck, Seattle (WA), USA by Chuck, Seattle (WA), USA by Kim, Selma (AL), USA by RamblingRound, Sequim (WA), USA by Eponabri, Sesimbra, Portugal by Aldeia, Setúbal, Portugal by Maria Elisa, Silver Spring (MD), USA by John, Singapore, Singapore by Keropok, Singapore, Singapore by Zannnie, Sofia, Bulgaria by Antonia, South Pasadena (CA), USA by Laurie, Stanwood (WA), USA by MaryBeth, Stayton (OR), USA by Celine, Stockholm, Sweden by Stromsjo, Sunshine Coast, Australia by bitingmidge, Sydney, Australia by Ann, Sydney, Australia by Sally, Székesfehérvár, Hungary by Teomo, Tacloban City, Philippines by agnesdv, Tamarindo, Costa Rica by David, Telluride (CO), USA by mtsrool, Terrell (TX), USA by Jim K, Terrell (TX), USA by Bstexas, Test City (MA), USA by , Torun, Poland by Glenn, Toulouse, France by Julia, Turin, Italy by Livio, Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina by Jazzy, Twin Cities (MN), USA by Slinger, Vienna, Austria by G_mirage2, Wailea (HI), USA by Kuanyin, Washington (DC), USA by D.C. Confidential, Wellington, New Zealand by Jeremyb, West Sacramento (CA), USA by Barbara, Weston (FL), USA by WestonDailyPhoto, Willits (CA), USA by Elaine, Yardley (PA), USA by Mrlynn,

Crème brûlée may not seem like a very South African dish, but you might be surprised to discover just how many Cape Town restaurants feature this dessert on their menu. It's almost a standard offering, in fact. Be warned, of course: not all crème brûlées are created equal, and if you're as picky about them as I am, you'd do well to interrogate the waiter about the quality of their particular dish before placing your order... I've had some sublime specimens around Cape Town, as well as some rather less-than-delicious ones.

This shot was taken not at a restaurant, but at a friend's 30th birthday party on Saturday evening.

Oh, and in case anyone wants to send me gifts, yes indeed, crème brûlée IS my favourite dessert. ;-)

Well done to anonymous for guessing the answer to yesterday's question correctly. Indeed, the petrol gauge is from what I believe to be a 1928 20HP Rolls-Royce.

Today's photo is of a more well-known part of a Rolls, the brand's mascot, The Spirit of Ecstasy. There's a Jane Austen-like story to be told about this mascot involving a secret love affair and a tragic death. If you have a moment, hop on over to ICONS.org.uk to read the story.

Another interesting point is that the only Rolls-Royce to not feature this mascot is that of the British royal family. Their vehicle's mascot is the figure of Saint George on horseback, slaying the dragon.

For years this vehicle has arguably been the pinnacle of luxury, reliability, and power. Are you able to identify the motor car that this petrol gauge belongs to?

I'll give you a few clues:

• It's about 80 years old
• It's black in colour (no surprise there)
• Its engines are well-loved by World War 2 pilots

It's not often that we see such colourful grasshoppers in the suburbs, let alone the city. My nephew (that's his hand) spotted this one in a field near Yzerfontein, a small town on the West Coast.

It's hard to believe that this friendly little fellow could one day purposefully drown himself. Nematamorpha larvae are parasites sometimes found on grasshoppers. As these worms (known as Horsehair worms) grow and mature, they somehow influence the grasshopper's brain, causing it to seek and jump into the nearest pond. Take a look at this video if you're interested in watching the full story.

The West Coast flower season is almost over. The time of densely packed flowers over rolling hills is only a memory. There's more or less a 1 month window of opportunity from early to mid August until early to mid September where the West Coast becomes a blanket of vivid colour.

Fortunately for me, even though the flowers were hiding somewhat this day, an unforeseen subject wandered into view amongst what remained of the once-brighter field of colour.

"I will be faithful to the Republic of South Africa, and will obey, observe, uphold and maintain the Constitution and all other law of the Republic..."

These were the words spoken by our country's new President, Kgalema Motlanthe, during the swearing-in ceremony this morning at De Tuynhuys (the office of the President).

The next year will be a tough ride for the new President as the country heads towards elections in 2009. I think it's going to be an interesting year in South African politics - I can't wait. :)

On a slightly different note, relief spread across the country this afternoon as our beloved Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel, was re-elected to serve under President Motlanthe. Welcome back, Trevor! :)

Thanks to wikidnickers for capturing the proceedings in Parliament this morning on her cellphone camera. You rock!

Today marked Heritage Day, a public holiday on which South Africans are encouraged to celebrate their heritage, their culture, who they are and where they've come from.

It seems today appropriate to quote a few words from soon-to-be ex-president Thabo Mbeki's most cherished speech, "I am an African" :-

I am an African.

I owe my being to the hills and the valleys, the mountains and the glades, the rivers, the deserts, the trees, the flowers, the seas and the ever-changing seasons that define the face of our native land.

My body has frozen in our frosts and in our latter day snows. It has thawed in the warmth of our sunshine and melted in the heat of the midday sun. The crack and the rumble of the summer thunders, lashed by startling lightening, have been a cause both of trembling and of hope.

The fragrances of nature have been as pleasant to us as the sight of the wild blooms of the citizens of the veld.

The dramatic shapes of the Drakensberg, the soil-coloured waters of the Lekoa, iGqili noThukela, and the sands of the Kgalagadi, have all been panels of the set on the natural stage on which we act out the foolish deeds of the theatre of our day.

At times, and in fear, I have wondered whether I should concede equal citizenship of our country to the leopard and the lion, the elephant and the springbok, the hyena, the black mamba and the pestilential mosquito.

A human presence among all these, a feature on the face of our native land thus defined, I know that none dare challenge me when I say - I am an African!
...

If you have a moment, and if you're not afraid to shed a tear, take time to read the full speech here, or watch a short excerpt from the address to the nation here.

The photo was taken at Evita se Perron in Darling. The sign is a genuine relic from the apartheid era, and has been put on display to remind us of where we've come from and to where we should not return.

We've had a tumultuous few days here in South Africa. For those overseas readers who haven't heard the news yet, President Thabo Mbeki announced his resignation on Sunday evening, after being asked to vacate his post by the ANC executive.

Today the news broke that fourteen members of President Mbeki's cabinet had handed in their resignation, including everybody's favourite Minister of Finance, Trevor Manuel. And so there is a degree of uncertainty hanging in the air, although it seems that at least some of this will be resolved on Thursday, when Parliament votes to elect an interim president. (Also, six of the fourteen, including Trevor Manuel, have agreed to make themselves available for service in the new cabinet.)

We're a hardy nation though, and it takes a lot more than being president-less to get us down. Nevertheless, I thought everyone could do with a little tranquility this evening, and so I'm posting a photo of two peaceful cows munching some grass in a field near Darling. :-) The photo was taken on Sunday, when we went up the West Coast to catch a glimpse of the last of the spring flowers.

Scary looking beast, isn't it? This is the MI24 attack helicopter, which made its appearance at the Cape Town Air Show in what was apparently a world first: the MI24 took to the skies alongside South Africa's own Rooivalk - it was the first time they've been seen flying together anywhere in the world.

If you live in Cape Town and didn't make it to the air show this year, make sure you get there next year. The aerobatic displays alone make the day immensely worthwhile. And a little tip, specially for our readers: there were significantly fewer visitors on Sunday afternoon than on Saturday, so if you'd prefer to avoid the crowds, that's the time to go. ;-)

Have a look at the rest of our photos of the air show on the Cape Town Daily Photo Extras blog.

The aerobatics display of the Silver Falcons is possibly the most anticipated event at the annual Cape Town air show. The five pilots of these small aircraft made good on that anticipation this year demonstrating exactly what two wings, a propeller and a whole bag of skill can do in the air.

The Silver Falcons air force aerobatics team was originally formed in 1946 as a four-man team named the Bumbling Bees (what were they thinking?). In 1967 the new five-man team was renamed as the Silver Falcons - a far cooler name I'm sure you'll agree.

Currently all five pilots serve as flight instructors at the Central Flying School located at Air Force Base Langebaanweg (a little over 100 kilometers up our west coast). This is where they also spend their spare time practicing routines and formations that dazzle crowds at Ysterplaat each year.

Silver Falcons, thanks for an spectacular display earlier!

We're busy preparing a few extra photos taken at the air show this weekend. With any luck we'll have them ready by tomorrow, so do check back here early in the week.

Kerry -Anne and I shot through to Ysterplaat, our friendly local air force base, this morning to join thousands of others at the Cape Town International Air Show.

After what Cape Town's weather has been like over the last week or two, the organisers couldn't have hoped for a more pleasant weather. The sun was out, there were no clouds and although there was a breeze it wasn't enough to disrupt the carefully planned maneuvers which were executed with utmost precision.

We spent the day watching all kinds of aircraft, from the Oryx multipurpose helicopter to the Russian MI24 and South African Rooivalk (Red Falcon) attack helicopters. We watched as huge Boeing and Airbus commercial planes and Electric Lightning combat aircraft danced in the skies above.

However, in our opinion it was the Harvards that stole the show. After 63 years of flight, their bright colours, the distinctive high-pitched sound from their propellers beating the wind, and the impressive aerobatics again allowed them to steal the show for us.

We unfortunately had to leave before the Gripen figher aircraft and the Silver Falcons took to the sky. If things go according to plan we'll make it though to Ysterplaat tomorrow and bring back a few photos of what we missed today.

Every year the South African Air Force hosts Cape Town's air show at Ysterplaat, an air force base just outside of the City center. Starting off as a civilian airfield in 1929, this airfield was taken over by the South African Air Force in the Second World War era and later renamed to AFB Ysterplaat (an Afrikaans word meaning "iron plate").

Even though a military presence exists, the base isn't really used for military purposes anymore. It's in fact rare that we see fighter jets landing at Ysterplaat these days. Besides for the cost involved in running a fully operational base, the residential areas have steadily crept up on the base and today thousands live in very close proximity. Noise-wise, I'm pretty sure that local residents are grateful that the base has been scaled down.

It almost slipped my mind that the Cape Town International Air Show is taking place this weekend! Yay! Did I ever mention that when I was young I wanted to be a pilot?

Anyway... I digress. It almost seemed to have slipped Mother Nature's mind too - it's been raining like crazy today. The good news is that the rain will have passed by tomorrow afternoon, just in time for Saturday and Sunday's air show - which is open to the public at a fairly low charge of R50 for adults (and a little less if you pre-book, are on pension, or happen to be under 12 years of age).

I haven't been to the air show in years, so this weekend is my chance to catch up on all the photos I've missed out on. Be sure to watch this space. :)

Click here if you'd like to see a map of how to get to Air Force Base Ysterplaat, or here if you'd like more detailed logistical information, or here for a Google Maps aerial photograph of the venue.

Whenever we drive into the city at dusk, we comment on how absolutely beautiful the skyline is, particularly when the sky is mostly clear with just a few wispy clouds dotted around on the horizon.

To me, the lights shining from these office windows give the city a sense of warmth and a feeling of life. I've always found city lights oddly comforting.

According to my sources it would seem that the Arum Lily is indigenous to Africa only, and found predominantly in southern Africa. We have a few Zantedeschia Aethiopica plants flowering in our garden at this very moment, in fact.

At some stage it would seem that the Arum Lily was taken over to Australia, where it flourished and was subsequently declared a weed. In true Australian style [we do love you guys ;)] the government had strict laws enforced with respect to the transport and control of the plant.

What few may know (I certainly didn't) is that the boiled Arum Lily was, and perhaps still is, used by traditional medicine practitioners as a cure for headaches as well as a means to reduce skin inflammation.

Disclaimer: We don't suggest that you actually try using the plant for medicinal purposes... at least not before doing a truck-load of research on the Internet. :)

Tip: And, never utter the words "I read on the internet..." in the presence of your doctor.

It's rainy and wintry and FREEZING cold in Cape Town this week, so instead of heading out in the stormy weather, we've gone hunting through the archives for some shots that we haven't posted yet. Forgive us for not being brave little soldiers, but this really is duvet and DVD weather. :-)

Our suite in Camelot Villa (see yesterday's post) had huge sliding doors that faced directly over the city and towards the Boland mountain range. I took this photo at about 6am on Saturday morning, after prying one eye open to see where all that light was coming from! I hadn't closed the blinds the night before, and so this was the sight to which we awoke. In reality it was far, far more beautiful than this photo has any hope of showing.

Click through to our CTDP Extras blog to see photos (perhaps a little more impressive) of the rising sun, as well as the unexpected view from the suite's spa-bath.

So as I mentioned in yesterday's post, Kerry-Anne and I are spending the weekend at Camelot... not King Arthur's Camelot but Cape Town's Camelot, a luxury self-catering villa on the slopes of Table Mountain.

This 15-metre heated swimming pool is a dream for anyone wanting to keep fit without having to head off to the gym. As I mentioned, the villa lies on the slopes of Table Mountain, and the owner reckons that there's a 20 or 30 minute walk that one can take up the mountain to a spot where you're able to see the tip of Cape Point.

So, with the pool for doing laps and the mountain for climbing stairs, I'm pretty sure that a month in this exquisite location could go a long way towards the formation of a fitness regime.

It may be of interest to mention that we've neither swum a lap nor climbed a step on the mountain since arriving... we have however suntanned, napped, and made use of the spa-bath (which overlooks the Constantia Valley and Boland mountains) - if that counts for anything. :-/

If you've been visiting our blog for a while you'll remember our exceptional weekend away at Villa Lyonesse last month.

When our hosts, Ric and Robynne, invited us to stay with them at their Camelot Villa this weekend, we gladly accepted. What we hadn't realised was that Ric had purchased the culinary services of celebrity chef MK on a charity auction.

MK has an interesting history. A former street-child, he was selected to undergo training at Jamie Oliver's famous restaurant Fifteen. You can click here to read his story.

MK has worked at a number of top restaurants around Cape Town, and on one occasion even cooked for Nelson Mandela! This evening he treated us to a starter of tabbouleh wrapped in cucumber strips, a main course of dorado topped with mashed peas and parma ham, and a chocolate fondant dessert with blueberries and ice cream (which you can see in the photo above). The meal was absolutely sublime, and I know without a doubt that MK has a very successful career ahead of him.

I spent the afternoon with my mother and two friends at the annual O Magazine Tea Party. This year the tea party was sponsored by Huletts (one of our biggest sugar producers), and so the entrance to the venue was decorated with a display of the most fantastic sugar art, part of which you can see in this photo.

We had an afternoon of absolute decadence: sparkling pink cocktails on arrival; a scrumptious selection of cakes, pastries and savouries to enjoy with our tea; a stunning array of prizes; and energetic entertainment provided by the incredibly talented Coda. And of course no event that bears Oprah Winfrey's name would be complete without each guest receiving an extremely generous goodie bag to take home. :-)

Wow, we're still alive! For now at least. We were unsure whether or not yesterday's post would be the last for Cape Town Daily Photo. :P This morning CERN switched on their Large Hadron Collider near Geneva, Switzerland. Apparently the particle accelerator could, possibly, maybe, with a small chance, destroy the earth by creating (amongst other things) micro black holes. We'll find out for sure next month, I guess, when the first collisions take place.

Doom of the earth aside, it's been pretty gloomy in Cape Town. Nature has been raining her proverbial cats and dogs over the peninsula all week, and I think that I speak for all Capetonians when I say: We've had enough of winter!

I met with a consultant from Johannesburg on Tuesday who couldn't believe that we're having such cold weather - apparently they've been suffering somewhat of a heatwave up north, only 1500Km away. Come on Jo'burg, send some of that warm, sunny weather our way!

This photo was taken in the parking garage pictured in this post.

I spotted these pretty light fittings at Wembley Square, when I went to Sinn's Restaurant for a friend's birthday. Something about the combination of colours really appealed to me, and I was intrigued by the fact that so many lights in such a concentrated area could still produce a pleasant degree of light, without any harshness. I think I might consider an arrangement like this for our dining-room, when we eventually get around to renovating...

"Minimal and Techno" - now I get techno, but I do wonder exactly what minimal is. I may need some help here, but from what I understand, minimalist music is very repetitive music created with very few instruments; hence minimal - predictable and with no complication.

Killer Robot is a club in Long Street (Cape Town) just over the road from the Long Street Cafe. The venue hosts techno music by DJs such as Ivan, Bruno Morphet, and AK47. It does sound interesting, I think we're going to have to stop in some time - just to check out what's happening.

Do you ever stop to think about the amount of concrete above your head when you step out of your car in a parking garage? I certainly wouldn't want to be here during some kind of seismic event.

At this time of the evening this parking garage is pretty empty, although during week days it's filled up with colleagues' cars. Only a few vehicles remain after hours, belonging to very committed workers trying to catch up on things undone. On September evenings like this one, there's an icy wind that rushes among the cold concrete pillars, almost pushing you along, and encouraging laggers to vacate the building and head on home to their families.