Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch, South Africa’s second-oldest town, is a university town some 50km east of Cape Town. It’s known for its stunning old oak trees, some of them planted in the 17th century, which is why it’s also known as the “Eikestad” (Town of Oaks). The town has an incredible amount of fond memories for me: this is where I attended the University of Stellenbosch between 1973 and 1976, where I met my first wife and our eldest was born, and where I taught English at the prestigious Paul Roos Gymnasium boys’ high school for 24 years. It is a wonderful old town, vibrant, atmospheric, colourful and beautiful.

The images that follow were made during a very brief visit in 2016, when I flew in from Sydney to attend the mass reunion of Old Boys (alumni) to mark the school’s 150th birthday. Words will never be able to express my gratitude to the Old Boy who so generously paid my airfare. But that’s the quality of alumnus Paul Roos produces…

 

This lovely old building on Ryneveld St was where the Bloemhof Girls’ High School started.

 

Right on the corner of Rynveld and Victoria Sts and in front of the men’s residence Wilgenhof stands this massive old eucalypt. I spent many a pleasant hour sitting on its roots and chatting with friends.

 

The Wilcox Building in my day housed all but two of the departments I was a student of. Afrikaans-Nederlands, English and French lectures and tutorials were all held here, so I spent most of my time either in or in front of this building. General Linguistics and German offered most of their classes in their own buildings.

 

The Old Main Building of the university, directly opposite the Wilcox.

 

The old Music Conservatory on Van Riebeeck St. I used to enjoy walking through the grounds and listening to the music students practising on their instruments.

 

Another favourite building from my students days, but for a different reason! The Van der Stel bottle store on Andringa St was where I bought my wine.

 

The Department of General Linguistics was housed in this former house on Merriman Avenue.

 

I rented a room in this house on De Beer St between 1973 and 1976.

 

The walkway behind the Administration Building wasn’t as shady in my time.

 

The north entrance to the Wilcox Building. Two of the ground-floor windows on the far right belong to the room which housed the Molteno Reading Room, a kind of mini-library and a resource centre for the Dept. of English where I served as supervisor in my third year.

 

The former C L Marais Library on Crozier St. This building housed the Dept. of Archaeology in my day. I was often tempted to switch from a languages degree to one in archaeology…

 

The Theological Seminary at the top end of Dorp St is where Dutch Reformed ministers are trained. A beautiful old building, like most of the town’s older structures.

 

Die Laan (The Avenue) runs along the northern bank of the Eerste River, and was where courting student couples used to saunter and spend romantic moments.

 

The entrance to the grounds of the Lanzerac Hotel on the eastern edge of town. The hotel uses most of the original buildings of the farm established here in 1692. It’s also a wine estate bottling some trule great wines.

 

The main building on the estate.

 

And from closer. Note the typical Cape Dutch architecture and the thatched roof.

 

A serene, shady spot for a drink on a warm day.

 

Stellenbosch Mountain as seen from the Lanzerac driveway.

 

The drive is lined with young London planes.

 

A typical Western Cape scene: mountains and vineyards.

 

Looking towards the Hottentotots-Holland mountains.

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Cape Town – Muizenberg to Simonstown

 

Images from this part of the southern suburbs of Cape Town. The places you see below are all on the way to Cape Point if you take the eastern route to the point from the city centre, or from any of the southern suburbs like Rondebosch, Mowbray, Rosebank, Pinelands and the like. Please keep in mind that these images were made during our 2012 visit, so things may have changed since then.

 

 

From the eastern part of Muizenberg beach one has this view across False Bay towards Cape Hangklip on the horizon.

 

Eager customers waiting for the beaching of the snoek boats with their catches of fresh snoek  (Thyrsites Atun), a delicacy much loved by the people of the Western Cape.

 

 

Two Greater Black-backed gulls wait patiently, too!

Looking towards Cape Point. The point itself is on the far left of the headland.

Muizenberg beach, with the town itself nestled up against the mountainside on the right.

Looking towards Simonstown.

Towards the southeastern end of town we find the old houses built on the hillside and overlooking False Bay. The building with the clock tower is the railway station.

Looking in the direction of St James, just around the point.

The western end of the beach.

Most of Muizenberg’s older buildings have been retained and now house new businesses.

Quirky colour scheme on the Roxy Building.

Muizenberg also has its colourful bathing houses, but those at St James are thought to be even better looking.

A trawler heads heads, probably just having left Kalk Bay harbour.

An eclectic assortment of goods for sale at the Kalk Bay Trading Post.

The seemingly plain facebrick facade hides a real treasure trove, but it’s almost lunch time, so we head on by…

Fresh snoek in Kalk Bay harbour.

The harbour itself is quite empty, with most of the fishing fleet out at sea for the day.

St James in the distance, with Fish Hoek just peeping out from behind the mountain. The Simonstown is on the far left.

A modest entrance to an emporium of bakery delights in Kalk Bay.

Looking up the steep, short Colyn Road in Kalk Bay.

And so we arrived in Simonstown. This is a small section of the yacht marina. Off shot to the right lies the naval base which played such a strategic role to protect the sea route past the Cape during two world wars and the Cold War.

Lunch stop! Freshly fried snoek for me, and fresh chips (what some call fries) for me. Oh, the simple delights of being in such a wonderful place!

 

 

 

Sete Cidades, São Miguel, Azores

The name Sete Cidades refers to the caldera of the dormant volcano in the western part of the island of  São Miguel, as well as the village on the shore of the caldera lake.

The name derives from the Latin Insula Septem Civitatum (Island of the Seven Communities/Peoples), a reference to a Latin chronicle from the city of Porto-Cale (the modern city of Porto), written in 750 A.D. by a Christian cleric. During this era, the Iberian Kingdom of the Visigoths was in the process of collapse because of the  Muslim invasions (which began in 711 A.D.) The Visigoth archbishop fled to Porto-Cale, fearing the assault of the Muslim forces, from whence he planned an escape to the lands in the Western Sea, which sailors firmly believed existed. In 734, the archbishop, accompanied by six other bishops, their prelates and approximately 5000 faithful, sailed away in a fleet of twenty ships. The chronicle indicated that the fleet arrived at their destination, burned their ships and established seven Christian communities under the reign of the seven religious leaders. Although many prepared to follow, in truth, the archbishop (if he existed) was never heard from again, nor was the route to the mythical lands established. Myth has it that the “Western Islands” were in fact the Azores. However, there are no traces at all of any inhabitants prior to the arrival of the first discoverer, the Portuguese voyager Gonçalo Velho Cabral, in 1427. The term civitatum later became confused with civitas (city), which replaced the earlier urbs.

The caldera is that of a dormant volcano, the last eruption having taken place in the 15th century, around the time the island was discovered. There have been the occasional seismic events, but nothing presenting any danger to the area and its inhabitants.

Today Sete Cidades is the smallest civil parish in terms of population (around 800) of the island, but the largest in area (approximately 20 km²). The caldera is home to the largest caldera lake on the island, the Lagoa das Sete Cidades. It is in fact a twin lake, although the waters mingle. The larger is the Lagoa Azul (Blue Lake) and the smaller the Lagoa Verde (Green Lake) The names refer to the way the two bodies of water reflect sunlight.

There are two other, smaller lakes in the caldera, the Lagoa Rasa and the Lagoa de Santiago. Both are isolated, mystical places of utter peace and quiet.

It is an area of breathtaking beauty and serenity, and visiting Sete Cidades is a truly unforgettable experience.

Probably the most scenic approach to the caldera is from the south-east along the Arrifes – Covoada road. This road ascends the Pico do Carvão, from which one has a breathtaking view of the north coast and central part of the island.

 

This is the view from the best viewpoint by the roadside, the Miradouro da Vista do Rei. Here one can clearly see the Lagoa Verde in the foreground and the Lagoa Azul beyond, as well as the bridge that separates the two.

 

From the same vantage point we can also see the village of Sete Cidades.

 

This is a better look at the Lagoa Verde.

 

Looking across the Lagoa Azul towards the west.

 

There are a few scattered holiday cottages on the shores of the Lagoa Azul, and a few farms, too.

 

The small cottage on the right and closest to the shore in this view is the one in which I woke up on the morning of January 1st, 2000. It is so quiet here that I could hear the priest in the parish church, about a kilometre away! The three weeks I stayed here were simply amazing. 

 

This boathouse is one of the most photographed buildings in the caldera, after the church.

 

A closer view of the boathouse.

 

The view looking northwest from the bridge.

 

The place is one of the greenest I have ever been in. No wonder one’s eyes are soothed, as is one’s soul.

 

The caldera wall is quite precipitous in places.

 

This little house is fairly typical of the homes in the village, as well as the island in general.

 

The parish church, the Igreja de São Nicolau.

To Villiersdorp!

The small town of Villiersdorp in the Western Cape lies close to my heart. This is where I finished my school career in 1969 when I matriculated from the De Villiers Graaff High School. I spent my last two school years here and thoroughly enjoyed them.

The town has its roots in the farm established here in 1843 by one Pieter de Villiers. A village soon shot up. Scandal struck when the daughter of Pieter De Villiers married a farm labourer named Petrus Graff.  The marriage was allowed on condition that the De Villiers name would not be lost.  The couple had three sons, the most eminent of whom was Sir David de Villiers-Graaf, who became a Member of Parliament. He was created a baronet in 1911 and served as Minister of Public Works and of Posts and Telegraphs (1911–1912), Minister without Portfolio (1912–1913), and Minister of Finance (1915–1916). David de Villiers Graaff was also an astute businessman and amassed a considerable fortune, some of which he used to finance the South African war effort during WW I (for which he was knighted).

Sir De Villiers-Graaff  financed the building of the De Villiers-Graaff High School in Villiersdorp in 1907, establishing a £100 000 endowment fund for the school.

Today the town has around 10 000 inhabitants and lies in an area renowned for its deciduous fruit, as well as wines. The large Theewaterskloof Dam built on the Sonderend River just outside town in 1978 today covers an area of around 5 059 ha and contains about 480 million cubic litres of water. Its catchment area is approximately 500 square km.

Heading north on the R321 from Grabouw, we drive through lush farmland and apple and other deciduous fruit orchards.

Soon the road starts climbing and we are on rise to the short, but fairly steep Viljoens Pass.

The clouds lie low on the mountains.

Looking northeast from the top of the pass. In the distance one can see the Theewaterskloof Dam.

Zooming in, we get a better view of the dam. The area between the pass and the dam is famous for its top quality apples, grown mostly for export.

Looking into the mountain from the viewpoint at the top of the pass.

As we near Villiersdorp the Theewaterskloof Dam lies close, and the road actually crosses a section of the dam via a bridge.

Looking southeast from the bridge.

Villiersdorp as seen from the hillside above the school (which is off camera to the left).

Looking across the deep valley to the mountains on the south.

The lovely little Anglican church in the town.

When the town was originally laid out, Pieter de Villiers planted many oak and eucalyptus trees. Today some of the streets are lined with stately London plane trees.

An old house in town with the thatched roof so popular in this part of the Western Cape.

As we leave Villiersdorp in the direction of Franschhoek, we drive along the dam again.

A serene little island in the dam.

As in just about everywhere in the Western Cape, the mountains are always close, and particularly atmospheric on the day we were there.

Cape Point, Cape Town, South Africa

The south-westernmost tip of the continent of Africa is known as Cape Point. The first European to sight (and round) the point was the Portuguese explorer Bartholomeu Dias, who rounded Cape Point in January 1488. His little flotilla of two ships were hit by storms when they were close to the Point and he named the place Cabo Tormentoso (Cape of Storms). Cape Point and False Bay beyond it on the eastern side of the peninsula are notorious for the autumn northwesterly gales and the ferocious south-easterlies in summer. João II, king of Portugal (1455-1495), later renamed the cape Cabo de Boa Esperança (Cape of Good Hope), because rounding the Cape ultimately served to open the only sea route to the East and its riches at the time.

The next Portuguese explorer to round the Cape was Vasco da Gama, who sailed past Cape point in a gale on November 22nd, 1497. He was the first Portuguese to reach India by sea. Today he is remembered at Cape Point by having the tallest peak named after him.

Today the cross-shaped padrão (a limestone marker used by the Portuguese explorers to mark their landing sites) one can see near the point is  in fact a replica. The original, the Padrão de São Filipe, is thought to have been erected closer to the Point on the headland known as Cape Maclear, just north-west of the point itself.

Cape Point remains one of the most significant headlands in the history of the world, and it is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful points in the world. The English sea captain and explorer Sir Francis Drake, who rounded the Cape on the 18th of July 1580, called it “a most stately thing and the fairest cape we saw in the whole circumference of the earth”. To this day the Cape Peninsula and Cape Town are commonly referred to as “the Fairest Cape”.

Our visit to Cape Point in 2012 was on a bright, sunny and almost windless day.

The marker that greets one at the start of the track leading up to the old lighthouse.

The view along the eastern side of the peninsula towards Cape Point. The highest peak visible is Vasco da Gama Peak.

Looking north along the western side of the peninsula (looking back towards Cape Town, in other words).

Looking down on Smitswinkels Bay from the whale-watching viewpoint on the eastern side of the peninsula. The mountains on the horizon are on the far side of False Bay.

The view south from the same vantage point.

The coast is rocky and rather inhospitable, but beautiful, too.

Looking out across False Bay towards the Hottentots-Holland and Steenbras Mountains and Cape Hangklip on the eastern shore of the bay.

The old lighthouse was constructed in 1859 and is sited on the highest point of the ridge between Vasco da Gama Peak and the Point itself.

Cape Maclear, just north-west of the Point. It is here that Dias is thought to have planted his Padrão de São Filipe in 1488.

Dias Beach and Cape Maclear.

Looking north from the old lighthouse. Vasco da Gama Peak is the nearest to the camera.

A wider view in the same direction, with Table Mountain and Devils Peak in the far distance.

There is a well-constructed and beautifully maintained walkway down to a vantage point just above the sea here.

Cape Point itself, looking south. I took a photo from the edge of the flat rock in the foreground back in 1970, but was a bit more cautious this time!

Looking north, the old lighthouse just visible on top of the ridge.

Another view of Cape Point.

Even on a calm day the surf is quite ferocious. The waves breaking here have travelled unimpeded from the coast of South America!

The Point and the new lighthouse, built in 1914.

The new lighthouse is the most powerful on the coast of South Africa.

Looking back at the old lighthouse.

A last long look over False Bay before we bid Cape Point adieu…

São Miguel – More Views

The images in this blog were all made during our 2012 visit to the Azores, and are of places in the city and  on our walk back from Pópulo to Ponta Delgada.

Between the Avenida Dom Infante Henrique and the waters of the harbour: this stretch of restaurants, coffee shops and bars are all part of the improvements and extensions made to the Avenida.

The Baptista de Andrade is one of the Portuguese Navy’s eponymous class of corvettes and was stationed at Ponta Delgada during its stint protecting Azorean waters from illegal fishing fleets. This particular vessel has since been decommissioned.

Looking across the bay between Ponta Delgada and São Roque towards the Serra Água de Pau. The Rosto do Cão headland is in the middle distance.

Looking down the Rua Manuel Inácio Correia, one of the city’s many lovely medieval streets.

The Praça do Município with the Câmara Municipal (municipal offices).

Rua da Cruz and a typical little coffee shop.

The Igreja de São José on the Campo de São Francisco, Ponta Delgada.

Fishing boats in the harbour of Ponta Delgada.

Many of the old houses in this city date back to the early 16th century, and even in their decays are still beautiful.

Rosto do Cão (face of the dog) seen from a bit closer.

Looking across Ponta Delgada harbour, with the Centro Sol Mar shopping centre and apartments on the left and the Hotel Açores Atlantico on the right.

Praia das Milicias, Pôpulo.

Facade of the church of São Roque.

The little bay in front of the São Roque church.

Beautiful tile work, called azulejos, is typical of Portuguese buildings, even modest houses.

A narrow little street in São Roque, a poor parish on the outskirts of the city of Ponta Delgada.

São Roque shoreline.

A view across São Roque.

Looking towards Ponta Delgada and one of the hundreds of cruise ships that call here every year.

The hills above Ponta Delgada.

The next land from this viewpoint is Antarctica!

Close view of the Rosto do Cão.

I could not resist capturing this image!

More Cape Town

 

A few more images from Cape Town’s central area taken during our visit in 2012. Of note is the Company Gardens, established shortly after Jan van Riebeeck’s arrival at the Cape in 1652. The gardens were laid out to provide fruit and vegetables for ships of the Dutch East India Company (hence the Company Gardens), since the reason for the early Dutch settlement here was to establish a refreshment post for the Company’s ships. Today the Gardens are more of a botanical garden.

 

On the corner of Orange and Hof Streets

The entrance to the iconic Mount Nelson Hotel on Orange Street

Looking down Government Lane from the Orange Street end

The Company Gardens has plenty of these cute little grey squirrels

Another grey squirrel

The National Art Gallery

The South African Museum and Planetarium

The rose garden in the Company Gardens

A glimpse of Table Mountain from a quiet nook of the Company Gardens

Even in the middle of the city there are charming little sights like this

Greenmarket Square nowadays is swamped with stalls selling tourist-trap knickknacks brought in from the rest of Africa

Cape Town has retained many of its charming Victorian buildings, which now stand side by side with much more modern buildings

Lovely detail on a street corner

A whimsical balcony