Friday, April 20, 2012

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. Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

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... Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

This is a more modern, friendly entrance to what was the Governor's house within the complex. Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

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. Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

Here is a little photo I took on the Castle grounds that I just love. Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

 Across the street is City Hall, lovely Italian inspired building from the early 1900s. Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

 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.
 Photos of District Six Museum, Cape Town Central
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.

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

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. Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

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