My Cape Town

The blonde is back!  It has been 6 months since that fateful night when, graciously accepting my crushing defeat at Monopoly,  I fulfilled my part of the bargain and dyed my hair.  It wasn’t the first time my hair had borne the brunt of my inability to refuse a dare, but it was the first time it had been black.   For six months I have been hearing, “it doesn’t look that bad, actually” and have tried to take pride in my lack of … well … pride.  But the truth was I didn’t look in the least bit like Sandra Bullock as Neill had been hoping.  I looked like a bad extra from EastEnders.  Being a non-blonde was fun for a while, not least since I found I was given more respect which,  I presumed, was because blondes are considered a little ditzy.  In retrospect I realise people meeting me for the first time may have been scared I would bite them.

But the real revelation came when I took the plunge and went to a hairdresser for the eight hours it took to turn me back into a blonde.  Eight hours!  Over three days!  My mother doesn’t believe in hairdressers so I was about 14 when, awestruck, I first sat under that critical gaze and barrage of questions (“When did you last wash you hair?”  Ummmm…not sure.  “Who cut it for you?”  Ummm…my grandmother.  “Are you posh, or what?”  Ummm…..’spose so.)  Since then hairdressers have pretty much been ranked alongside dentists, and I don’t think I can have spent as much as eight hours in total in their company.

And this is my point.  In the revelation that continues to be Cape Town, not only have I found an incredible dentist - a thoughtful, gentle and patient man with pretty pictures on his walls rather than a cross section of a diseased molar - but I have also discovered that having a haircut need not be an exercise in degradation and humiliation. And what’s more, it needn’t leave you suspecting you've been ripped off.  Those eight hours of painstaking science cost me about £100 – a large amount for a dedicated Oxfam shopper like me to fork out,  but I did so happily.  Shawn, who shall now be the first person to be crowned with the title ‘My Hairdresser’, could not have been nicer, and a constant stream of staff came by to chat, and to ensure I was well stocked with magazines, tea, fruit juice, biscuits and even (bliss!) a gin and tonic.  What more could you ask?  Well, funnily enough, for a small price more I could have had a manicure or pedicure at the same time. I turned down the opportunity as, from my point of view, it seemed a little ambitious to tackle K2 at the same time as Everest. 

So I urge you all, when you come to Cape Town, not to come merely for the sun and the sea and the mountains and the views and the atmosphere and the fab food and wine, but consider treating yourselves to a little pampering.  I’m working on a list of doctors, dentists, beauty therapists, even plastic surgeons as well as spas and retreats.  And if you are very good, I might even introduce you to My Hairdresser.

SPECIAL OFFER - Gourmand spa package

Celebrating their first year in business, the fabulous Norwegian team at the Rosendal Winery and Wellness Retreat have put together some special packages.  My favourite is the Wine and Food Gourmand package, which manages to combine some serious eating with a little spa pampering...

A suggested schedule would include the following:

Day 1:

Do some wine tasting en route from Cape Town to Rosendal, arriving in the afternoon to be welcomed with a cold drink.
Take a dip in the magnificent pool, then relax with a drink and a book.
Prepare for an a la carte dinner at the Rosendal restaurant.
Recover from the stressful day at the Wine and Cigar Bar.

Day 2:

Go for an early morning walk through the vineyards before breakfast.
Head to the spa for a full exfoliation, an aromatherapy massage and a head massage.
Relax around the pool or at the spa’s outdoor jacuzzi to work up the energy for lunch, which could be taken as a picnic out on the farm.
After lunch get ready for an afternoon cruise on the Breede River, departing from the winefarm Viljonsdrift, where, if you have the energy, you could do a couple of tastings as well.
Arrive back at Rosendal in time for a sundowner on the veranda and to watch the spectacular African sunset.
Enjoy a seasonal five course set menu from the Rosendal chef.
Have coffee at the Wine and Cigar Bar

Day 3:

Start the day with a glass of complimentary Cap Classic for breakfast.
Wind your way to the spa for a second treatment. 
Exercise your newly acquired wine knowledge with...oooh, a little wine tasting at the Kranskopf Winery, just up the road from Rosendal.
Have a 3 course a la carte lunch at the Rosendal restaurant.
After lunch a ranger will take you for a game drive amongst the flora and fauna of the (extraordinarily named!) Pat Bush Nature Reserve.
Wash off the dust with a quick dip in the pool and then prepare for a six course set menu at the gourmet restaurant of Fraaii Uitzicht – just around the corner from Rosendal.
 

Day 4:

Flight News

To promote its new non-stop flight between Frankfurt and Cape Town, South African Airways is giving a special deal on business class fares on that route:
Book one business class ticket and receive a 50% discount on a second business class booking on the same flight.
 
HOW IT WORKS:

Book a return flight on SA 263/262 on-line at www.flysaa.com
NB. Flights will be daily from 11th September.  Until then the departure days are Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and the return days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

As soon as you have completed your online booking for one person, contact SAA via telephone (+49 69 299803-20) or send an email to waya.stefanakakis@fra.flysaa.com quoting your reference number.  SAA will then book the second ticket for your travel partner at 50% off.  The tickets will be sent to you via mail.
 
Please Note:
When you book your ticket the fare will be (from) EUR 2463.00. The second ticket is then 50% off.  Effectively then, the special price works out as (from) EUR 1873.00 per person. Fares include all applicable taxes.

Upcoming Events

1st NATIONAL FESTIVAL OF GOLF
11 - 17 July
An exceptional opportunity for golf enthusiasts from around the country – and the world – to play the game on some of South Africa’s finest golf courses.  On offer will be coaching, competitions and an exhibition village, as well as entertainments and a gala dinner.

BERG RIVER CANOE MARATHON
12 - 16 July
202 kilometres over 4 days  - South Africa’s longest and toughest canoe race, from the Paarl winelands to the Velddrif Coast: an area rich in history and scenic beauty.
 
CHICAGO - The Musical
19 July - 11 September
It’s RAZZLE DAZZLE time! The recipient of Tony, Oliver, Grammy and Oscar Awards, CHICAGO- the Musical is finally coming to South Africa. 

POSTBERG RESERVE OPENS FOR FLOWER GAZING
1 August 2005 – 30 September
An hour’s drive from Cape Town along the West Coast lies a floral paradise. This spectacular display of nature in the 30 000 hectares of the West Coast National Park is only open for August and September.

TAP DOGS IN CAPE TOWN
4 - 8 August
Winners of 11 international awards, these sweat-drenched Ozzie macho men have performed to sell-out audiences across the world.  Now they are back in South Africa for their 10th Anniversary tour. 

TRI NATIONS RUGBY (SOUTH AFRICA V NEW ZEALAND)
6 August
The Springboks take on the All Blacks in this classic clash at Newlands.
 
CAPE TOWN FASHION WEEK 2005
10 - 13 August
Fifty top designers from South Africa and the rest of the continent showcase their top work in this glamorous and glitzy high profile fashion event in the International Convention Centre.

CLANWILLIAM WILDFLOWER SHOW
25 - 31 August
The Clanwilliam district boasts a large variety of wildflowers due to the tremendous differences in the topography (Cederberg Karoo, Sandveld and wetlands). Each year about 350 flower species from 32 families are exhibited at the show.

DARLING WILDFLOWER SHOW
6 - 18 September
The Darling Wildflower Society has held a show virtually every year since its inception in 1917.

CAPE TOWN wineX
21 - 23 September
One of the most important events on the national wine calendaris now in its third year and will take place at the International Convention Centre.

STELLENBOSCH FESTIVAL
23 September - 1 October
The old university town of Stellenbosch comes alive with festivities as it incorporates three large festivals - Music and Art, Simon van der Stel and Food and Wine - into one big community festival.
 
HERMANUS WHALE FESTIVAL
24 September - 2 October
an entertainment-packed festival in the town with the best land-based whale watching in the world.

SAA CAPE TOWN FLOWER SHOW
6 - 9 October
Africa's first truly international flower show - a chance to sample the breadth of the African floricultural industry in world-class facilities.

CLASSIC AND WOODEN BOATS RALLY
5 - 7 November
A chance to view boats from another era.

THREE PEAKS CHALLENGE
5 November 
The annual commemoration of the feat of one C.W. Schneeberger who, in 1897, ascended Devil’s Peak, Table Mountain and Lion’s Head, returning each time to what was then the Johannesburg Hotel in Long Street, Cape Town. The 2005 event will be the ninth in its organized form.
 
KIRSTENBOSCH SUMMER SUNSET CONCERTS
Every Sunday 26 November to 2 April 2006
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.
 
YSTERPLAAT OPEN DAY AND AIR SHOW
3 - 5 December
This air show regularly attract thousands of enthusiastic visitors and is fast becoming one of Cape Town's show case events.

ALL-AFRICA OPEN PARAGLIDING CHAMPIONSHIPS
4 - 10 December
A rare opportunity for members of the public to see serious paraglider pilots competing at one of the world's best venues.

GOLF - SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS OPEN
15 - 18 December
The Links at Fancourt has established itself as one of the toughest courses in the country and has hosted several major tournaments in recent years, including The Presidents Cup in 2003 and earlier this year, the inaugural Women's World Cup of Golf. 

GOOD HOPE FM / VODACOM CLIFTON BEACH CHALLENGE
18 December
Clifton’s trendy 4th Beach plays host once more to this challenge featuring strength, speed and fitness contests between celebrity Springbok rugby stars and the Clifton Beach lifesavers.

SIMONSBERG FINE WINE & FOOD FAIR
10 - 11 December
Celebrating its 5th year of success, the Simonsberg Fine Wine & Food Fair will present a December holiday weekend of gastronomic and vinous feasting.  

NEW YEAR'S EVE CONCERT AT KIRSTENBOSCH
31 December
'Under the Stars' with the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra and 5000 picnickers.