Climbing Lions Head

It doesn't matter how many times you climb Lions Head, the views never cease to blow you away.  Spectacular views of both the city and Table Mountain as well as Camps Bay and Clifton.

Highlights included ...

• Sharing the walk with my favourite nephew in the whole world.
• The spectacular sunny weather making the sea sparkle a vivid emerald blue.
• Climbing up the chains; always exciting.
• Leaping with Matt. But I must emphasise it wasn't my idea, I had to do it under pressure!
• Asking the Japanese tourist flying his noisy helicopter at the top of the mountain to stop. And he did.  Pays to ask.
• How much Chrisèl enjoyed the walk. It was her first time up Lions Head.

Visiting Tannie Tia in Franschoek

We visited Chrisèl's very friendly aunt and her daughter who lives in Franschoek.  

A lovely day out, the highlights included ...

• Stopping off in Somerset West so Chrisèl could meet the author of a book she admired.
• Trying out my Afrikaans again after over 25 years.  A challenge!
• The spectacular mountains in the winelands; I'd forgotten just how "asemrowend" they are.
• Their cute doggies, one of them a miniature yorkie (a mini Jason!)
• Tea and cake (yummie carrot cake, chocolate cake and lemon merengue pie shared between us) at Cafe Bon Bon. What a great place it would be for a function.
• A curious spotted eagle owl watching us from a nearby tree, not seeming in the slightest bit shy. I love owls so was in my element.
• Henrik, the local rooster, who sites on the piano in the restaurant and heckles the pianist. What a character!  Needless the say, there's no intention for him to ever be on the menu!

Less happy moment ...

Getting very lost on the way when the GPS took a sabbatical and switched off without our realising it.  Now Sheila would never do that!!

Tannie Tia's house in Frranschoek. A stunning place.

Tucking into enormous portions of cake...

... while being watched intently at by this beautiful fellow.

A lovely setting; I'd love to come back here to the restaurant ...

... if only to see Henrik, the rooster, perform!

Exploring Kirstenbosch Gardens and the new tree walk

Highlights of our morning in Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens included ...

• Getting to experience the Boomslang Tree Walk for the first time, high up in the canopy. It's been beautifully designed and made.
• Getting to photograph a lesser double collared sunbird.  So glad I lugged my 400 mm lens, it was perfect for the job.
• The extremely cute baby guineafowl.
• Drinking the water from the spring at Lady Anne Barnards Bath.  Thanks Chrisèl, I've never thought to do that before!  It tasted absolutely delicious!
• A delicious red cappuccino to finish off (a "cappuccino" made from rooibos tea.)

Lesser Double collared Sunbird - which I've wanted to photograph for ages!

The Boomslang Tree Walk.

Lady Anne Barnards Bath

A delicious red cappuccino to finish off.  Not complete without plenty of honey and cinnamon!

An amble in the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens

On our drive back from the garden route, Chrisèl and I stopped off at the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens.

This garden is full of happy memories for me. It is where I came after my Matric exam results came out and I wanted to reflect on where I was going in life (after a walk to the top of the beautiful Luiperd's Kloof.)  It's also where I came bird watching shortly after I took it up as a hobby (and was rewarded with sightings of ground woodpeckers which excited me greatly.) It's also where I spent time with Ally and friends on the Kleinmond Camping Weekend when we met for the first time.  

So it was lovely to revisit it again and admire many of the beautiful flowers in bloom.

The tea house.

Proteas is full bloom.

My favourite photo of the day.

After a relaxing amble in the gardens, we drove on to Gordon's Bay via the gorgeous coastal road.  Surely this must be one of the most scenic drives in the whole world.  Its views were sublime as always.  Of course, we stopped off to take lots of snaps. And to celebrate another leap.