i could (should) be a tour guide...

We had a wonderful day in Cape Town yesterday, perfect weather and even more perfect company.  Lucie's cousin Siobhan and her husband Hans are in Cape Town for the weekend from Holland.  Dave and Lucie were going to be out of town (oh dear plans can change) so Dalene and I were organising a day out with the visitors.  Our first choice was to head out to Elgin to Highlands Road wine estate.  It is a special spot with tables under weeping willows next to a dam.  The owners are Scottish and so friendly and the wines are outstanding too.  Lucie's twin sister Aimee loved it too and we have been waiting for an opportunity to head back there.  However, when we did the maths it worked out that we would need to take out 3 cars (why don't we have Kombi's anymore?).  The heat, the long drive, the wine and then having to drive home started counting against Highlands Road.   We decided to do something none of us had done before (except Siobhan and Hans) and take the Cape Town Sightseeing topless bus ride around Cape Town.


I booked the tickets online (you save R30 a time), collected our visitors from their hotel and headed to the Waterfront.  There were 10 of us and it turned into a wonderful day.  Do It!! 

 Got the seats at the back of the bus - Ready to go

Hans, Siobhan and Amy

Mummy

Mom and Lucie joined us at Kirstenbosch - Well they were there, the bus was there but the

bus driver takes no prisoners and they were not at the correct stop. So they were left behind. They then had to jump in their car and follow the bus to Constantia Nek and there we all got off to board the "Wine Tasting" bus to Groot Constantia

"Free Wine Tasting" - a bit of misleading advertising.  The bus ride to the farm was free.  You had to pay for the tasting.  Not a train smash but not a free wine tasting in my book.

 Dalene and Kelly.  Dalene keeping herself hydrated (always a good thing) and Kelly a little pensive thinking

of the long day ahead.  Out with crazy people, a birthday party at 6 and then her first sleepover with her best friend (she is not too big on sleepovers but I am sure she managed to last the whole night - did you Kelly?)

We were planning on doing the Hout Bay township tour after the wine farm but found out that the tour was another R65 a head, so we headed to the Harbour Market instead for lunch.  

It is really one of the best markets around.  We found a table and everyone did a walk around deciding what they were going to eat. Not an easy decision to make. Our table chose a variety of sushi, nachos, Chinese dumplings, pannini's and lamb rolls.  Kelly was the most adventurous with a big fat waffle as a main course, followed by a gigantic frankfurter on a stick.  We started off with a beer (hot work on the top of a topless bus) and finished off with a jug of Margarita slush puppies.  Our table also won a quiz competition / spelling bee.  This very charming stall owner arrives at our table and tells us about the competition.  To spell "VICHYSSOISE" (I had to look it up Siobhan and then "cut and paste").  Well with a flutter of her eyelids the softly spoken Siobhan rattled off correct spelling - no problem.  Akeelah could not have done better.  The owner of Zoop (the soup counter) nearly fell on his back.  It was the first time someone got it correct in 3 months.  Well done Siobhan!!  Her prize?  A bowl of "Vichyssoise"  - which we shared (we had all already eaten).

We then had to walk back to the other side of the harbour - past some very fishy fish factories.  Amy was brave enough (OK she was the only one with a costume) to have a quick dip and we boarded the bus and headed back to the Waterfront up Suikerbossie, through Camps Bay and Clifton.  We really do have the most beautiful city in the world.

Dalene and Lesley (being the yuppies they are) insisted that we finish off with a sundowner at the Grand.  Country bumpkin me, had never been there.  What a great spot with awesome toilets and lovely soap and body lotion (Confession - the skin was a bit dehydrated after the trip so did the arms and chest as well - Okay, legs too - nobody saw, promise).  Tables on the sand with a light spray mist (like the ones at the new Fruit & Veg in Tokai) keeping you cool (as a Fruit & Veg lettuce).

  

 Cousins Lucie and Siobhan

 A good end to a long day in the sun with crazy people

Crazy People

 Really Grand wine

Gorillas in the Mist

Well Wayne joined us at the Grand.  Dave also joined us (after his crisis day spent at the office).  We also had Dave's work colleague Louisa (out from London) with us.  It was getting late and past supper time so my mum and I headed home via the shops to find food.  I had a couple of ready roasted chickens in mind with some crusty bread and salad.  There was not a chicken to be found between Rondebosch and Claremont (people were hungry after the Met), so another plan had to be made. Michael was at home (exhausted after a day on the course) and resting comfortably on the couch in front of the television. Nicholas James and friend James (who were hungry after the Met) joined us.  Caroline and Steve joined us. 

We made a big salad, cut up some loaves of bread, opened my last bargain magnum of champagne and tried to perform a miracle to make 3 Woolies lasagnas feed 19 people.  Lucky Caroline does not eat red meat - so we managed!!