Wine X

We went to the biggest wine tasting of the year in Cape Town, and the largest consumer wine show in the Southern Hemisphere.  It’s called Wine X, and it features the best wines  from all over the country.  So clearly, we had to go.

Chris picked Lisa up from work, and we grabbed a quick bite to eat before we went in, we wanted to be ready.  We walked in the Cape Town Convention Centre, and huge modern conference facility, made of glass and steel, right downtown.  When we walked in, there were a bunch of servers in tuxedos to our right, so Chris walked right over and joined the party.  Come to find out, that wasn’t our party.  After a couple of snacks there, the servers told us the cool party with wine was futher on.  So we pushed on.

We passed the enormous cheese booth, and walked into the main room.  The room was huge, so big it was organized with large banners alphabetizing the room.  It went A thru Z, and then AA, well past LL.  We got out our booklet and pen, and started around the room.  It was absolutely packed with people, and honestly sometimes we had to throw a subtle elbow so we wouldn’t get pushed around.  Wine is clearly a big hit here!  It was a big hit with us too.  The night was a lot of fun.  We tried great wines, spoke to people from all over the country, and celebrated a great South African industry.

Some of our favorite winemakers are:

Ataraxia Mountain Vineyard

Bouchard Finlayson

Hamilton Russell

Backsberg Estate Cellars

Ken Forrester

Boekenhoutskloof

Capaia Wines

Kleine Zalze

Cape Point Vineyards

SAGA (South Africa’s Great Acronyms)

1. We wake up each morning and listen to SAWS.

2. Here in South Africa, nothing’s certain, but death and SARS.

3. Feeling let down?  If so, you may want to get a face lift or you may want to contact SAGS.

4. If you get out of line, you may be chased by SAPS.

5. While here, be careful of SASS.

A Windy Hike at Silvermine

A view of Fish Hoek

Wild animal

On the descent

Our hike in Silvermine started on a chilly and windy Sunday morning. We weren’t sure if it would actually happen, but when we got to the trailhead, there was our hiking group. We had joined a hiking club so that we could meet new people, go on the many new hikes, and learn more the terrain here. This one was lead by a hiking expert named Gunther, from Germany. Most of the others on the hike were also German, or South African of German descent, so the conversation occasionally strayed into German. We were also serenaded by Marta and Laura in a rousing version of the club song.

That was the jolly part – however for much of the hike, we could not sing. We could barely stand up. The cold antarctic wind was blowing strong, and it tried it’s best to blow us over. A few members of our group were actually blown over by the strong gusts. We enjoyed the hike heartily though. Our Alaskan experience got us through the cold with with no problems. We were all warmed by the great company, and the beauty that surrounded us with every step. We definitely recommend this hike (but maybe on a warmer day next time).

Zimfest 2008! (part 2)

Zolani of Freshly Ground

Freshly Ground stirs it up

Zimfest 2008 was an extraordinary event. The music was incredible, and the cause was inspirational. We previously described one of our favorite musical acts, and now we want to highlight our other favorite. That was Freshly Ground.

Freshly Ground is a band made up people from Southern Africa, primarily South Africa. It’s in eclectic group, with guitars and percussion, as well as horns and a violin. There are 7 people in the group, and when they’re performing all eyes are on them. Their sound is African pop, although, it is not easily labeled. Their songs touched on issues we can all relate to, like the pressures to compare ourselves physically to a perceived ideal of beauty and jealous feelings when your partner is away from home. They also mix in that African rhythm and even a few Xhosa clicks. It was a fantastic show.

After the show we had a chance to speak to the lead singer, Zolani, about Zimfest and living in Cape Town. It was a pleasure to talk to her, and to see Freshly Ground. We definitely recommend checking them out when they come to your town. (We apologize for the poor audio quality.)

Zimfest 2008! (part 1)

In the lobby

Zimfest rocks!

Necklaces from Zimbabwe

Nomfusi is super cool.

On Saturday, the 6th, we went to Zimfest. Zimfest is a fundraiser concert to raise money and awareness for the people of Zimbabwe. We learned that there are many people from Zimbabwe living here in South Africa, to escape the difficult conditions in their own country. The event highlighted the wonderful arts that come from Zimbabwe, and the plight of many Zimbabweans around the world.

First and foremost it was a music festival though. We saw many bands that we liked a lot, but we’re using our site to highlight two of our absolute favorites. One of those is Nomfusi. Nomfusi (backed by two vocalists) dazzled with her amazing voice. We felt ourselves swept away by their incredible vocals, as did the crowd around us.

We had a chance to talk to Nomfusi backstage after the concert, and ask about why this event was important to her. She explained that there was much that we know, and much that we don’t know, and hopefully events like this will build support for important causes. She wants to support all the good causes like this one, to raise awareness for Zimbabwe.

Stormy seas

We were ready for Blisters for Bread (a large run raising funds for an anti-hunger NGO), but, sadly, it was canceled due to a heavy storm.

Much of the coast was feeling the affects of the mighty squall. These are some photos we took of the beaches near our place.

Big waves near Camps Bay 1

Big waves near Camps Bay 2

Foamy Three Anchor Bay 1

Foamy Three Anchor Bay 2

Milnerton stroll

A view of Table Mountain and Cape Town

Catching a gust

Endless skies

On a windy, bright Sunday afternoon, we browsed the wares at the Milnerton Flea Market, just north of Cape Town. We enjoyed snacking on chocolate pastries as we walked along the booths selling various items including antique chairs, car parts, and colorful spices.

We also spent some time at a nearby beach enjoying the sun, the waves and the views of the city in the distance.