Downtown Capetown
Trip Start
Apr 27, 2006
1
18
23
Trip End
May 09, 2006
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Capetown,
South Africa
Saturday, May 6, 2006
Fortunately (or through good planning) La Colombe was a 5 minute drive up the hill from our digs in Bergvliet, and I am sure would have been delightfully scenic had it not been for the continuing storm. Its in the Constantia Uistig winery, and is rated the 10th best restaurant in the world, and the best in Africa.
The appetising process seems to be begin with the menu - there is only one, written on a novelty sized large chalk board, entirely in french, and translated in its entirety by bright young things with faux-Oxford accents. (Although the faux Oxford accents are much more oxford and less faux than at equivalent restaurants in Singapore). The whole process takes 10 minutes, and even the chair legs are starting to look tasty by then.
As for the food - yes it is delightful, although USD 40 for an entree of Foie Gras does seem a bit steep. I did my bit for wildlife herd-thinning and had the springbok medallions (delicious), adding South Africa to Australia and France as countries where I have eaten the national symbol. As for the 10th best restaurant in the world... I think the folks from Conde Naste had a little too much of the Constantia reds.
The lost day in Capetown. After the first good sleep in in a week (well, at least til 8:30am), it was off to solve the two mutual shortages - local currency and petrol. As it turns out, banks in South Africa open at 8am, and don't take US dollars with ink on them - two useful lessons for beginners. And we had 4.5 Litres off gas left in the car - no ploblem!
Then it was off for a waddle around downtown capetown, and to work out the rest of the day. Downtown Capetown has its manky parts (the fruit market for one), and the rain didn't help, but it was still a jolly work, and of course time (and money) was spent in the trinket market. Mostly by me affirming that the stuff I bought in Swaziland was either (a) Well priced in Swaziland or (b) genuine Swazi handicraft and not mass produced and Shenzhen or Hanoi. (TICK on both counts).
After the mandatory getting lost period, it was off to the V&A waterfront to buy tickets for Robben Island - which, of course, was sold out for the day... and with the weather closing in, Table Mountain looked like a dumb idea - so it was off to Paarl for a late lunch and some fine wine... leaving Sunday a likely busy, busy day...
