Serendipity had it that my parents were on a journey to the Cape Town area at the same time as I was there. As the good son that I am, I joined up with them and the bus load of Swedes, all twice my age. We went on two trips out of Cape Town which is the topic of this post. There isn’t much to say, but there are photos.
Cape of Good Hope (and penguins)
The Cape of Good Hope is not the most southern part of Africa, and it isn’t where the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic, but it is close enough to both that it deserves its reputation as a required trip out of Cape Town. There are miles upon miles of dramatic coastline to admire here.
The nearby Boulder Beach is a penguin colony which is well worth the slight detour.
Franschhoek
South Africa has turned their wine-country into a tourist attraction. It is a beautiful countryside wrapped in marketing hyperbole. It is lovely, but it won’t move your soul to song, something you’d expect if you read the brochures. It’s a nice weekend away from Cape Town if you have the time.
The vineyards were, surprisingly, the least interesting part of Franschhoek. They’re nice, but they lack the grandeur of other countries’ wine estates. And the wine tastings are a complete waste of time. Uninspiring wine matched by the equally uninspiring conferencing rooms in which you sit and listen to some salesperson trying to convince you to buy the wine. Skip.