| Cape Town South Africa - Insider advice for the independent traveller | On the Rocks |
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My Cape Town |
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Cape Town is cooking and my otherwise pale and blotchy legs are now complemented by orange streaks of fake tan. In this regard, I remain resolutely British. True Capetonians blossom in the summer. Endless lithe and perfectly bronzed bodies roam about, relaxed and laughing. Even their hair remains shiny and tangle-free whereas mine sticks out in small frizzy clumps where I’ve repeatedly got it caught in my sunglasses. But I don’t let this put me off. Every once in a while I have to tear myself away from my desk (oh so reluctantly) and venture out into the public eye. There is so much going on in Cape Town at this time of year from sandcastle building competitions to drumming sessions, bungy-bouncing to carols by candlelight, that it would be a crying shame not to take part. But the highlight for me was the Vodacom Jazz on the Rocks festival. Too newly a mother to be there last year, I’ve been wanting to go since hearing about the first event in 2004. Part of the Table Mountain National Park, Oudekraal is just a five minute drive south of Camps Bay, hidden from the road and accessed by steps which lead down and down under the shade of trees to a little sandy beach. Large boulders shelter the bay from the wind and waves so that at times the calm water appears almost crystal blue. For the Jazz on the Rocks event, a stage is constructed above the rocks, jutting out into the water against a backdrop of Lion’s Head and the Twelve Apostles mountain range - superb.
Armed with sun cream and picnic blanket, smoked salmon dip and crackers, piles of sweet grapes and left-over birthday cake I felt I had pretty much everything. I’d even brought slices of lemon for our gins and tonic. But again, my South African friends put me to shame with their tent shades and wine coolers and their beach wear that not only fitted but looked nice. They are just so used to this sort of thing. They don’t even have an deep-seated urge to scoff all the food quickly in case it rains. Or is that just me?
Happy New Year to you all from a cooking Cape Town,
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Guest House of the Month |
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Upcoming Events |
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ICE LOUNGE until 28 February A chance to cool off in a sub-zero environment where everything is made out of ice, from the walls to the glasses. www.waterfront.co.za/play/happenings/index.php?month=1&year=2007#1655 APPLETISER SUMMER SUNSET CONCERTS AT KIRSTENBOSCH Sunday evenings until 1 April A chance to drink wine and picnic in one of the most spectacular concert venues in South Africa, the stage framed by the backdrop of Table Mountain. Key events are listed below. www.nbi.ac.za / www.sanbi.org/frames/concertfram.htm 11TH SPIER ARTS SUMMER CONCERTS SEASON until 23 March The annual summer program at Spier celebrates a proudly African line-up, presenting a diverse variety of performances. STOMP - THEATRE until 7 January The international award winning combination of theatre, dance, comedy and percussion. www.artscape.co.za/event_opera.php?eventid=645&activeid=13 MARC LOTTERING IN 'HALLELUJAH' until 20 January Cape Town's favourite comedian will once again share his zany perspectives on issues connected to the church - from fiery Evangelists to funerals. www.baxter.co.za/comedy.htm#hallelujah CAPE TOWN MINSTREL CARNIVAL 2 January Cape Town's biggest and most raucous carnival sees the city celebrating the advent of the New Year with numerous festivals, competitions and extravagant parades. INTERNATIONAL CRICKET: SOUTH AFRICA V. INDIA 2 - 6 January The Third Test series at Newlands. www.homeofsport.com/cricket/countries/details.aspx?id=3 RONAN KEATING LIVE IN CAPE TOWN 5 - 6 January Irish superstar Ronan Keating returns to South Africa to perform and celebrate the festive season at Hamilton's Sport's Club in Cape Town. ARNO CARSTENS AT KIRSTENBOSCH 7 January With nine Number one hit singles and five SAMA music awards for Best Album to his credit, Arno Carstens is considered ' The Godfather of SA Rock'. www.sanbi.org/frames/concertfram.htm SHAKESPEARE AT MAYNARDVILLE OPEN-AIR THEATRE 10 January – 17 February An annual event inspired by the productions in London's Regent Park. Many theatre-goers begin the evening by picnicking in the park before the show begins. INTERNATIONAL CRICKET: SOUTH AFRICA V. PAKISTAN 26 January - 30 January Having taken on India just two weeks before, now the Proteas face Pakistan in the Third Test series at Newlands. www.homeofsport.com/cricket/countries/details.aspx?id=3 J&B MET 27 January The Western Cape's premier horse race. INTERNATIONAL CRICKET: SOUTH AFRICA V. PAKISTAN ODI 11 February The Proteas face Pakistan at a one day international at Newlands. http://www.victoryticket.co.za/Htm/sa_pakistan_fixtures.htm CAPE TOWN PRIDE 16 - 25 February Africa's Mardi Gras. GAME OUTENIQUA WHEELCHAIR CHALLENGE 17 February The premier disabled sporting event on the South African sporting calendar. DESIGN INDABA EXPO 23 - 25 February South Africa's premier showcase of local design from all sectors. CAPE COUNTRY PICNIC FESTIVAL23 - 25 February At the beautiful Bien Donne farm in Simondium families are invited to picnic on the large lawns under the oak trees, amongst exhibitors and food stalls to the sound of live music. www.cadek.co.za/BigEvents/picnic_festival.htm IL DIVO AT KIRSTENBOSCH 26 February A creation of the infamous Simon Cowell, Il Divo is four young men who apparently sound like the Three Tenors and look like Armani models. Hmmm, you decide. www.sanbi.org/whatson/ildiv.htm CAPE ARGUS PICK 'N PAY MOUNTAIN BIKE CHALLENGE 2007 4 March The MTB Challenge part of the build-up to the annual Cape Argus Pick 'n' Pay Cycle Tour. SIR CLIFF RICHARD IN CONCERT 6 MarchOne of the greatest Rock and Roll legends of all time, Sir Cliff returns to South Africa to croon to his fans at Kirstenbosch. http://www.sanbi.org/whatson/cliff.htm / www.computicket.com CAPE TOWN FESTIVAL 2007 6 - 24 March The best in original South African and international music, performance, public art, comedy, spoken word and visual arts. CAPE ARGUS PICK ‘N’ PAY GIRO DEL CAPO 7 - 10 March A six-day stage race, ‘Giro del Capo’ means ‘Tour of the Cape’. CAPE ARGUS PICK ‘N' PAY CYCLE TOUR 11 March A highlight of every cyclist's calendar, this is the world's largest individually timed cycle race, with over 35 000 cyclists tackling a scenic 109km route around Cape Town. CAPE TOWN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA AT KIRSTENBOSCH 11 March A commemorative concert entitled 'A Garland of Memories', celebrating the works of the composers Glinka, Grieg, Sibelius and Coates. www.sanbi.org/frames/concertfram.htm THE CAPE EPIC MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE 24 March - 1 April This annual race involves over 900 mountain bikers from across the globe riding more than 900 gruelling kilometres through the magnificent scenery of the Western Cape. TRANS CAPE 24 March - 2 May An inaugural large-scale exhibition of contemporary art featuring more than 60 African artists from over 19 countries showing work at 24 locations across the city of Cape Town. www.capeafrica.org/exhibition.html CAPE TOWN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL 30 - 31 March Formerly known as The North Sea Jazz Festival, this event is known as 'Africa's Grandest Gathering' and boasts an impressive line-up of the world's top jazz artists. OLD MUTUAL TWO OCEANS MARATHON EXPO 4 - 6 April The Old Mutual Marathon Expo boasts over 90 exhibitors with interactive displays. The Two Oceans Fun Run/Walk will be held on the 6 April. OLD MUTUAL TWO OCEANS MARATHON 7 April The Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon is the world's most beautiful marathon and one of the largest timed races in SA, attracting more than 20 000 participants each year. SA CHEESE FESTIVAL 27 - 30 April The chance to savour a huge array of cheeses in harmony with wine, olives, freshly-baked bread, fruit and nuts. WELLNESS FESTIVAL 28 - 29 April A complete holistic lifestyle festival to nourish body and soul at the V&A Waterfront, with a wide variety of stalls, workshops and talks. CAPE GOURMET FESTIVAL: GOOD FOOD AND WINE SHOW 24 - 27 May South Africa's premier food, wine and lifestyle event takes over the Mother City for a fortnight of feasting. WACKY WINE WEEKEND1 - 3 June Wine tasting, boat cruises, quad biking, winemaker dinners, cheese and olive tasting in 40 wineries from Ashton, Bonnievale, McGregor and Robertson. NATIONAL FESTIVAL OF GOLF 4 - 10 June An opportunity for amateur golfers from around the world to see the Garden Route and test their game on some of the finest courses in Africa. Great prizes up for grabs. 2007 FREEDOM CHALLENGE EXTREME TRIATHLON RACE 16 June - 14 July 88km running followed by 2200km mountain biking and 220km river paddling, taking participants from the Indian Ocean coast at Durban to the Atlantic coast at Velddrif. www.freedomchallenge.org.za/xtc2007overview.html
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An architectural masterpiece, Eleven Sedgemoor Road could shout its superiority from the rooftops but instead, confident in its supremacy, it stands serene in one of the most prestigious roads in Camps Bay.
With just four suites on offer, the guest house is often booked as an exclusive villa by groups who are lucky enough to find availability. But it is equally sought after by business people eager to balance concentration and relaxation within a space guaranteed to impress clients.