Capetown post

We enjoyed the past three days in Capetown, South Africa and the photos below will give you just a sense of what we have seen of this beautiful city and region at the southern end of Africa. When we arrived on Sunday, the clouds and haze covered Table Mountain (which lies behind the City's downtown) just like a table cloth which gave the mountain its name. We enjoyed morning tea at the Mount Nelson hotel and then rode a cable car up into the clouds to explore the mountain top. The weather improved over the next two days as we explored many other parts of the city and the Cape region.

On Monday, we traveled to the US Consulate to gain notarized signatures for the closing documents on the sale of our condo in Fort Worth - yes, we are now Floridians for real without a home any longer in Texas.  But our friends in Fort Worth hopefully will come visit us in Miami very soon!  We shopped at MonkeyBiz and other fun shops downtown and that evening we celebrated our 8 years of marriage with another couple also celebrating their anniversary.  We were joined by the Captain and his wife and a 4th couple who live part of the year in Miami and then in New York and we dined at the lovely Savoy Cabbage restaurant in Capetown.  Steve tried roast Eland which is an African antelope and Tom ate local fish and everything was very tasty.

On Tuesday, we took a tour bus to the Cape of Good Hope, the southern most location visited on the continent of Africa.  With the help of our guide, Peter, we saw Ostrich and Eland (which Steve tasted the evening before and now he's feeling sad, ha) and enjoyed the beautiful views from the lighthouse at Cape Point.  Then we traveled to the Boulders along False Bay east of the Cape and Foxy Beach where we strolled on boardwalks that take visitors just a few feet from a large colony of South African Penguins, formerly known as Jackass Penguins.  The name originated because of the braying sound they make during mating season.  However, as they are now listed as an endangered species, perhaps the name change will also cause greater support to be gained from the people of South Africa.  We really like this country and we hope to visit again soon.   We enjoyed the "sail away" from Capetown and witnessed the arrival of the Queen Mary 2 operated by Cunard Line as we departed for our next port up the west coast of Africa to Walvis Bay, Namibia.