Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

Even from far away, you can see the flumes from the falls.






Entering the Victoria Falls National Park on the Zimbabwe side of the falls. The price is based on the country of your nationality, no suprise the US was in the highest tier, $30 USD per persons but totally worth it!!




Beginning of the falls, as they start to build momentum...




Bigger falls.... These pictures are pretty great but nowhere near as amazing as the real thing.  Also, so much of the time you can't take pictures because the spray from the falls is so dense.  We were soaking wet by the end of the walk.  All I can say is if you have the chance, go see it!!
























Our first really good view of the falls and a rainbow, we saw sooooo many rainbows.....




Isn't that beautiful?




From this vantage point you can see how deep the falls are...




Can you see the double rainbow?




Here you can see just how deep the falls are.



























 A different perspective...




Another amazing view!




We found the End of the Rainbow!!

Constantia Valley Wine Route, Cape Town, South Africa

We spent the day driving through the lovely Constantia Valley, outside of Cape Town.  We really enjoyed the wines and the scenery at Steenberg Winery, the oldest farm in Constantia.
Our favorites were the  Steenberg Sauvignon Blanc Reserve 2010 and the  Steenberg Catharina Red 2009 .  Unfortunately, they do not ship those to the US.

Here is a picture of the wine tasting bar and the amazing glass installment above it
 


The amazing view from where we did our wine tasting.

 The outdoor area at Steenberg, it was a little windy to sit outside while we were there.

 Jacob found his happy place, don't worry I was the Designated Driver.


 We went for a long leisurely lunch at La Colombe @ Constantia Utsig. In 2010, it was number 12 on San Pellegrino 50 Best Restaurants of the World and recommended by the impeccable Wilma Gerber.

Here is the Menu
 

I had the Linefish de Jour,

while Jacob had the Fillet of Chalmar Beef (think Kobe beef). Such beautiful presentations!!

This was the lovely outdoor dining area we enjoyed. No need for those heaters, it was unseasonably warm.

Another shot of the outdoor dining area.

The fountain in the center of the patio.

The lovely stone seat and special table nestled out of view on the patio.

Next we were off Klein Constantia, but I had to share this ironic sign we saw along the way. ;)

The drive up to the main house at Klein Constantia is breathtaking. from the right

 and to the left..

The lovely entry to the farm house where they do the wine tastings.

and the fountain to the left.
 


Our favorite wines were the 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, the 2008 Mme Marlbrook and the 2006 Vin de Constance. Klein Constantia is quite famous for the Vin de Constance and Jacob loves sweet wines. I am sure we will be ordering this cookbook they had with recipes paired with sweet wines. We also found that there is a New York distributor for SA wines that includes the Vin de Constance called Cape Classics that we will be visiting I am sure. Here is a picture of the cookbook if anyone is interested.

 

We loved South Africa's food and wine and will definitely return to enjoy more!

Boulders Beach, South Africa - Penguins!!

We went to Boulder's Beach, just southeast of Cape Town, to see the Penguins!!!  Here is a link that jumps to info about the Boulder's Beach Colony, scroll up or down for more info on the African Penguin.  This is going to be mostly pictures with a little commentary, enjoy!


I see PENGUINS!!



 These are nesting penguins, they looked very strange with their mouths open. Upon further research, we learned that they were panting like a dog. It was quite hot that day and since they cannot leave the nest to go into the shade, this is how they cooled off. File that under learn something new everyday.

Here you can see some adolescent penguins, in various states of molting.

 Here you can see a baby penguin under the mother, front, center as she stands up to adjust the nest. And no Mom, those aren't snakes, but dried seaweed, I promise.

Just hanging on the beach, about to go for a dip.

 This guy was seriously cute and very friendly.

More penguins :)


Swimming penguins! We did not see nearly as many as we expected as hot as it was. Did you know that penguins can go months without touching land?

Top down view, this guy was up by the boardwalk enjoying the shade. He had no fear of us pesky tourists, in fact...

I am pretty sure he decided to plank for me :)
 

Penguins on Rocks!!
 

Dueling Penguins? About to take 10 paces?

Wait, no pacing, seem to be taking a different approach to this standoff..

Okay, well I guess it's pretty clear who won this one....

I don't think this penguin is hiding nearly as well as he seems to believe.

 Lone penguin, staring out at sea, surrounding by protective penguin housing, made by man.

Penguin Watch party? Must stay vigilant against Seal Attacks.

Cape Town, South Africa Day One

We loved Cape Town, and we will definitely return.  Upon our red-eye arrival the first morning, we arrived at the Westin Cape Town and were greeted with this.

We started our local sightseeing at the Castle of Good Hope, a pentagon shaped military installment that is the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa.   The entrance includes a lion, a cannon and a palm tree.



And of course, a moat, I mean what is a castle without a moat.



 And now you may enter the castle...

This is a more modern, friendly entrance to what was the Governor's house within the complex.

A lovely facade within the complex, you can see Table Mountain in the background. Speaking of Table Mountain, we were not able to visit it due to winds and storms that were blowing through while we were there. Just another reason to return.

Here is a little photo I took on the Castle grounds that I just love.

 Across the street is City Hall, lovely Italian inspired building from the early 1900s.

 I do not have any pictures of the District Six Museum but it was a really moving experience. District Six was a multiracial, lively community before people were forcibly removed based on their race. This museum honors the people and the community of District Six. Here is a picture from Trip Advisor.
 
This photo of District Six Museum is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Dinner that evening was most definitely one of the top five meals of my life.  On the recommendation of Wilma Gerber, we made reservations months in advance to visit The Test Kitchen, check out the link, it tells a lot about the concept.  The entire kitchen staff operate out in the open.



I loved the library-esque ladder and storage for their pantry.

The ambiance was fantastic.

And here is a picture of the menu, the 8 course tasting menu with recommended wine pairings was AMAZING. Hope you can read it.