Stellenbosch and Other Tales of the Cape

After finally settling in (buying a car freeing us from combis, taxis, and other annoying forms of transportation, beginning my research at Groote Schuur hospital, getting internet, car insurance, and finally doing a load of laundry given that the rain graced us with a day of sunshine- no driers, only clothes lines) we took some time to enjoy the cape.

On Saturday we drove to Stellenbosch for a day of wine tasting. Stellenbosch, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful places in the Cape...I daresay every girl fantasizes about topics unspoken of the minute they set foot on one of the hundreds of estates and wineries. I was adamant about making our first stop at Neethlingshoff, my favorite winery in Stellenbosch. Jeff was eager to begin our satiary adventure and turned off the next road we passed. As fate would have it (or as Jeff would insist, pure chance) we happened to turn into Neethlingshoff. "This is definitely going to be a good day," I thought, but then again when is a day in Stellenbosch ever bad??Our plan was to spend the weekend in Stellenbosch camping out on the foothills, but a day of sunshine was apparently too much to ask, so we were forced to return to Cape Town later that evening due to unforseen thunderstorms.

During out free time outside of my meetings at Groote Schuur, MCATS, and Jeff's neverending application process, we have been exploring the colorful and bustling area known as the city bowl; a dip of buildings and skyscrapers that sits inbetween the lions head, devils peak, and table mountain. One of my personal favorites is Greenmarket Square. Formerly a vegetable market, Greenmarket Square serves as a central melting pot of African crafts and cultures. Surrounded by restaurants and coffee shops, Greenmarket is a perfect location to sip a cappuciano and take in the music of the markets colorful vendors, while picking up a selection of Malachite jewelry for next to nothing before you leave. Below is a young Senegalese boy dancing to the rhythyms of his fathers drum group.
Another favorite of mine is Trafalgar Square, the most impressive flower market I have ever seen boasting a wide selection of Irises, Zinnias, Daisies, pincushions, proteas, daisies, roses, and exotic flowers I have never seen before. For R20 ($3) you can buy more flowers than your house can handle; the flowers are sold in bunches that are equivalent to about 4 in the U.S. The waterfront is another one of our favorites and a hot spot for most Cape Townians on the weekend. The waterfront is always bustling with music, film festivals (Over the past 3 weeks the warerfront has hosted Out in Africa; the South African gay and lesbian film festival as well as the Tricontinental Documentary Film Festival), fishermen, ferries to Robben Island, and deeeelicious prawns!

But when the bustling city bowl has worn you out, nothing feels better than reitiring to the windy peaks of Vredehoek where the sounds of the city just melt away, and the sound of the wind takes over as you doze off to sleep.