still armchair travelling....

I have posted another photo album from our recent trip to Turkey and Bulgaria, on my facebook page. This features the fascinating village of Pamukkale in central Turkey. It is home to an ancient ruined city (Hierapolis) and the travertines, a hillside covered with glistening white calcite formations from the calcium rich spring water that flows over it. There is also a fascinating ancient pool, a thermal hot spring full of mineral water, that is full of broken Roman columns from the ruined former Roman baths there.

(this may look like snow, but it was 35 degrees C when this was taken! It is calcite. On top of the hill you can see one of the ruined buildings from the ancient city of Hierapolis.)

Capetown Cameos #3

To finish up the Capetown trip, I will share a few pictures of the third day. After another wonderful sunrise from the roof deck,

and breakfast on the pretty little front patio, we trundled off to Woodstock, in search of three of the top Galleries in the Cape, which are fortunately all in one building, a converted industrial space that was absolutely perfect for the display of art. Goodman Gallery had a fabulous review of some of South Africas iconic contemporary artists from the last 7 decades, and it was a treat seeing works by artists one can often only enjoy in textbooks.

Then back to explore the charming De Waterkant district, which has such a fascinating vibe and unique character. It is such a delight wandering through the narrow cobbled streets, browsing through eclectic shops and cafes,

and ending up in the Cape Quarter, at a fab Italian Restaurant.

Then, reluctantly off to pack and get to the airport, for the return flight to PE. A pretty end to a blissful interlude,

and both Julie and I can't wait to go back with our husbands to share this magical spot with them!

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

Cape Town Cameos #1

I just got back from 3 days R&R in Capetown. Believe it or not, this was my first trip alone with a friend (Apart from day trips of course!) Max and I are so in tune when travelling, so I was not sure what to expect from 3 days with a friend whose holidays usually take quite a different form to ours. Max and I have travelled in the past with friends who whip through, notching up experiences like some sort of scoreboard, "ok seen that, move on." It is very frustrating. Luckily Julie and I have similar tastes and interests, and she turns out to be a traveller who also takes time to look around and soak up the vibe and the visual impressions (and is very patient while I go mad taking photos every five minutes!) We are also familiar with quite different parts of Capetown and so we were able to take it in turns to introduce each other to some of our favourite spots, and explore new ones too.

The only appointments we had were a booking at the exceptional Moyo Restaurant, the first night, and Tickets for dinner and theatre on the second. The rest of the time was a fluid "go with the flow" time of exploring new areas, shopping a little, going to lots of galleries, and sitting on sidewalk cafes letting the magic of Capetown flow over us, while street musicians entertained us.

The B&B we stayed in was in De Waterkant on the slopes of Signal Hill, in what has become a very trendy district of restored Cape Malay houses. It is central to the seaboard, waterfront and City centre. The place we stayed in was on the highest street, and like its neighbours, was a 3 story narrow building scrambling up the hillside.

It has a roof deck with 360 degree views of the City, Table Mountain and waterfront.

On the first day we arrived quite early in the morning and went straight to the B&B to settle in and have a quick breakfast at a sidewalk cafe. (I am far from being a fussy eater, but really, the lead-like roll offered on the plane with a nondescript bit of cold meat glued to it with some sort of mayonnaise, and who-knows-how-long-in-the-fridge was guarenteed to cause drama with the digestion, so by the time we landed we were ravenous!)

Then we headed off for Franschhoek in the mountainous winelands to the North East of the city. We soaked up the scenic surroundings on the road into the village, farmlands making the most of the rich soil at the base of soaring mountains.

On the way we stopped at an antique shop with a difference. If you looked at this old warehouse exterior, with old enamel basins and farming gear, would you guess that inside you would find some amazing pieces of elaborately carved French Gothic furniture, and simply amazing crystal chandeliers? It was one of those magical places that holds a surprise around every corner, an ecclectic mix of rugged farmstyle and highly sophisticated, simple and ornate, bargain and priceless, so that a walk around it was a feast for the senses.

I had driven through Franschhoek before, with Max, but we must have been on a bypass route, because we didn't see a fraction of this delightful little village. It has one of the most picturesque main streets you will find anywhere, with historic cottages converted into wonderful galleries, boutiques and restaurants.

After a simply delicious meal at the French Connection, where subtle blends of flavour left one in a comatose state of bliss, we set off to explore the street.

Reluctantly leaving Franschhoek behind us as the sun began to set and the shops closed, we headed across the mountains to Stellenbosch, and the Spier Wine Estate, home of the legendary Moyo Restaurant. This is not a place you go just to eat. It is designed, from the moment you enter, to engage all your senses in an experience of what makes Africa the unique continent it is.

You enter a vast marquee through a shop of African arts and crafts and music cds.

This leads you back out into a wonderful garden, where you are greeted, and have traditional painting done on your face, before you are shown to your table.

This could either be in a series of little Moroccan style tents are dotted in clusters around the garden, or back in the main tent, which also houses the enormous buffet.

This is composed of combined flavours and favourites from the length of Africa, from Morocco in the North, via Kenya, to South Africa.

The genius of Moyo is that it is completely geared to tourists, introducing them to the African Experience, yet it is authentic enough that locals, who would normally avoid places full of tourist tat like the plague, love it too.

African rugs are thrown over the back of each chair, so that as you enjoy your meal in the little open tents, you can bundle up against the night time cold mountain air. There is a passing parade of African musicians, at one point a Xhosa man and his wives arrive to sing accappella and they are followed a while later by drummers and dancers in a nearby clearing. in the tent a jazz guitarist strolls around, and water tumbles from a nearby treehouse fountain, which houses another table on top of the deck, for those who don't mind running the gauntlet of the stairs to fetch more food from the buffet.

Our waiter, innocent, made sure we were well looked after, and a long relaxed evening unfolded.

On the way back to town, we saw that the side of the Mountain was ablaze, in the vicinity of Rhodes Memorial. ................ but that is another story for another day.

Spring? You coulda fooled me!!

We have had an interesting couple of days, so the rest of the trip to Capetown is still on hold.

A massive cold front swept through the southern part of the country, causing havok along the coast. As you might know by now, I ADORE foul weather, so I have been running around since Sunday like a kid in a candy store, snapping away and trying to capture images that convey the conditions. In the process I discovered a fascinating place and met one of life's unique people.

On Sunday Mr Farty and I bundled up warmly (not warmly enough if his hunched shoulders were anything to go by!!!)

..... and went out in the howling gale to see what the sea was up to. As the storm coincided with very high spring tides, warnings had been issued about rough seas and freak waves. Even as we were leaving home in Richmond Hill, we could see that the breakwater was taking a pounding.

Usually a pretty good gauge of the waves is the New Brighton Pier. On normal days you will see fishermen all along its length, and the pier is high above water level, but on Sunday the waves were engulfing it as they rolled by.

On Monday it was WAY worse, see our Spring Day post on Port Elizabeth Daily Photo for some spectacular shots taken from the freeway.

Because there was an offshore wind, the breakers were being whipped back and the spray was catching the lowering sun, and making lovely rainbow colours.

We went along to Kings Beach. Beach? What beach? The water was all the way up to the access road!

.... and the sand was blasting off the top of the dunes. The lifeguards tower was wallowing forlornly in the water.

Further along Restaurante de Mauro was taking a hammering too, and the spray being whipped off the waves was really beautiful.

Returning home, we spotted a huge flock of terns circling above Kings Beach.

The following day dawned cold and clear, and Max phoned to say the news was mentioning that there was snow in the Eastern Cape. On an impulse, I phoned K and asked if she and wee E would like to go off looking for it. On the way it struck me how different our sense of distance is in Africa, because we are so used to huge open spaces between towns. To us it is quite a normal practice to hop into the car and drive somewhere 300km away for the day. I realise most people who live in Europe will think it is totally insane to drive the equivalent of London to Scotland for a day's outing, but that's Africa for you!

We decided to head for Hogsback, and stopped on the way for breakfast in Grahamstown. Then we started towards Fort Beaufort, winding our way up the passes as we climbed inland.

We rounded a bend and squealed with delight as we spotted snow on a distant mountain.

So off we headed enthusiastically towards it. We passed through Fort Beaufort, and Alice. But as we left Alice, heading towards Hogsback, I could see that there was no snow on these mountains, the one we had seen was much further to the North East. So I phoned Mr Farty to send me the number of the delightful Granny Mouse house in Hogsback, where we have had some really nice stays. (And by the way, as I was hunting for a link, I realised that I promised in MAY that I would show you this magic place, and somehow time and events overtook me, so that is another journey we must do soon!) The ever friendly Ingrid laughed when I told her we had driven all that way to see snow, apparently it had snowed there the previous day, but had already melted by the time we got there, RATS! So we turned around and headed back to Alice, where we filled up with petrol. At the garage there was a guy in a really well maintained old Porsche, rather an unlikely car to see in this remote country area! I asked him about the snow, and he said it was FAAAAAAR away on the Winterberg Mountains. He lives there, 8km from the snow, and said even in a really powerful 4x4 it would take 2 and a half hours to travel that 8km because the terrain is so rugged. So that was the end of that! But as we headed back through Fort Beaufort, we decided to make the best of it, and as we passed the museum, we decided to pop in for a quick look around.

Boy did we underestimate that place! It was absolutely fascinating, and a well laid out balanced display showing the history and lifestyles from the point of view of the original tribes who lived there, as well as the British soldiers and Settlers who were tasked with establishing it as a frontier for the Colonial Government. Room after room of well labelled and well kept artefacts greeted us. Just as we were leaving, having taken in a fraction of what is there, because it would really take several days to see and absorb it all, a rather shabby looking man shuffled up to us. He asked what our interestrs were, and we said just general history. So he said that the museum was about to undergo a reshuffle, and would we like to see something else.

Now don't forget that we are city girls, who live practically under seige to criminals back home, and had a 4 year old with us. So every defense mechanism was bristling.... was it safe to go with this man who, although he looked like a hobo, seemed to be in posession of the keys to the museum? My natural liking for eccentrics took over, I didn't want to offend him, so we followed him into a little courtyard, with a lovely view across a river to the mountains beyond.

It was full of all sorts of bric-a-brac, which is going to find its way into the new displays.

He unlocked a door and ushered us into a large room, which turned out to be the old blacksmith's workshop. I still had ash in the fireplace and an ENORMOUS set of bellows, and a fascinating assortment of tools. He also showed us his magnificent collection of vintage clothes and uniforms.

I asked his name, and at this point he disappeared, leaving K and I looking at each other with slack jaws.He returned wearing a cap with a moose on it, told us his name was Moose van Rensberg, and proceeded to tell a long and involved story about how he had decided in his youth to become a professional bum, and earned the name on his travels. He eventually settled down in Fort Beaufort, married, and has now been the curator of the museum for the past 20 years.

He said we must go for a walk with him as he had something more to show us. Again the defences sprung up, and I tried to excuse us by saying we needed to find Ethan some lunch. He said "well you are wasting time then, come on" and Ethan said "granny, you are wasting time!" So we had no choice but to follow!

We walked along the street, enjoying the lovely old historic buildings,

....and came to one with the original old curved veranda, which turned out to be Moose's home, which he calls the Mooseum.

The dining room has no curtains, just a stunning collection of old bottles covering the window.

Moose led us through the kitchen and into a back garden that was like entering wonderland.

It was a menagerie of animals and birds in interleading aviaries, with bunnies, guinea pigs, hamsters, chickens, pigeons, budgies a tortoise, dogs, cats and many other types of birds co-habiting happily together. Ethan was delighted.

There was an outdoor pub in one corner, called the "Horny bar"! .....

and a door covered with old Apartheid era signs......

By this time we had long since had the feeling that we had entered a time warp, and moved back in time a couple of centuries......but t his feeling was completely confirmed when we left his house, and there across the street was a man taking photographs....

with an old bellows camera and a red cloth draped over his head! We returned to the car in a daze of sensory overload, and tucked into some 'padkos', (literally food for the road)

and the little guy was gone for the trip home!

What a magic day of dropping off the planet. We returned to a bit of harsh reality, in the form of a monster traffic jam caused by the freeway being awash with monster waves. You can read all about that on the Port Elizabeth Daily Photo blog if you follow the link near the top of this post.