Flew Emirates EK770 from Dubai to Cape Town arrived at 4.15 pm Friday 21st October. Taxi to Lawhill Apartments at the V&A (A=Alfred!) Waterfront. Strolled down to the Waterfront, straight into the sounds of Africa - came across a group of singers with drum accompaniment. Loved the vibes! Spot the fur seals!
(Click on this photo to see a panorama of our apartment block with Table Mountain behind)
Spent 4 days exploring Cape Town.
Sat – Grey day. First was the Neighbourgoods Saturday morning Market and then on to Downtown, to the Company Gardens and the South African National Museum. Spent the late afternoon and evening at the Pauleneur brewery’s Oktoberfest complete with Umpah band and eating sausages with sauerkraut and mash!
Sun – Lovely weather. A lazy morning including the Rugby World Cup final followed by lunch at the waterfront (more African bands) followed by a John Cleese concert!. Dinner was fish and chips…at the Waterfront! (H had an extremely bony Snoek). Discovered the Mitchell's ale house, a local brewery, which offered a good pint of bitter.
(Click on this to see a panorama of the Waterfront)
Mon - City Sight Seeing bus tour: St George's Cathedral - diocese of Desmond Tutu; District 6 Museum,(site of the forced move of people to segregated townships in the 60's and 70's);back on the bus to the Table Mountain cableway ( actually half way up the mountain ) – still closed but we walked along the counter road towards Devils Peak with great views of Cape Town, Lion's Head, Sight Hill and of course Devil's Peak; Camps Bay - beautiful spot on the beach where the rich and famous live, a stroll on the beach and lunch;Sea Point for a walk along the promenade. Later we did the bus’s Night Tour – a reverse tour from earlier via Camps Bay and on to Signal Hill, to watch the sun go down and eat our picnic but it was so cold ( and the horizon was cloudy ) that we went back into the bus. Beautiful skies at sunset. Back to the waterfront to Mitchell's Brewery!
City centre 
District 6 Museum (school class visiting) 
From the bottom of the cable car 
Camps Bay and the 12 Apostles 
The promenade at Sea Point – note the trees bent by the wind! 
Sunset from Signal Hill and “our” brewery
Tues - Table Mountain Cableway still shut so did the second bus tour round the back of Table Mountain: Kirstenbosch, the national Botanic Gardens; a guided walk around the x y township; without considering the irony we then moved on to the Mount Nelson hotel, premier 5 star hotel in Cape Town for afternoon tea! Walked back through Cape Town, along Long Street and Loop Street to round out a lovely afternoon. Back down to Mitchell's brewery at the Waterfront at night for a couple of drinks and some people watching! 
Us on the bus and the bus itself 
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens 
Bird of Paradise flower, the yellow variety named after Nelson Mandela (Mandela’s Gold) 
Iziko Lobomi Township
Hout Bay 
Mount Nelson Hotel and Afternoon Tea – “the best in the world” they say. At 16.50 euros it was a pretty good deal. 
Long Street
