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ginalrodgers2013

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April 24, 2024

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South Africa’s False Bay

A drive along the False Bay coastline on M4 is not to be missed on a visit to Cape Town. The view is spectacular; but also, there are a few other rewards along the way.

Boulders Beach & Foxy Beach in Simon’s Town are a permanent home to many African Penguins.

African Penguins are often referred to as “Jackass Penguins” due to their loud braying.

Simon’s Town is the only place penguins are found on the African continent.

For a small national park entry fee, you can use wooden boardwalks along the beach to observe the penguins. We found many only inches away not only nesting in the bushes; but also, a few penguins even occasionally meandered down the boardwalk along with us humans.

Two nice platforms allow you to watch the penguins waddle out to the sea, shake themselves dry after they return to the beach, or simply observe the colony nesting on the beach.

We got up extra early to be at the park when it opened at 8:00 AM. It was nice to enjoy the penguins all by ourselves for a while.

It’s a fun time for any nature and/or animal lover.

There are also many Rock Hyraxes near the penguins hoping to steal their eggs or any unattended human food.

Also, Simon’s Town is a cute little town to enjoy just on its own.

Up the coast at St. James Beach, surfers flock to enjoy the waves & photographers can’t resist the colorful beach huts.

Sadly the fog lingered all day long at St James Beach

Among the most popular group shot is the one at the very tip of the Cape of Good Hope. We waited in a long line to get this photo.

Posted by

ginalrodgers2013

Posted on

April 24, 2024

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Africa, South Africa

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South Africa Wine Country

We drove SE out of Cape Town this morning to enjoy the beautiful wine country. Since the day began enveloped in heavy fog, we weren’t sure how much scenery we would see.

The first stop was the historic Veregelen Wine Estate.

It’s name comes from Dutch meaning “situated far away”.

The estate dates back to the 1700s. During a visit, you have the opportunity to view the original homestead house & the wine cellar which has been converted into a massive library.

Today, the grounds contain various buildings converted into restaurants along with extensive manicured gardens.

When we arrived, it was a bit chilly & the fog had yet to lift. The weather made me want a nice cup of tea to get warm. To my great pleasure, the Rose Terrace was an ideal spot to relax on a cool foggy morning.

In fact, I rate the Rose Cottage among the most ideal tea rooms I have ever visited. Luckily, we were there before others began arriving, so we had time to enjoy its ambiance almost all by ourselves.

Nothing beats a warm cup of tea & a scone on a cool morning.

By the time we left the Rose Cottage, the fog had lifted revealing beautiful blue skies which allowed us to enjoy the gardens.

Camphor Trees on the estate planted by the 1st Dutch owner are over 300 years old & are still used to make Camphor

Next on the agenda was a visit to an Olive estate called Morgensted which is located right next to Veregelen.

They also produce grapes to make wine; but, instead of a wine tasting, we did an olive oil tasting.

Then we made a short visit to Stellenbosch which is a quaint university town located in the heart of South Africa’s wine country. It has many eateries & would have been a great place for lunch if we had not just finished our olive oil tasting.

Our last stop was at the very high scale winery at the Delaire Graff Estate. It was still a little too early for wine tasting; but, the beautiful views from there were intoxicating.