Four days in Cape Town

Cape Town Picnic for 4500 (Click on to enlarge, back arrow to return)

We had four days in CapeTown - two with the Boyds of Marina Da Gama and two with the Fischers of Rondebosch.


I admire Lavinia. She had a serious stroke when she was 63 and has left sided hemiplegia. The nurse in me couldn't help being helpful with small things like helping her to remove her jacket or push in her chair. She was appreciative and said not to 'spoil her too much'. Robin took Ian and me to a concert on Saturday afternoon/evening. Lavinia stayed home and made three loaves of sandwiches (single-handedly, literally) to take to indigent people on Sunday morning. Apparently she has asked the kind people of her church congregation to take up the task but so far she is on her own. So much for christian charity!

Robin and Ian at Vergelegen

The concert was held at a wine estate famous for its 400 year old camphor trees. It may also be famous for its wine but no one mentioned it. The gates opened at four and the lawn was chock-a-block by five and the concert didn't begin until seven. People came prepared with lawn chairs, picnic baskets and much wine.



The concert was mixed - opera, choral groups, pop 'stars', gymnasts, ballet. The most moving piece was near the end. The MC talked about and displayed the peace quartet - four stringed instruments made by SA instrument makers each dedicated to one of the four SA Nobel peace prize winners. Then against a beautiful photo montage all the performers sang a song about Peace, Hope, Reconciliation, Freedom. The people on the lawns around us lit candles and sang along. My writing makes it sound cheesy but it wasn't at all.

Daniel and Ian

Our two days at Julie and Mark's were busy as usual. Mark made good on his promise to take Ian mountain bike riding. He spared him by driving to the top of a mountain trail and going downhill. Ian was thrilled.



After a tea break at the outdoor snack bar Ian, Daniel and I were waiting in the parking lot. Along came some big bossy baboons. Capetonians view them as aggressive pests. A park employee was going after them with a big stick and inadvertently sent a big guy toward me. Daniel and I were cowering together hoping not to be babooned. At the last second he veered off toward the snack bar. I guess I'm scarier than a baboon!

Julie took us for a drive around CT on our last day. The plan was to go up Table Mountain but by the time we got to the cable car station it was noon and 37 degrees. Ian and I felt like failed tourists as we begged off the trip up.