Cape Town Cameos #2

Continuing our trip to the Mother City, we went to bed after a hectic day and woke up the next morning to ash in the doorway. Going up onto the rooftop deck, with its wonderful 360 degree views, we were greeted by the sad sight of Table mountain burning,

and the drone of helicopters shuttling back and forth with giant buckets of water to release on the flames.

The fire had burned all the way over the mountain from the Rhodes memorial side and was burning right down to the city limits.

However the sadness caused by that sight was lifted by a stunning sunrise over the City....

Even the ugly crane that that hovered over the Waterfront skyline took on a brief glorious etherial beauty

After a leisurely breakfast on the delightful little patio overlooking the street,

we went to town to stroll around and check out some art galleries. Being the oldest town in South Africa, Capetown has a delightful city centre, an ecclectic jumble of historic and new, with influences from many different cultures.

To just park the car and wander around soaking in the sights and sounds (not to mention the delicious aromas of coffee and Malay cooking wafting from corner cafes as you pass!) is a rare treat.

First stop on the gallery circuit was 34 Long St, an old building wedged between tall modern ones on either side,

but very contemporary inside!

Finally the coffee aromas got too much for us, and we ended up enjoying cappuchinos in a lovely Italian Cafe with an entire wall of driftwood encased between two sheets of glass.

We eventually ended up having lunch at a pavement cafe in Greenmarket Square,

being entertained by the Ganga Muffins, a jazz/blues duo with a distinctly Cape flavour to the music... it was such fun!

We then went for a drive around the mountain to check out some of the panoramic views from up there, before heading across to the back of the mountain for a bit of shopping in Newlands. From above Sea Point we got a view of the half finished Greenpoint Stadium,

and the infamous Robben Island with the Greenpoint lighthouse in the foreground.

We rushed back to change, then straight off to run the gauntlet of the rush hour traffic, and off to Camps Bay, for dinner and a show at the Theatre on the Bay. it started drizzling just as we arrived.

And then cleared a bit and rounded a perfect day off with this sunset from the theatre dining room.

The show was very good, an Italian called Ennio Marchetto who is uses origami in a very original way, to make costumes and change rapidly between characters. A good laugh, and then off for a well earned sleep..........

check out Ennio in action