Off the Beaten Path

Unlike earlier in the semester when my Grandmother, Brother and Sister visited Cape Town, I did not have a schedule planning out the stay. I was waiting to see how the weather was and what they felt like doing. Also, since they had been to Cape Town before there were many tourist traps that could be avoided. I was happy about this, because at the end of a 4 month stay in Cape Town the last thing I wanted to do was take the tram up Table or go out to Robben Island. So, I decided I'd show them the side of Cape Town they never saw when they were previously here. They slept in, still adjusting to the jet lag, which worked to my favor. So at about 10:30, we went down stairs to grab some breakfast and discovered it was a beautiful day outside. The first stop was the Old Biscuit Mill, a spot where tons of Europeans and Americans head to, but rarely ones who are just on vacation for a week in Cape Town. As a foodie, I knew Denise would love the Old Biscuit Mill. With endless options, all delicious, the difficult part was only picking which treat she'd enjoy. Bomber was in vintage vacation mode, ordering Bloodies and insisting on refills before the Sun had peaked in the sky.

at the Bloody Bar in the Old Biscuit Mill

Denise enjoyed a falafel, one of my personal favorites and in her own was in vacation mode (eating gluten). So after a hearty brunch, and having established vacation mode was on, we continued our journey on this beautiful day. I brought them by my flat in Mowbray to see where I stayed when I wasn't being accommodated at the Mt. Nelson by them or my grandmother. The barred windows are a far cry from the Mt. Nelson, but I've become accustomed to my spot and have grown to like it. The rental car made this whole process much easier, and after showing them my flat we took a little tour of campus. Walked around, saw the views and sights and showed them where I spend my weekdays.

Denise and I on UCT campus

With such a beautiful day on our hands, we didn't let the views and vistas end at UCT but ventured up above to Rhodes Memorial. Sight after sight we climbed higher and higher and could see the city and Mountains beyond us. Then we scooted over to Kirstenbosch to see the famous Gardens and relax a bit in the sun and beautiful nature. Denise enjoyed seeing all of the plants and flowers, while Bomber and I imagined how nice of a golf course could be made on the parcel of land they used for the Gardens. We didn't stay too long at the Gardens, the sun was falling from the sky and I knew just the place to take them for a nice sunset. So we packed up the car and headed right to The Bungalow in Clifton to enjoy a Cape Town sunset and get a few cocktails.

Denise enjoying the view

We had enjoyed the weather out for the day and had a relatively low-key day. We walked a bit, saw some sights and they enjoyed seeing some beautiful places they hadn't known to see 5 years earlier. After such a big meal the night before, we decided that we would see if we could have some nice simple fish at the Codfather in Camp's Bay for Saturday night supper. We headed back to the Mt. Nelson to shower, relax for a bit before heading to 20h00 dinner. The Codfather is a simple, understated restaurant, but their fish is fantastic. They serve it simply, with minimal spices and seasonings, so that you can enjoy the fish. You walk up to the counter, pick the piece of fish you want, select the size of it and then they cook it and serve it with rice and vegetables. Much more like a nice home-cooked meal, without all of the heavy rich sauces and marinades many restaurants use.

Denise and Bomber enjoying the Sunset from the Bungalow

We got into a nice rhythm of ending nights in the Planet Bar at the Mt. Nelson with a couple of Caucasians. We were happy the weather had cooperated, and hoped that the streak would continue through the weekend. After finished the last drip of Lebowski's in the bar we headed up to bed , hopefully finishing the period of jet lag adjustment by the following morning.