South Africa

Cape Town: 28/29 December 2019.

Went to several craft/junk markets in search of a suitable wall hanging for behind Rosemary's bed did see some lovely things [and lots of junk] but returned empty handed in the end. There were some beautiful hand made grass containers and bags, just too big for the hold on my flight home and a great pile of false teeth from which I could have chosen a set, 'These are all perfectly clean, so please feel free to try them on'. Urged a sign on the stall.

We also had a trip to the Cape Town Iziko Planetarium for their night sky presentation as I am not very familiar with the Southern Hemishere night sky. As it turned out, I remained so as cloud cover and city lights obscured the sky for my whole stay. Its always a thrill though to see the Orion constellation, the' wrong way up' for me, even when simulated in the planetarium.

Venus was the only naked eye planet to be observable this January and I had already seen her in my taxi on my way to Heathrow airport before I left the UK. I pointed it out to my driver who said You mean you can see planets? That is a star. I'm afraid the school teacher in me suddenly appeared and he got a comprehensive lecture on the solar system. Venus was very clear though and one could see that it was a crescent though I urged the driver not to look too closely.

  The evening sky for Cape Town mid-January 2020 from Iziko Planetarium

Then to lunch at Tiger's Milk restaurant with Gregor and Louise and in the evening, the tTs spent some time surfing up accommodation for us for our next expedition to Elgin in the Western Cape as they did this I was aware of much giggling and whispering between them as they made the booking. The word 'boat' was heard quite often though why I had no idea but I was told that there was a swimming pool and that it was right next to a wine estate. I was less enthusiastic about the former than the latter.

Elgin is an area the tTs had often passed through on their way somewhere else but had never explored. We set off lunchless as I was promised a homemade pie from a favourite store in Elgin, when we arrived we found that the whole of the Cape Penisular had had the same idea and the pie shelves were completely bare.

  It turned out that we would be glamping ...

  ... and that I would be staying in a converted boat. Known affectionately by the locals as 'The Ark'.

  Very solidly aground ... not much chance that it would be 'arockin'

  Bottle of Paul Cluver, from the winery right next door to our campsite but that it was a 3km hike up their estate road to the tasting rooms. As usual, we were greeted with suspicion as we were not in a car and not surprising considering the distance to be walked.

  The girl with the pearl earring.

Our goal for the following day was to do a hike in the nearby Kogelberg Nature Reserve 4 links.

We followed a trail close to the Palmiet River 4 links and returned on the jeep trail higher up the valley.

  We followed Trail 4 out, along the line of the Palmiet River returning on Trail 5 higher up the valley. 11km in all.

  The start took us through an area that had burned last summer so an amazing contrast of charred foliage and vigorous new growth.

  In bright sunlight the phone camera screen is impossible to see.

  Syringodea flanaganii Baker

  Roella incurva A. DC.

  Curculigo pilosa

  We continue following the Palmiet River.

  We had brought our swimmers but all decided that the water was just a bit too cold for pleasurable swimming.

  We continue northwards to pick up Trail 5 to bring us home.

Or try this link to a random file somewhere else at cribbitDOTnet: cribblog1625.php