Cape Towners and Sundowners

Mother Shucker Oysters

chrisandlisa — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 14:55:30 +0000

One of our absolute favorite spots at the Old Biscuit Mill Saturday Market is Mother Shucker Oysters. We always try to get there early enough to get the oysters before they run out. They run out quickly because they have many fans! They get their oysters from the West Coast and at the Saturday Market you can purchase a half dozen with a glass of bubbly. It’s the absolute best way to start a Saturday morning.

Check out their Face Book page – MotherShucker Oysters!

Cape to Cuba in Kalk Bay

chrisandlisa — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 14:37:42 +0000

This has been a long time coming. We were given a tremendous gift by these two gentlemen, Griffin & Eli Hall (with the help and support of their family).

That gift was a meal at Cape To Cuba in Kalk Bay – thanks boys!. We visited with our parents, Jane & John Hall who were visiting from Alaska. Two of our party biked down there from Cape Town, and met the rest of us at the restaurant. It is definitely a destination to visit!

It’s more than just a room, it’s a whole complex, indoor and outdoor, with memorabilia from Cuba everywhere. We had a great lunch inside, but the bar also looked like a lot of fun. Somewhere to visit on a warm evening for sure. The food was really good – a little taste of Cuba. This is a chain now, with another location on Long Street in Cape Town. We’ve been there too, and it’s also fun. For the food and for the ambiance though, I would suggest the Kalk Bay Cape to Cuba. It’s location right on the ocean is tough to beat.

The Trail Series Runs in Cape Town

chrisandlisa — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:16:01 +0000

I had one my most surreal moments in South Africa yesterday evening. I was sitting at the end of the second of five Cape Trail Series runs, in Rondevlei Nature Reserve. I was with my sister Meghan and her two boys, Griffin and Eli, who are visiting us from our home Alaska, with my brother Jeff. We were all waiting for Jeff and my husband Chris to finish the 11.5 KM race. Suddenly the DJ played Michelle Shocked, “anchored down in Anchorage, Alaska”, and Meghan and I had to smile. Here we were on the other side of the globe in the beautiful Cape Town sunshine, and reminders of Alaska are all around.

I mention this, because this run reminded me of Alaskan sporting events in many ways. These races seem mostly filled with hardcore runners, and people who know about trails and hiking. They venture off into the National Park lands around the Western Cape – giving participants a chance to experience beauty with their pain. And lastly, they are slim on extras. At the end, there’s a cup of energy drink each, but there are no water stops and the trails are sometimes not well-marked. It’s just you and nature.

There are five races in the series, run through January and February. The first two explored very different terrain, and we look forward to different terrain to come in upcoming races. If they only started 30 minutes later, to allow for crazy Cape Town traffic, they would be perfect. We definitely recommend the runs!

Ladysmith Black Mambazo at Aquafest

chrisandlisa — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:54:36 +0000

We saw Ladysmith Black Mambazo in concert at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town, and it was such a unique South African experience. We saw the group perform as a part of the Aqua Festival at the Waterfront. The Aqua Festival is a series of concerts in December and January on a stage on the water right there in the docks, behind the Two Oceans Aquarium. The audience sits on the land, in bleachers looking out at the performers and up at Table Mountain as it disappears into the darkness after sunset. Besides the stirring music, you hear the sea birds and the waves, and if you’re lucky like we were, you’ll hear the local seals camped out on the neighboring docks singing along to the music.

We were there to hear Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a music group that represents so much to South Africa, and that with their original sound and songs, made mere visitors feel a part of the history of their country. There are no instruments, other than the bass, alto & tenor voices of the small group of men. We had first heard them when they worked with Paul Simon on his Graceland album in the 1980s, although their history is much longer than that.

The group was lead by Professor Joseph Shabalala, who started the group more than 50 years ago. He still sounds wonderful, and the group of both old and new members are clearly keeping Prof. Shabalala’s music, dancing, and wonderful tradition alive and well.

Cape Argus Pick N Pay Cycle Tour

chrisandlisa — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:57:23 +0000

We don’t claim to be bicyclists. That doesn’t mean we aren’t super-fans of those hardcore athletes who put it all out there to push the pedals to the ground and hang on for this 109 KM trek around the beautiful Cape of South Africa. This ride is the largest timed cycle event in the world with 35,000 cyclists every year.

We strolled down from our Sea Point flat to watch the cyclists scream by us on that windy race day in mid-March. It was exhilarating. Although we aren’t yet road racers, watching these athletes of all levels certainly inspired us. If you are an amateur or a professional, we definitely recommend the Cape Argus Cycle Tour to you as something to add to your list of accomplishments while you can still do it.

Super-Fans - Clay, MacKenzie, Chris & Andrew

Old Mutual Kirstenbosch Summer Concert Series

chrisandlisa — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:11:42 +0000

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

chrisandlisa — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:20:36 +0000

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.

West Coast National Park

chrisandlisa — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:02:01 +0000

A beautiful trip to take from Cape Town is to drive north through the West Coast National Park. It is only a short distance, an hour or so, and then you get to the park entrance. You pay a nominal fee, then you drive yourself through the park. At first it is a series of rolling hills, much like the road leading up to it. We saw impala and nyala, as well as ostrich, in the shrub near the road. Then suddenly, the scenery opens up, and you’re by the ocean. It’s very lovely. People have told us to drive this way in the spring, when the wild flowers are blooming, and we will. This first time though, we went in the heat of summer. Chris’ parents, Dave and Luci, his brother Andrew, and friend Kenzie were visiting. We even saw a film crew filming a commercial in the park! We enjoyed the warm day and the beauty together.

A hike on Lion’s Head

chrisandlisa — Fri, 01 May 2009 12:52:04 +0000

Above the city

Sea Point (and Robben Island) view

The Labia Movie Theaters

chrisandlisa — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 11:36:29 +0000

We love the movies, and our favorite movie theaters in Cape Town are the Labia. We may mispronounce it, but we never miss a chance to see a movie there. They show all kinds of movies – new, old, independent, foreign, documentaries – everything. They also have a full bar, so you can sip a glass of wine while enjoying the show. It’s a great place to pass a rainy afternoon.

Tiffany at the Labia Theatre

Here’s Tiffany at the Labia, we sure did enjoy visiting with her here!