Cape Town is a vibrant city, which is full of colour, history and of course its diverse population. The best way to see the city bowl and some of the suburbs is the hop-on hop-off bus that goes all the way to Kirstenbosch Botanical gardens and takes you to the Cable-Car station for the Table Mountain Cable way. It’s a very cheap way to get out and about, and the bus makes regular stops all over the city.

Additionally you can catch any number of taxis to take you where you want to go. The private taxis can charge basically whatever they want, but most of them offer competitive rates. A word of warning on the minibus taxis, however. Although the taxis here in Cape Town are better than in the rest of the country (a variety of people catch them here, and are relatively safe on board), they do drive like absolute idiots. Idiots that are blind and deaf with only one hand and a foot that can only slam on either peddle (slam on gas, slam on brake, and no in-between). Additionally, although they are cheap, they are also very intimidating. It’s recommended that young women alone do not catch them and to avoid them at night. Although it’s a great way to tour Cape Town, it does have its risks. The taxi industry is constantly at loggerheads with pretty much every authority going, and these protests usually turn violent. It’s the unwary traveller that gets caught up in one of the riots.

Cape Town tours are the recommended way to see our city, but do your research before booking a trip on public or private transport.

Elegantly wasted

Sign up for a Cape Town tour and chances are somewhere along the line you’ll find yourself heading out to Stellenbosch for a wine tour. This beautiful little town in the heart of the Boland region of the Western Cape lies surrounded by a whopping 130 wineries, cellars and wine farms.

But that is not the only thing that Stellenbosch is famous for. Stellenbosch University is the only Afrikaans-medium tertiary education facility in the whole country and was first officially established in 1918 (although there have been accredited education establishments in the town from as early as 1685). In the intervening years, the student body has grown from a modest 500 to an incredible 22 000 individuals that are housed in hostels, student homes and flats throughout the town. Those are the boring stats…

In reality, Stellenbosch is one of the most vibrant student towns you will ever come across. I studied a BA in Languages at this fine institution and can honestly say that there is no way to properly describe the energy that suffuses our beautiful campus. Think tree-lined avenues, beautifully solid faculty buildings, the largest subterranean library in the Southern hemisphere and then add 22 000 kids that just got out from under their parents’ thumbs. You can only begin to imagine the ensuing chaos.

This absolute elation culminates at Carnival, normally held at the beginning of the year when all the First Years arrive, fresh from high school, home school or a gap year abroad. Those who were lucky enough to get place in a hostel are then herded , coaxed and gently bullied into participating in ‘Vensters’ (loosely translated to ‘windows’), the street show portion of Carnival. This basically involves a girls’ and boys’ residence teaming up to produce a street play that is performed throughout town for one evening during Carnival Week. Further festivities include the mandatory floats, a big music festival on the town common and lots and LOTS of drinking.

It is estimated that the clubs in Stellenbosch accrue around 20% of their annual revenue during Carnival time. Interestingly enough, pharmacies also report a 40-50% increase in sales of the ‘morning after’ pill during this time… Get what I’m saying? The first word that comes to mind is debauchery.

Since I first arrived in Stellenbosch in 2003 the idea of Carnival has become less and less appealing each year. What’s so great about running around, losing your friends, your wallet (and at times, a few smidgeons of self-respect) – struggling to find parking and struggling even more to get into a club where you are supposed to be having oodles of fun, all the while struggling to even breathe? Pretty dismal outlook, hey?

The truth of the matter is that you outgrow Stellenbosch. There is a famous drinking song that was written by a local musician/writer called Koos Kombuis that says ‘Stellenbosch is no-man’s land’. Nothing could be truer. The first few years of studying in Stellenbosch constitutes utter bliss. You simply cannot walk into class, the library, a club or even a restaurant in town without running into someone you know… and then they start leaving. For jobs in the city, for courses at other universities, for other continents. And before you know it, it is four years later and there is not one single person you know in Bohemia. Sad but true.

As cliché as it sounds, the only thing you can really do is live in the moment. Enjoy the crystalline beauty of each moment that you are allowed to be part of it all and look forward to becoming a sentimental alumnus who write blogs about her alma mater just because she misses it all so much (even the debauchery).

The pride and joy of Marianne Wine Farm

Waitressing is a strange profession. Most people hate it, but then there are a few select individuals that find it an easy and lucrative venture. I fall into the latter category. Even though I’ve had various grown-up nine to five jobs, I always manage to squeeze in a few waitressing shifts throughout the week. It’s tax free, cash-in-hand and I am a people person, which means I actually like serving customers. (Well, most of the time. You do get a very broad selection of dining douche bags that should really just stay home.)

The latest restaurant that has the pleasure of my weekend services is Olivello, a beautiful lakeside eatery situated on Marianne Wine Farm just outside of Stellenbosch. Having worked at various franchise restaurants in my time Olivello has been a welcome breath of fresh air. The wooden cottage lies nestled in the crook of a hillside, enveloped in vineyards and flanked by a beautiful lake. Since the setting is so breathtaking the managerial team have take great care not to overpower the venue with unnecessary embellishment. Simply, elegant wooden tables and chairs are complemented by gingham tablecloths and a sprinkling of fairy lights that add a delicious whimsical touch. One simply cannot imagine a more beautiful place to work.

Lynne and Laurille, the enigmatic proprietors, have a genuine love for the hospitality industry. After an exciting, but quite hectic, decade spent managing Café Paradiso in Cape Town, they have brought all their combined knowledge of the industry to the table. Lynne Aberdeen is the food lover and the brain behind Olivello’s inspiring menu’s; while Laurille Krug’s wine knowledge informs the tasty, yet affordable, wine list.

The venue operates on an A’ la Carte basis from Wednesday to Friday. Saturdays are normally reserved for a function (such as weddings, birthday parties or cooking demos) and Sunday’s for the Mediterranean Table, a buffet-style dining experience that has people flocking to Olivello from far and wide. If you’re anything like me, the word ‘buffet’ conjures up images of limp vegetables and overcooked meat in your mind. Not so at Olivello. By the time the waiters sign in on Sunday mornings the kitchen staff had already been at it for hours, chopping, slicing, kneading, basting, you name it. Simple, fresh food is what Lynne does best, which means that everything from the lip-smacking Limoncello to the fragrant seasoning salts are made right there in Lynne’s kitchen.

By noon the restaurant is set, each glass gleaming, each piece of cutlery meticulously polished. As the guests start to arrive Lynne and her team begin by putting out the soups and antipasti’s. (A word of caution: if you ever to end up making the trip to Olivello, be careful. Filling up on the starters is an amateur mistake I’ve seen newcomers make time and again. DON’T DO IT. Keep space for the main course – it’s worth it I promise). These vary from week to week and include everything from dolmades to hummus and all kinds of pretty dishes with names I really can’t pronounce.

Next the blinds to the kitchen area are drawn up and the doors thrown open, inviting diners inside to dish up the main course. Again, there is something different every week, but you can expect treats like Mediterranean lamb, vegetable frittata, fresh fish, etc. Add to this a sumptuous dessert menu that features, amongst other things, a provoking Pavlova and a charming chocolate torta, and you can understand why this little wooden cottage is filled to the brim with customers every weekend, come rain or shine.

Working at Olivello has really opened up my eyes to what the world of restaurant dining is supposed to be about. It’s supposed to be about creating an experience, about offering your customers a relaxing spot in which to enjoy the food and drink they’ve come so far for. Restaurants are meant to facilitate escapism much in the same way as good movies and novels do. Sadly we live in an era of mass production and instant gratification and many restaurant proprietors seem to subscribe to the minimum input/maximum profit management style. The only good way to express my disgust at this notion is by means of an Afrikaans expression: “SIES MAN!!!”

So, next time you feel like getting out of the city and taking a Cape Town tour, why not venture out to Olivello? I guarantee the setting (and Lynne’s unique brand of Cape Comfort food) will have you smiling in no time.

Recovery room with a view

There are many reasons to visit the Mother City. We have the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, a whole host of incredible beaches, the Waterfront, Table Mountain, the Constantia wine route, a penguin colony, antique stores aplenty, colourful street performers, a laughably good exchange rate and the bulk of South Africa’s worthwhile restaurants and dining establishments (to name but a few). In light of all of this, it would seem strange that many people from around the globe come to Cape Town expressly to take advantage our medical establishments, doctors and rehabilitation facilities, yet they do.

Medical tourism is becoming a booming trade. Places like Panama, Brazil, Malaysia, Costa Rica and India have been tapping this particular vein for a number of years, and it seems South Africa is pretty keen to join the party. (For the uninitiated: the term ‘medical tourism’ relates to a branch of the travelling industry that allows foreigners to combine affordable plastic- or reconstructive surgery with pre- and post-operative forays around the country).

Not a big fan of gratuitous elective plastic surgery myself, I can still understand why foreigners name South Africa as a preferred medical tourism destination. Let’s tick the relevant points, shall we? We have:

1. A favourable exchange rate (my aunt and uncle from America recently had dental work done in Cape Town and their whole trip, including flights, transport, accommodation and the actual cost of the procedures came to around four times less than they would’ve paid for the same treatment in California).
2. High quality medical care facilities.
3. World renowned surgeons and physicians (remember the whole heart transplant thing?).
4. Incredibly scenic surrounding in which to recuperate.
5. Reputable establishments that facilitate medical tourism trips. This includes everything from flights to airport transfers, consultations with surgeons, the actual surgery, a recuperation period in the locale of your choice, as well as pre- and post-operative trips around sunny South Africa.

Basically what you’re looking at is First World health care at Third World prices. What’s not to love about that? Accommodation venues include the likes of five star Constantia and Camps Bay hotels, as well as the beautiful Arabella Sheraton. After your surgery, you can then decide whether you would like to go on a tour of the Winelands, enjoy a Big Five Safari tour or participate in a thorough exploration of the country’s most illustrious golf courses. South Africa is quite literally your oyster (especially if you happen to be around Knysna while to Oyster Festival is underway).

So, there you have it – one more reason to include Cape Town in your global itinerary.

All is quiet on the western front

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away there was a magical valley that lay where two rivers converged. Once home to large herds of elephant, the land was divided by the king and given to farmers to till. Soon enough the fertile soil started to sprout vines heavy with fruit. The farmers harvested the fruit and distilled it to a liquid that, when imbibed, made the drinker joyous and took away all self-doubt.

Sounds like a fairytale, right? Not quite. The Franschhoek Valley is one of the most fertile winegrowing regions in South Africa. In 1688 land was granted to a group of French Huguenot refugees by the Dutch government in a valley called Olifantshoek (“Elephant’s Corner”), so named because of the vast herds of elephants that populated the area. This fertile piece of land was subsequently renamed Franschhoek (“French Corner”) and many of the settlers named their farms after the areas in France from which they came. The mild weather of this fertile valley was similar to that of the wine producing regions of France and they set out to recreate the lush vineyards back home. The rest, as they say, is history.

Drive into the town of Franschhoek today and you’ll soon realise why it is called South Africa’s gourmet capital. The main street is lined with restaurants ranging from snug coffee houses to sleek ethnic eateries, interspersed with eclectic art galleries and bookshops. Those looking to spend the night can choose from a wonderful spectrum of accommodation including internationally renowned auberges, guest houses, self-catering cottages on wine farms and much more besides.
A very good example of superb Cape Winelands accommodation, Klein Genot Wine and Country Estate is a location where Feng Shui philosophy meets farmstyle hospitality in breathtaking surroundings. When Angie and Joey Diamond first stumbled upon the property in 1999 it was in a sorry state. Previously part of the Swiss Farm Excelsior Estate, it was sectioned off, put up for sale and left neglected when it failed to sell. Luckily, the Diamonds are people of great vision and were able to see the potential hidden beneath the weeds.

Angie and a team of workers spent the larger part of a year ridding the property of approximately 25 000 alien trees that were replaced with 20 hectares of vineyard and a large orchard. Growing up in Namibia, Angie and her siblings used to be able to pick fruit from their bedroom windows – an experience she wanted to recreate for her visitors. The Klein Genot main house is divided into six beautifully appointed suites, each individually decorated with Angie’s personal collection of art and antiques and complemented with large designer bathrooms.

The grounds have been kept mostly natural. The Diamonds believe in living in harmony with nature and Angie quickly decided that overt landscaping would spoil the estate’s tranquil ambience. Instead they merely cleaned it up, uncovering lush lawns and highlighting the amazing 300-year old yellowwoods and oaks that were being choked by the alien foliage. The rivers were unblocked and the banks cleaned up in order to give visitors access to a riverside walkway – perfect for leisurely afternoon strolls.

Although not perfectly organic, the estate takes care to grow their produce by the most natural means possible. They recycle, save electricity and water and steadily adds to the estate’s water-wise indigenous foliage in order to reach their goal of being as close to carbon-neutral as possible by 2012. In season everything served at Klein Genot comes from the garden. Herbs, seasoning, jams, juices, chicken, eggs, honey, even right down to the mustard! Every egg served as part of a legendary Klein Genot breakfast is gathered from the yard, even in winter time when they are compelled to resort to store-bough eggs for their baking. Speaking of which, the smell of freshly baked bread that permeates Klein Genot’s main building is enough to make anyone salivate like an overexcited spaniel! Honey is harvested from the fixed-frame beehives that they share with their neighbors. Driving along the winding country road on your way into the estate you can glimpse the beehives, abuzz with activity, nestled among the fruit trees across the way.

A Franschhoek hotel like no other, Klein Genot is most certainly worth a visit. Even if you don’t feel like staying over, you can simply pop around for a wine tasting at their new cellar or a quick bite at the estate’s restaurant, Genot, that boasts an inviting a la carte menu and also supplies picnic baskets that can be enjoyed at the myriad of picnicking spots along the river.

Relax, take it easy.

Today is the perfect day for a cape town tour. The sun is shining brightly and the clouds have all but vanished. This fact makes work a real chore, as I would prefer to be outside, catching up on my winter tan. I can see all the people outside who are improving their displays to fully maximize the new sunny weather. I have said this many times already but I am seriously looking forward to summer this year and I would love to take a helicopter trip around Cape Town with my girlfriend. I have been boarded up all winter and now it is time to break free.

My scooter was made for weather like this. I also need a few more new summer items to get this party started. New Havaianas, board shorts, sunblock for my vampire level tan and a keen new towel with a superhero graphic. My girlfriend is also an avid party queen and I will most likely be dragged into the craziest of times with her.

The Good and Bad points of Summer

Good:

• Suntan
• Woman wear next to nothing
• No more rain to murder my scooter
• Frozen Yogurt tastes better
• I can wear shorts to the office
• a Fresh breeze on a warm day
• Swimming
• Countless Braai’s with friends

Bad:

• Fat Woman who wear next to nothing
• 40 degree heat waves and being too tired to do anything
• Sand in my shoes from the beach
• having to exercise as my body has wilted in the winter months

I invite all readers of this blog to add more good and bad points of summer to my list. Goodbye for now dear reader.