Last Day in Cape Town - Kirstenbosch display at the V & A Harbor

Our last morning on our amazing 40 day trip to Africa!  We are actually flying back to the U S on 9/11.  We figure it is probably a safe day to fly.  We fly from Cape Town to Johannesburg.  Then a 15 hour flight to Atlanta.  Another transfer flight to Nashville - then  2 hour drive home to Tennessee.  Around 32 hours of travel - door way to door way.

 

We went to breakfast at Melissa's at the V & A Waterfront shops.  We stopped to visit a display at the harbor from the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.  This is a replica of the display presented at the Chelsea Flower Show in London.

 

Celebrating the 100th season of the gardens



real flowers from the Cape Peninsula Floral Kingdom presented with a photographic backdrop of Table Mountain



close up of some of the wonderful fynbo flowers

protea

Wine Tour 3 - Ernie Els Winery, Stellenbosch

Whimsical park outside of Stellenbosch

 

 

Ernie Els Winery, Stellenbosch




We are big fans of both "The Big Easy" and wine - so this was a perfect stop for us!

Even a chipping green with views of the Stellenbosch valley at the Ernie Els winery

Darrell did not get a "hole in one" on this try.  lol

Elaine and Darrell at Ernie Els Winery

Ernie celebrating winning The British Open.  Inside the private tasting room at the vineyard.

Wine Tour 2 - Stellenbosch. Jordan Winery and restaurant

Our next stop on our day of exploring wine country is Stellenbosch - the first "town" in South Africa.

 

The mountain range near Stellenbosch

Setting of the Jordan winery just outside of Stellenbosch

Lunch and wine tasting at Jordan.  Wonderful meal!

Views of the Valley from the Jordan restaurant and winery

Cape Town Wine Tour 1 - Paarl KWV

Our driver - Maurice du Pleise - takes us on a fun day into the wine country.  Our first visit is to Paarl. We visit the Kooperatiee Wijnbouwers (Wine growers cooperative)

Dutch architecture in Paarl

KWV - wine consolidator headquarters

The wine vats have extensively carved sides

And some of the largest vats in the world



The best part of the visit - drinking the wine!

South Africa Museum 2 - "Our Place in the Universe"

Continuing the visit to the Museum:

Our Place in the Universe:  A series of drawings showing where the earth lies in the universe.

 

 

 

 

Pangea - The continents collide

The South Africa Museum

The Iziko - South Africa Museum - a Natural History museum adjacent to The Company Gardens in downtown Cape Town  Founded in 1825.

Pre history rock drawing art



ethnic dress



Charles Darwin - map of sailing route



Dioramas tell the story of evoluation
 



The South Africa Museum - anchoring the end of The Company Gardens.  Built in 1897.

Victoria and Alfred Harbor, Cape Town

The Harbor is The Victoria and Alfred Harbor.  Most of it on reclaimed land

Sailing back into the Victoria and Alfred Harbor from Robben Island

Darrell with harbor views - from the boat to Robben Island

The entrance to the Nelson Mandela Museum and boat to Robben Island

Its a long way to anywhere from Cape Town!

The shops in the Victoria and Alfred Harbor.  Wonderful restaurants and shops!

Victorian style architecture

touring ship

we picked up wine and Darrell picked up cigars

Of course - we drank the local beer.  At lunch at the Quay Four restaurant on the water front



Nobel Laureate Park - Albert Luthuli, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, FW de Klerk, and Nelson Mandela each received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Elaine with the Nelson Mandela statue