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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

We had wanted to visit Hermanus for quite a while, because some of our very favorite wineries are in that area (Bouchard Finlayson, Ataraxia, and Hamilton Russell).  We finally made it down there, and it did not disappoint.

Hermanus is a small town, about 90 minutes east of Cape Town.  It’s famous for its beaches and champagne, and also for whale watching.  Beginning every July, the Southern Right Whales come back to Walker Bay to breed.

We did not visit during whale season this year, but we had a wonderful visit.  We stayed in a small bed & breakfast by a river that come off of the ocean.  In the tall grasses between our place and the water, birds and crickets chirped as we watched a beautiful sunset.  Later that evening we braaied (barbecued) up some delicious food in our kitchenette, and relaxed in the warm evening.

We’ll definitely return to see the whales in a few months.

Hermanus Valley

Hermanus Sunset

Lisa Trying to Braai

A beautiful spot to visit in the Western Province is the De Hoop Nature Reserve.  It’s a broad length of coastline including the coastal plains and the actual sea coast near the furthest point south on the continent, and it’s one of the largest natural areas managed by Cape Nature Conservation.  It’s made up of clear blue ocean with huge white sand dunes, alongside miles of scrub-brushed plains.    We went there for an afternoon, but it definitely deserved more time.  There is great snorkling, biking, swimming, and bird watching.

We saw beautiful little houses that people can rent to stay in the park, probably some of the same that those on the Whale Trail hike along the coast later in the year, will stay in on their journey.  We really enjoyed it, and plan to make it back there.

De Hoop

De Hoop Ocean View

Tiffany with Bonteboks

Chris on the Dunes

A classic Cape Town weekend for us is visiting Boulders Beach. It’s just down the road from Simon’s Town, on the False Bay coast.  We love going there to see the penguins.

Penguin at Boulders Beach

This is one of the spots in the Cape where you can go to see African Penguins.  The penguins are everywhere, it is truly their beach, and we are all  just visitors.  They nest in every nook and cranny on the beach, along the boardwalk, even in the storm drains.  The are adorable and amazing to watch.

Jumping for Joy at the Site of Penguins

Penguins on the Rocks

Tiffany and the Penguins

We were fortunate enough to attend the South African Open at Pearl Valley Golf Estates, which is in Paarl (about 40 minutes away from Cape Town).

Tiffany, Lisa & Chris at the South African Open

We were ever luckier to be joined by our sister, Tiffany.  She came to surprise us for the Christmas holiday, and it was a WONDERFUL surprise.  So the three of us went to the South African Open

While there, we made it our quest to watch Ernie Els, the world famous golfer.  This was our first time at a professional golf tournament, and it was much more active that watching Tiger on television.  We were with a pack of more than 50 people who ran from hole to hole to try and see Els shoot.  It was a lot of fun.  We ran miles that day to stand close by the “Lion” (as we called him, because of his golf club cover) at each hole.

Ernie Els at the South African Open

His swing was lovely.  Our Pappy was an avid golfer, and we thought of him often watching those effortless and smooth swings.

Els Swinging

Els started way behind, but by the final hole, he was in reach of finishing 2 under the leader.  A score, we found out later, would have won the tournament.  Unfortunately, his putting fell apart on the last hole.  I guess it really is all about your short game.

Ernie Els Putting

Ernie walked away from the course a little down,

Ernie Els Walking Off the Course

and this was made even worse his grabby fans (not us).

This was a really fun day of golf in the sunshine.   The event was well organized, and the location was beautiful.  We had a great time.

Chris & Tiffany with the South African Open mascot