I think the robot is pretty awesome, but can you imagine how much the company must be paying the V&A Waterfront to advertise their brand with such a huge 3D billboard?
Did you know that the Coca-Cola company is 125 years old and that soft-drink was originally sold as a medicine?! Isn't that just crazy?!
A fresh coat of paint for a rugby tournament? In case you were wondering, yes, we are a rugby-crazy nation.
I far prefer the red version of the clock tower, but one can't deny that to paint the building in our national sporting colours is a great symbol of support for the national team. That said, I do hope that the tower returns to its traditional red colour after we win the World Cup, again. ;)
Our government's department of agriculture, forestry and fisheries published a government notice last month that contains a list of proposed Champion Trees - trees that will be given special protection under country law.
The trees mostly have some kind historic or cultural value, or in other cases are simply so old, large, or remarkable that they deserve being protected from casual removal, or irresponsible felling.
Read the notice and if you believe that a particular tree that you know of should be protected then do your civic duty and contact the department to let them know. There's a little more than 30 days left to comment on the proposed list!
If you're ever in the area, stop for a moment to check it out - it has the most beautiful, huge trees - and in some way reminds me of Paris. It's not quite the Tuileries or Jardin du Luxembourg, but still, it's a very pretty part of the city.
I've been to Caprice several times for breakfast (the French toast is great) and for lunch a few times. Even though their burgers are acceptable, I'd recommend trying something else on the lunch menu, and I'd definitely recommend the breakfast menu. Besides for these, Caprice is the perfect place to enjoy drinks with friends on warm summer days.
Have you ever hired beach chairs? I never have - but I think I'll be doing so this summer! I can just imagine lying under an umbrella, on a beach chair, holding a well-laden ice-cream stick and sipping on a cold cooldrink.
Jake, the Malawian artist in the photo, commented in me taking photos and then quickly proceeded with his sales routine. I wasn't in the market for paintings - but since I wasn't in a particular rush to get anywhere I didn't mind listening to his story.
Jake and his brother are from Malawi and came to Cape Town (like many other foreign nationals) to seek a better life. I don't know if he's found the better life, but he spends his days near the sea selling paintings and at night goes home to work on more stock - which doesn't sound too bad, right?
Unfortunately, often these guys can't afford good accommodation, so they often don't live in the very nice conditions. Given this, and given the wealth of Camps Bay that they face each day, I find it extremely admirable to see how jovial they seem; on the outside at least.
For reference, before negotiating Jake will offer you a painting at R180 (which isn't a bad price for art, actually). If you don't have the money on you, he's fully prepared to negotiate the price - but don't be too stingy now. Ok? ;)
I find it interesting to imagine the lives of all the people who've used these - from top executives and wealthy stock traders to the poorest of people, living in informal settlements. The people using these showers live such diverse lives and yet, at the beach, they shower at the same place.
Wouldn't it be great to see an hour-long stop-motion video of this vantage point over the last 20 years? I sure 'aint standing there for 20 years, but still, it would be an awesome movie clip.:)
So, when visiting beaches like Camps Bay, keep an eye out for the marker flags, and try staying between them. And remember, if you're looking for a hot date with a hot, well-built lifeguard - swimming outside of the markers isn't the way to get one. That stuff only works in the movies. ;)
Besides for the lovely beaches and trendy restaurants you may be surprised to know that Camps Bay hosts one of the nicest theatres in the Cape Town area, Theatre on the Bay. The venue is fairly small, but the limited seating means that no matter where you sit you're close enough to see the actor's expressions and to, in some way, feel part of the production.
Theatre on the Bay is a great little venue and a must-visit if you're keen on live performances.
Us humans are so enchanted by fire - have you ever stood at a fire and just stared into the flames? That, and wonder, were more or less the feelings that I had while watching the burning ropes flash across the stage.
If you ever have the opportunity to see Jon-Peer's fire act - you shouldn't pass it up. :)
Edit: In case you're wondering, after publishing this post I realised that I had mistaken Jon-Peer for Devin The Juggler. Consequently I've edited this post to correct the information. I've seen Devin's crystal ball act at a corporate function a few months back and it was freegin' phenomenal - visit Devin's website for information and bookings.
Even though I was dressed well enough, I still felt somewhat underdressed in comparison to many of the other party-goers who had dressed in perfect old-English style. Something that caught my eye was The Little Hattery's table where those who felt slightly under-dressed could spruce up their look with hats and head accessories. Don't you think this one would have suited me just perfectly? ;)
The Fez is renowned for its performers - so over the next day or two I'll bring you more photos to give you a taste of what happened at the party. For now, check out the couple of photos below!
This is the little pond that leads into the small wild-flower garden. The actual flower reserve stretches out far beyond the formal garden, but we decided that since it looked as though it could rain any minute that we'd stick around in the garden - not too far away from the shelter of our car. :)
Isn't the reflection on the water beautiful, and isn't this the perfect vista just waiting to be painted in watercolours?
We took a drive around the back of the little town of Paarl and along a dirt road to the Meulwater Wild Flower Reserve (map) that overlooks Paarl. The reserve has a small parking area with a spot for people to picnic and even has a few formal braai spots.
In my next couple of posts I'll show you a few more photos taken in the reserve's small well-kept garden.
This really is a beautiful town, but if you travel the 60 kilometers from the city, don't expect to be wowed by the main parts of town. Rather look to the pretty places off the main road and on the outskirts of town. :)
Another thing that the town will always be remembered for is that it hosts the old Victor Verster Correctional Centre - the prison where Nelson Mandela was held before his release in 1992.
I remember the day that he was release - it was the day that our family was returning from our holiday in Wellington (a nearby town). I vividly remember how the national highway was lined with thousands of ANC supporters - awaiting the release of their beloved Madiba. I remember it being both exiting and scary to be in the midst of the thronging crowds. I won't forget that day.
Based mostly on the plant's leaves I believe today's photo is also of a protea - although I'd say that it's a slightly unusual variety (in my non-horticultural opinion). I love proteas for two reasons - the first is that they're such hardy plants (they survive with extremely little water, and seem to flourish just perfectly in our sandy soil). The other reason is that there are so many varieties and so many different flowers that one could have the most awesome garden made up only of proteas. Do a Google image search for the words "protea flower". I think you'll be surprised at how many different type there are.
Sitting on the banks of the small dam at the Majik Forest (map) was one of the most tranquil moments that I'd had this whole year. The air was cool but the sun was warm, there wasn't a breath of wind and I wasn't distracted by thoughts of having to be elsewhere. It was perfect.
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The subject in the photo above is a small tree that stood about four or five meters high. The tree had very few leaves but was covered in the little pink blossoms that you can see in the photo. I have no idea, but do you perhaps know what kind of tree it may be? Please leave a comment below if you do!
The camping site that we called home for 2 or 3 weeks each year was built just outside of the town, along the Breede River – and the particular spot that I use to fish from looked almost exactly like the spot in this photo.
Browse the Breede Adventures photo stream on Flickr. It looks to me as though some of the photos could have been taken at the Silver Strand park (map).
Just to ensure no confusion, I took this photo at the Majik Forest in the Durbanville area - quite far from Robertson. :)
The trail through the forest is a narrow one that most often doesn't allow for two people to walk side-by-side, and often results in runners or hikers quickly scrambling to the side of the track as high-speed bikers weave their way along the designated MTB trail. :)
Read a little more about the Tygerberg Mountain Bike Club and the history of the forest on their website.
I try to take my camera along wherever I go, and taking it along on a run has the added benefit of giving me an excuse to stop running; to take a photo while catching my breath. Sneaky hey?!
I took this particular photo at the beginning of a popular mountain bike trail in Durbanville. Even though we all know what the sign means, I still found it amusing that without a comma after "warning" the sign I could interpret it to mean that a warning-barrier in the shape of a bicycle lay ahead. :D
Today's theme is "perspective", so take a little time to tour the world by visiting our fellow City Daily Photo sites. Click here to view thumbnails for all participants
For interest - I took this photo outside a lovely little coffee shop called Kikka in the town of Paarl - some 60 kilometers outside of Cape Town.
