After completing my hotel management training in Germany, I wanted to gain experience abroad as a young man. So I bought a one-way ticket and ended up in Sea Point, the lively district of Cape Town on the Atlantic coast, in the early 1990s and where I worked at Cape Sun. After the Hotel Mount Nelson the address in Cape Town at the time. I liked the city, the environment and the country as a whole so much that I kept coming back. The slogan at the time ‘One World in One Country’ sums it up perfectly. In this blog, I would like to introduce you to my personal highlights in and around Cape Town - the Mother City, as the locals affectionately call it.
The Old Biscuit Mill
In the past, a trip to the Woodstock district was not on my agenda. That has changed in the meantime. A lot has changed for the better here. A highlight for me is The Old Biscuit Mill, which was successfully revitalised years ago. Shops and cafés invite you to linger. The earth vibrates here on Saturdays and Sundays. In the old hall, locals offer their food at small stalls. There is almost nothing that is not available. What you buy can be eaten directly at the tables or you can take it in your hand and stroll around the beautifully designed area. And in front of the hall, The Coconut Man Peter offers coconuts, which he skilfully processes with a machete, in a very promotional way and which are then served with a straw. I still don't understand what coconuts have to do with South Africa, but his success proves him right. And besides, he is actually an artist.
Kirstenbosch Gardens
For me as a nature lover and photographer, Kirstenbosch Gardens is a real highlight when visiting the Cape region. The park landscape nestling in the foothills of Table Mountain has everything to offer that grows in this region. The eastern slopes of Table Mountain form the magnificent backdrop to the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, a nature lover's paradise with unspoilt fynbos and forest in a breathtaking landscape. The Kirstenbosch estate covers 528 hectares, of which 36 hectares are cultivated and the rest is a protected area, home to natural forest and fynbos as well as indigenous animals such as birds, mammals, reptiles, frogs and insects. Kirstenbosch borders the Table Mountain National Park and both are part of the Cape Floristic Region protected area, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. You wander through this magnificent garden and discover a new scenario around every corner. Colourful, nectar-feeding birds can be found in the seas of flowers. It's a dream, I get wee-wee in my eyes every time I'm there. It's that beautiful.
Boschendal
One of the most impressive wine estates in the Cape region is Boschendal. The main building, built in 1685 in the Cape Dutch style, is really worth seeing, but even more impressive is the estate and what it has to offer visitors. The highlight for us was the picnic under the trees. You book a picnic basket, water and a bottle of Boschendal wine online and sit under a tree on the beautiful grounds with lots. I recommend the Boschendal Cabernet Sauvignon. Year after year, the winery presents an enjoyable Cabernet Sauvignon from what is probably South Africa's best-known vineyard: Stellenbosch. The Cabernet matures for around 15 months in predominantly used oak, so that the wood flavours ideally support the wine without overloading it. On the palate, it is velvety and powerful, with nuances of black cherry, dark currant, cigar and spicy notes. Enjoy it.
Bloubergstrand
Blou is Afrikaans for blue. The name is a reference to the Table Mountain, which is bathed in a light blue colour and can be seen from here in all its breadth and beauty. It is THE postcard motif.
Afrikaans, formerly known as Cape Dutch, is one of the eleven official languages in South Africa. It was originally the language of the Boers, while today the majority of Afrikaans speakers are so-called Coloureds. These are all those people who cannot be clearly categorised as belonging to either the European or black population groups.
A really great place, about 15 kilometres from the centre of Cape Town. The fine sandy beach invites you to take a long walk along the Atlantic. If the wind is calm, you might be lucky enough to see sea lions close to the beach; if it is windy, you might see kiters flying past at full speed. If you want to experience South Africa live, stop by Blue Peter. Most of the time, South Africans sit close together at a seemingly endless number of tables. Everyone has something to eat, something to drink and the waiters are buzzing around. A really authentic place. It's a great place to spend a few hours. This is how South Africans live (if they can afford it).
Townships
In addition to the well-known postcard motifs, there is also another, darker side to Cape Town. Created during the apartheid era, around 3 million people live in the so-called townships around Cape Town, probably more. As soon as you leave Cape Town airport, you have your first contact with these neighbourhoods. This is because the motorway to Cape Town runs through Gugulethu. Some of the inhabitants of these townships have massive houses with running water and electricity. The less fortunate have built makeshift huts out of scraps and rubbish. Over the decades, however, the townships have naturally developed a life of their own. The individual townships have their own infrastructure, with cafés, restaurants and shops inviting visitors. I was probably one of the first white people to have access to these townships. Entering was life-threatening. At the Cape Sun Hotel, a man approached me and asked if it was possible to show foreign guests the townships and life there. That was the birth of the guided tours through the townships in Cape Town, I would say. I still get commission from him today ;-)
Kalkbay
On the way from Cape Town to Simonstown, you pass the small village of Kalkbay by car or train. Not a special place in itself. But for me it is. When I came to South Africa decades ago, someone took me to the Brass Bell. A different world opened up. A restaurant practically built into False Bay that was packed to the rafters at the weekend. Music was playing and the beer was flowing. Pure joie de vivre. When the wind came from False Bay, the waves piled up and the spray splashed over the front rows of diners. Indescribable. The finest seafood and grilled food on the plates. One of my photos shows the waves crashing into the open windows of a train travelling to Cape Town in stormy seas.
Lions Head
Lion's Head in Cape Town is the characteristically shaped rock next to Table Mountain. Like a proud lion, it overlooks the city and Table Bay on one side and the picturesque Atlantic coast on the other. On a clear day, there are great views of Table Mountain, Camps Bay, the 12 Apostles mountain range, the beaches of Camps Bay and Clifton, Signal Hill, Robben Island and the city. There are various routes to climb the mountain. If you are looking for a challenge, stay on the main path that goes around the mountain. Here you reach alpine terrain, chains help you to climb the peak. Once there, you will be rewarded with a spectacular view. There is interesting vegetation to discover and in good weather paragliders circle the summit.
However, this excursion is not for the faint-hearted. And you should also be well prepared. Check the weather forecast, take water with you, don't go alone, tell friends that you are going up, have a mobile phone with a full battery with you. And what applies everywhere in South Africa: don't look like a tourist and it's best to leave all your valuables in your hotel or accommodation. Because you run the risk of being mugged everywhere.
Lately I've been talking about the past all the time. But at this point I also have to talk about the past. The Waterfront was something really special when it first opened. You used to sit outside by the water with a drink, with the sea lions resting in front of you, close enough to touch. Where the bridge is now, you used to only be able to get there by rowing boat. But nobody actually wanted to go there because it was different. But the whole thing was atmospheric. You could see how Asian fishing boats (the railing of the boats was a metre above the water) unloaded whole tuna and transported it in refrigerated wagons. The ships being repaired were laid out in the area and you could walk between them. Welding and painting was going on upstairs. And at the back of the harbour, the fish factories were openly accessible. Here I was able to look into a hall: there was by-catch half a metre high in the entire hall. Where the stadium now stands in Greenpoint was once a meadow. And there was a single building on it. A club of old German-speaking men (Switzerland and Austria, I think). It was slightly musty and bizarre. Now everything in the corner has been polished to a high gloss, the charm of the past has unfortunately vanished.
And if you fancy a well-made cappuccino and happen to be near Bakoven (funny name for a neighbourhood), then go to Bootlegger Coffee Company. That's where the locals sit in the morning. Cyclists stop here on their way to the Cape and back. And the staff are really nice. A very nice place.
Wolfgang Hultsch 2024 | www.wolfganghultsch.com
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