23
Jun 10

Cape Town Day 2: Downtown, Greenmarket Sq., St. George’s Mall, Company’s Gardens

Wednesday, June 23

Cape Town, RSA

After breakfast we drove downtown and explored ALL over.  We walked through Greenmarket Square (a flea market with nice cobbled streets), St. George’s Mall (a pedestrianized street full of traders and shops) and rested in the Company’s Gardens (a gorgeous landscaped city park).  We found street pies for a snack in one of the plazas and had samosas and curry pies.  By now we needed to figure out a good place to watch the USA game…

Long Street & The Mountains:

A Church near St. George’s Mall:

St. George’s Mall:

Greenmarket Square:

Company’s Garden:


23
Jun 10

Cape Town Day 2: Wynberg Village & Ben

Wednesday, June 23

Cape Town, RSA

We started the day off by going to breakfast and coffee with Claire and Carol at Orchid Cafe.  It is the cutest little cafe that shares space with a boutique, all florals and ruffles and cushions… and GREAT cappuccinos!  We walked around Wynberg Village, Claire and Alistair’s neighborhood, and got to meet their new puppy Ben Franklin.

Wynberg Village:

Ben!:


22
Jun 10

The Pool House

Tuesday, June 22 to Sunday, June 27 and Thursday, July 1 to Monday, July 5

Cape Town, RSA

We were welcomed to Cape Town with open arms and amazing hospitality, thanks to Richard and Carol – Claire’s parents.  They opened up their home to us and shared their pool house with us, not to mention Fritz (their fabulous computerized coffee maker), their puppy Zooey and great late night chats over tea and toast recapping the days’ adventures and soccer games.

We only thought to get a few photos of the lovely room we stayed in, but it was so wonderful to stay there and to have a little Cape Town “family” just down the walk.


22
Jun 10

Cape Town Day 1: Old Friends, Waterfront & Long Street

Tuesday, June 22

Cape Town, RSA

Claire, our friend and Josh’s classmate from MIT, met us at the airport when we landed.  It was so good to see our old friend!  We picked up our rental car and we followed Claire to her folks’ house.  This was Josh’s first time driving on the left hand side of the road and it was so nice to just be able to play “follow the leader” and stay behind Claire.  We quickly met Carol, Claire’s mom, and dropped off our bags.  Claire took us to where Alistair (sooo good to see Alistair again too!) was already set up at the NeoAfrica tent FanFest near the waterfront.  We met some of their friends and watched South Africa play France.  They won (yay!) but sadly didn’t advance to the next round.  Alistair and Claire took us straight over to Alba after the game to have drinks with a gorgeous waterfront view.  Then we headed to Long Street for South African-style tapas at Fork.  We had an AMAZING dinner with South African wine, ostrich and kudu.  We walked down Long Street after dinner and soaked in the ambiance of the revelers, before heading into The Waiting Room, a bar with amazing views of Table Mountain.

Bafana Bafana:

Fork (photo taken a few days later):

Long Street Revelers:

Claire & Josh at The Waiting Room:



22
Jun 10

Jo’Burg to Cape Town

Tuesday, June 22

Johannesburg, RSA to Cape Town, RSA

We were up early to finish packing, had an early and yummy breakfast, sweet goodbyes with Sylvia and we were off on an airport shuttle to the airport.  Check in was a breeze.  Later we determined we skipped the rules about weighing our carry-ons (we didn’t check luggage again), but we got away with it… this leg.