Category: 2019-04 US South Africa

After breakfast we went by car to the valley station of Table Mountain. The weather and the view were good. Due to time constraints we had refrained from a hiking tour, because we still had some things to do for the next days. There are different trails with different levels of difficulty. Ascent about 1.5 – 2.5hrs.

The cable car was a good alternative. The tickets until 1:00 are more expensive than the afternoon tickets (20% off with the wildcard). There is also a restaurant and small stores at the top.

After the downhill ride we went to the beautiful V&A Waterfront Marina and did some errands there. From there you also have a nice view of the silhouette of Table Mountain..

Reiner

For breakfast there was again everything the heart desires. In addition, today also delicious scones home-baked.

We drove through the town of Franschhoek once again. Gorgeous vineyards with beautiful colorful foliage. We stopped at the Big Dog Café and got a little tour at the resident coffee roastery. The Terbodore Coffee Franschhoek smelled like French Vanilla and tasted very good. In Cape Town we are staying in Camps Bay, a neighborhood with pretty fancy houses and a gorgeous beach.

However, we could not enjoy the ambience there. We were extremely besieged by vendors. Even in the aisles in the supermarket we were begged by a woman.

Silke

We slept in and had breakfast in peace. Then one of the oldest and largest wineries in Stellenbosch, the family-owned Wine Farm Spier, was on the agenda. Winner of numerous awards. Reason enough for us to take an extended walk there, for a picnic in the estate’s own park. The estate was 2.5 km walk from “our” winery Lovane. In the store there you get everything suitable for a picnic. You fill your basket with a blanket, wine, cheese, chocolate, etc. In the high season you should book in advance.

Since we were still not sure about the wine, we first went to the “Wine Tasting” in the adjacent building.

“Taste 300 years of heritage”

There it remained then also. Silke (and I) then eventually bought boxes of wine to be delivered home.

After the work was done, we headed home and enjoyed the sunset with a good red wine, on the terrace. Cheers!

Reiner

Today we could see a submarine during breakfast! After checking out, we first went to Cape Town to exchange the car for another one. Then we drove to Stellenbosch, where we stayed at a small wine estate (Lovane Wine Estate). We were given a bottle of red wine as a welcome and in the in-house wine cellar there was a tasting of 5 different wines. Rosé to port wine – but only a sip each! (-;

Very interesting how the wines are stored in barrels and made from what grapes/vines. We really liked the Isikhati (Zulu = Time), however Sauvignon Blanc remains our favorite wine for now.

Cheers! Silke

At breakfast we spotted a whale in the ocean! The weather was stormy and rainy this morning, but then cleared up, so we went for a hike to Thomas T. Tucker. First you have to go back to the national park. The wreck is located on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula. The start is at the Olifantbos Beach parking lot. We chose the middle trail out of three suggestions, which leads about 5 km through the country and along the coast. The drive there developed into a game drive. Already at the road we saw many Baboons running through the bushes. Signs are posted everywhere warning that these monkeys are wild animals and dangerous, and must not be fed under any circumstances.

There was a dead antelope in the brush next to the trail. The shipwreck itself lies spread out on the beach like a skeleton. The Thomas T. Tucker ran aground here in 1942 during its maiden voyage in the fog. There are also other shipwrecks to discover on this trail at the stand.

Beautiful plants, flowers and heather grow in the dunes. A leopard tortoise walked along the roadside. Bird ostriches , a zebra and many live antelope we also saw. We also spotted water birds like cormorants, oystercatchers and seagulls. On a rock near SimonsTown sea lions were sunbathing. Back in our apartment today we had baked camembert and bean stew.

Silke

Today we explored the Cape Peninsula and let the wind blow around our noses. We drove to the Cape of good Hope and did two small trails to the lighthouse and the Cape of good Hope.

Huge rocks that rise to the 200 m from the sea. The paths are very well made and easy to walk. From the parking lot there is even a cable car up to the lighthouse (Who wants – extra ticket). Many nationalities cavort here and enjoy the great view. A sign shows 9635 km to Amsterdam. We had quite nice weather at 16 degrees, fresh wind and good visibility. Unfortunately there were no whales or dolphins in the water. The water itself is crystal clear and has a wonderful turquoise blue on the coast. Dias Beach is fantastically located between Cape Point and the Cape of good Hope. You can climb down a staircase. We hiked about 4 hours from viewpoint to viewpoint. We talked with two nice women from Kiel at the lighthouse for a while. Esther lives and works for 3 years in South Africa.

Back at the apartment, we had pasta again. After that we checked our photo backup. All photos from the phone are in a cloud/or uploaded to Amazon Photos. This is very reassuring in case we ever lose the phone, or it breaks. By the way, the entrance fee to the park is R303 pP (without South African Wild Card). Opening hours Apr – Sep 7:00 – 17:00.

Silke

Reiner got up early and saw two whales in the bay not far from shore. I slept a little longer. Then we had a leisurely breakfast. Back on the Garden Route we drove past vineyards, mostly along the coast. Our destination today was Simon ‘s Town, where we stayed in “Romans Rock” apartment. About 1 km away is a large colony of African Penguins (Jackass Penguins), which we visited in the afternoon. The animals settled here in the 80s and one pair has become several thousand.

The beach section is protected via SanParks and is only open during the day. Entrance costs R 152 (approx. 10 EUR) or incl. withSouth Africa Wild Card. The colony can be observed from a wooden jetty. Some penguins prefer the bushes on the slope. (There we also discovered Dassies and Weasels). The African penguins are here all year round.

The cute bipeds are about 40 cm tall and estimated to weigh 3-4 kg. They talk loudly and waddle across the beach into and out of the water. They also stay with their offspring during the day to feed. Some young are fatter than their parents. Some nesting sites still have eggs in them, while in others some of the fledglings’ fluffy feathers had already transitioned to their shiny “tails.”

In the evening we cooked noodles in cheese sauce, played a round of Carcassonne and watched the Eurovision Song Contest over the internet.

Silke