Cape Town (I)

Hello!

We’ve spent the past four days wandering Cape Town and it is just wonderful.

Cape Town is for all practical purposes a European city. The streets are well paved, the architecture is imported from the old continent, and it lies on one of the most gorgeous stretches of real estate in the world. Nestled under a number of sandstone peaks, the small city proper opens onto the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Its location allows for breathtaking views from almost anywhere you stand. Combine this with friendly people, a multi-cultural population and a great food scene and you have some happy travelers.

We spent the first day enjoying the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in the south. Hugging the sandstone cliffs, this World Heritage Sight provides for dozens of hours of hiking, walking, tea-drinking and leisurely wandering through its excellent exhibits and micro-climates. The next couple of days we have spent enjoying the ocean-front, walking along the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront (a large up-scale shopping complex with jaw-dropping views and an aquarium), and riding in the double-decker tourist bus (our legs in this car-dependent culture).

Tomorrow we start our next leg of travel through the Western Cape Province. We are finally renting a car and driving into the wine regions and along the southern coast. We will have more to report upon our return. For now, here is the link to our pictures from the last couple of days (click here).

We miss you all and can’t wait to hear from you!