Tag Archives: roads
Kloof Nek Road
Cobblish alleys
Observatory sidewalks
I wonder if people 50 years from now will look back at our modern suburb store-fronts and make similar comment about how the character in today's designs has been eroded. Probably not hey? ;)
Gritty Observatory
Being so close to Cape Town itself makes this suburb one of the oldest in the province, and the reason for it looking old and worn out.
Similarly to Woodstock, Observatory (affectionately known as Obz) escaped segregation laws of the apartheid era, developing a interesting mixed culture of its own, and when I think of Observatory, for some reason I think of artists, musicians, hippies, crystals, dream catchers, incense, and hipsters. :P
A quiet Lower Main Road in Obz
Rain at Burnside Road
Cycling season is back
Along Orange Street
A knobbly road in Bo Kaap
Brilliant place to skate
Sadly, while probably an awesome hill to skate, it's not at all very safe - the road carries regular traffic and has far too many blind corners. So, rather follow Sector 9's fourth rule, be safe, and don't traumatise motorists. ;)
Rainy days
Slippery when wet
I was involved in a minor motor vehicle accident about two years ago. I'd stopped my car at a wet intersection. I started to pull away once the traffic lights turned green, and at the same time a driver (from the opposing side of the intersection) turned across my path. I planted my foot on brakes as quickly as I could, the car's anti-lock braking system kicked in, but the road was too slippery - I t-boned the other driver's car on their passenger-side door.
Given the relatively low-speed at which I hit the other vehicle, I was somewhat surprised at the impact of the accident, and the amount of damage both vehicles sustained. Fortunately nobody was seriously injured - probably because all involved had been wearing their seat-belts. But, the jolt from the impact made me realise how seriously-hard an immovable object must be when traveling at any speed over 20km/h.
Church Street in Tulbagh
On our first night in Tulbagh we tried a small Belgian restaurant, the name of which I can't quite recall now - but no-matter, it's easy to find. :) The restaurant is operated by what appears to be a retired gentleman and his charming wife (whom I believe is the chef), and is about the closest thing to fine-dining that I believe you'll find in a rural town like Tulbagh. It's certainly worth a visit, so if you overnight in the town, do give them a try.
A flat Amstel Lager
When Kerry-Anne and I last visited Paris together we stayed in a little hotel that had a huge Amstel sign outside it's doors. I found it amazing how something familiar, even a sign of a beer that you're not even partial to, helps make one feel a little more settled.
I just hope that some day someone will invent cans with a 1 month half-life. Not because it would encourage us to drink them faster, but rather that we wouldn't end up with cans like this one.
Glass not diamonds
Windhoek Lager
Oh, and by the way, nope, that wasn't my bottle! :)
Steep streets
Parked cars and narrow roads
Fortunately Kerry-Anne and I live in a suburb that was built when 1000 square metre plots and super-wide roads were the norm. I'd hate to live in modern security estates with their narrow roads and uniform housing.
Sidewalks, pavements, and roads
In South Africa we'd call the place where pedestrians walk a pavement whereas Americans would call it a sidewalk. What makes it even more confusing when South Africans and Americans converse is that Americans use the word pavement to mean road! So, my American friends, when a South African traffic officer asks you to walk on the pavement - really, he's not meaning in the road. Promise. ;)
The streets of De Waterkant
Broken glass
Some people in South Africa have opted to have a special plastic film, that prevents entire windows being easily smashed, fitted to their car's windows. Although this is mostly used as a deterrent for smash-n-grab type theft it may also make it more difficult for the smash-while-you're-away type of criminal.
I can't say that I've ever had my car broken in to in Cape Town. Have you?
Sir Adderley’s Adderley Street
Alex commented on yesterday's post mentioning that the mayor of the day named the street was named after Sir Charles Adderley in 1850 to show honour to him for successfully convincing the British government not to turn Cape Town into a penal colony - like they did Australia.
Big-up to you Sir Adderley! :)
No, really, NO stopping.
Power outages and load-shedding
Seeing this picture reminded me how load-shedding seems to (at least for now) be a thing of the past. This year I recall having only a single outage lasting a couple of hours - but then, I suspect that was an unplanned outage. :) Our friends up north may not have been so lucky unfortunately.
Although I haven't heard confirmed news of load-shedding in Gauteng I've heard rumblings of outages and found these load-shedding schedules on Eskom's site.
Cat’s eyes on the road
A long country road
I'm curious to know which photo you prefer - this one, or my previous one?
Wet roads and sunshine
I find it a little stressful to drive in unfamiliar places when the sun's glare on the road completely obliterates the markings and forces me to squint. Similarly, driving at night on unfamiliar wet roads into the bright lights of oncoming traffic is another thing that I really don't enjoy.
Don't you just hate driving in conditions like this? Wouldn't it be awesome if the rain would leave the roads alone and stick to falling on mountains, fields and in our gardens?
Remember to be smart and drive slower in poor conditions and when you can't see road markings clearly. Be safe and arrive alive.
Slippery wet streets
I realised again a few days ago (when I took advantage of a normally-safe gap in traffic) that it's actually incredibly dangerous to momentarily forget that roads are slippery when wet. Fortunately I knew to reduce the power, gain control and re-accelerate - and fortunately the car coming at me from behind was actually going slower than I at first thought it was.
Who recognises this town? It's not too difficult, click to zoom - there's huge clue right there in the photo.