Old Mutual Kirstenbosch Summer Concert Series

One of the BEST things to do in the summer time in Cape Town is gather a blanket, some sacks and bottle of wine and drive 10 minutes to Kirstenbosch Gardens for one of their outdoor concerts. These concerts happen every week between November and April, and highlight some of the best musical talent in South Africa. The type of music runs the spectrum, from rock to hip hop to pop to classical, they have it all. They even have a Christmas carol sing-along in December. It’s wonderful.

The setting of Kirstenbosch Gardens is magnificent. These beautiful gardens right in town, offer a glimpse of plants from all over South Africa and groomed trails that take you winding up mountainsides and through pleasant valleys. The concerts are held in the open-air amphitheater where the audience can take in all of the beauty of the gardens as they listen to the music.

We have been to many concerts here, but one of our favorites was HHP (Hip Hop Pantsula). This South African hip hop artist put on an amazing show, and featured a who’s who of South African artists as guests during the show. The audience could not help but be on their feet dancing. We went with our brother Andrew and his friend MacKenzie, who partied along with Chris.

Knysna Oyster Festival

We drove out to Knysna on the Garden Route in the second weekend of July to enjoy the Knysna Oyster Festival.  It was tons fun.  We ate dozens of oysters, and we waddled like the Walrus in the “Walrus and Carpenter” afterward – absolutely stuffed full of the yummy seafood, lemon juice and Tabasco.  The events were happening all over town, and we went from locale to locale to eat and enjoy this scenic little town right by the ocean.  All of the events were fun, but we settled early at the Knysna Oyster Company Restaurant on the pier, and enjoyed drinks and food with old and new friends.