Tag Archives: Cape Town

Stellenbosch & Franschhoek Wine Tour in Cape Town

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My last day in Cape Town was spent taking a wine tour of three wineries located in the Stellenbosch & Franschhoek regions.  It was the only rainy day of my four days in Cape Town so I couldn’t complain!  I don’t remember the name of the first winery….but isn’t it beautiful?

There was a small group of about 11 of us on the tour.  We tried a variety of wines to include Pinotage, which is a red wine blend of Pinot Noir and Hermitage.  Chardonnay is my wine of choice, but I really enjoyed the Pinotage.  The South African Rand (their money) is around 7 Rand to $1 U.S.  Wine was quite affordable…usually around $5-$8 a bottle for a nice wine.

A break in the rain afforded this nice view of the area surrounding one of the wineries!

Cheers or “Gesondheid” — pronounced Ge-sund-hate in Africaans!

My camera has a drawing function…I was a little fidgety!

I know two of the wineries were called Rickety Bridges and Laborie.  They were all beautiful!

We stopped in the quaint town of Stellenbosch…

This piece of art was quite unique.  It seemed to be made out of a mixture of dirt, rock, straw and a few other substances.

I had a very nice day tasting wine, meeting new people, and seeing the landscape in Stellenbosch and Franschhoek!

Red Bus City Tour of Cape Town

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My four days in Cape Town were just enough time to do the four events I had hoped to see/do.

The first day I hiked up Table Mountain…which I wrote about here.  The second day I took an organized tour of the peninsula of Cape Town, which you can read about here and here.  The third day I took the Red Bus City Tour.  If I remember correctly, it was about $20, but you could hop on and off at different sites around the City.  Before boarding, I took a walk around the Waterfront area of Cape Town.

I only got off the bus once…at St. George’s Cathedral.  I love to take photos of churches and go inside.  This Cathedral is South Africa’s oldest.

There was a small park nearby and I took a few more photos before walking to the next stop.  I love to people watch!  It was fun watching these men taking photos of the pigeons.

I saw this young man and as I was preparing to take his photo, he glanced over at me.  After requesting to take his photo, he got a broad smile and shook his head yes.  I explained I’d prefer a side view…more of a pensive look, so he obliged me.

My fourth day was spent taking a winery tour…so I’ll see you there next!

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

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As part of my Cape Town Peninsula Tour, we stopped at the lovely Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.  We had a little less than an hour to tour it, so I broke away from the organized group and tried to cover as much ground as I could!  Although it was a cloudy and at times misty day, the gardens were gorgeous!

I highly recommend seeing the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens if time permits!  Next we’ll take a Red City Bus Tour!!

Cape Town Peninsula Tour

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While in Cape Town, S. Africa I went on a day tour of the peninsula of Cape Town.  It covered most of the sites to see while in town.

The weather was beautiful that day and the coastline is spectacular!

The above photo is of Boulder Beach.  There is a colony of penguins located there and I just had to take the following photo of a couple in love!

This range of mountains is called the Twelve Apostles.  There are more than  twelve…so there are a few theories as to why they’re called the Twelve Apostles.

It was quite windy at The Cape of Good Hope, which is the most southern tip on the west coast of Africa.

You can’t help but to fall in love with Cape Town!  It is gorgeous!!  I’d like to thank all of you for your kind comments and wish I had time to respond.  I’ll be writing a post to explain the strenuous time schedule.  I miss talking with you!

Get Your “Af-ri-can” On

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I’ve got Africa on my mind!  These photos are from a shop in the Clifton area of Cincinnati…

Lots of progress made so far–

  • Airfare purchased
  • Trip Insurance purchased
  • Wheeled convertible duffel bag bought
  • 30 degree 2 lb. compressible sleeping bag bought
  • North Face Hiking Shoes bought

I’ll do a post about the gear I’m taking at some point!

I decided against the couch surfing…the three people I contacted haven’t responded yet…so I booked a hostel (private room) that looks really cool through Hostel World.  Also, decided on my itinerary for the four days in Cape Town–one day hiking Table Mountain and taking the cable car down; one or two days of unplanned activities around Cape Town–maybe the hop-on/hop-off bus; one day an organized tour (found through Trip Advisor) that hits all of the major sites–such as…

Clifton, Bantry Bay

Camp’s Bay

The spectacular Chapman’s peak drive (if open)*

Hout Bay and boat trip to Seal Island

Muizenberg

Kalk Bay

Fishhoek

Boulders Beach National Park – visit the African Jackass Penguins

Cape Town day tours Visit to Simon’s Town and the Historic Mile

Cape Point

Cape of Good Hope – The most South-Westerly point of the African continent

Most of my itinerary is finished, including the currency conversion rates for the six different countries and the time differences.

It’s fun planning the trip also…but my brain starts to hurt!  Maybe because I try to get it all done so quickly!  I wanted to thank those of you that gave me some wonderful tips on what to take and what to do!

Have a terrific weekend!