Author: Jane Whitaker

Forecast not too good for today so decided to drag Gordon round one of the large shopping malls –

All very splendid both outside and inside. A sort of Victorian theme with heavily decorated cornices –

Elegant lifts –

Someone trying not to look too bored –

How’s this for a pick and mix shop –

Followed by a nice coffee –

Then lunch –

With a couple of bottles of wine –

View out of the window whilst we were dining ans YES IT’S RAINING –

Useless snippets of information –

Now if you’re short on an idea for a present then this could answer your needs –

Ok that’s it for today. Let’s see what tomorrow brings. 

First visit to Rondebosch Golf Club and what a lovely day out. We played with a couple called Robert and Caroline from Rotterdam and had a really enjoyable round of golf. 

The views were stunning –

Just don’t turn round –

Some small person knocked their ball into a water hazard but fortunately  help was at hand –

And finally a photo of an upside down African snail –

Shops tomorrow!!!

Very hot day out to Paarl/Boschenmeer Golf Club about an hours drive inland so not too windy –

This photo tries to tell you it was a very hot 34C –

Just to show you how beautiful it is –

Beautiful fresh looking flowers on the lake –

Then a couple of shots of the bird life  – A cheeky pied kingfisher –

Then part of a massive roost of Scard Ibises alongside the 27th hole –

At the back of the 6th they are trying to reintroduce the Spotted Eagle Owls –

More golf tomorrow but I’ll keep it short!!!!

Went off to Rondevlei Bird Sanctuary today. Lovely and sunny but very windy. It’s a conservation area just south of Cape Town and we managed to see 25 different species. –

Very dry at the moment –

Couple of flamingos coming in –

And a man on a mission through the wonderful dense beds of bulrushes –

Then a view of Pelicans and a few other species on a spit –

Then we saw this lovely fiscal flycatcher –

Followed by a weaver birds nest and some Laughing Doves. We saw the weaver birds but impossible to photograph in the trees!!! –

Called into Clovelley Golf Club for a lovely late lunch. Great view of the course –

Those are beautiful yellow water lilies on the pond. We had another feathered friend at lunch today –

Another good day. Been for a swim and now watching the Stoke/Man U game. Golf day tomorrow. 

Just thought you’d like to see our villa – No32 – and our hire car – Saved on the car to afford the villa. 

We had a stroll down to the beach-

Lovely morning. Not too hot or windy. A couple of other pictures of the beach area –

Then thought we would try out our alternative form of transport – a little special –

Here’s our friendly lunch companion – 

He/she is a cape wagtail. Then a sign telling you all you need to know about FEET!!! –

And one about sharks –

Off for a birding day tomorrow I hope. 

Very short blog today as we went to Royal Cape Golf Club and golf courses are notoriously difficult to photograph. Plus the fact – nobody else is really interested in our golf!

Beautiful backdrop of the mountains and the course is in very good condition considering they have had very little rain and it’s heavily played –

The maestro in action –

Here’s a cheeky family of ducklings looking for some food but out of luck –

And a very distant summer visiting yellow-billed kite –

That’s it for today. Down into the town of Camps Bay tomorrow.

If you refresh the blog I hope you will see a picture of Beatrice as the blog header. Seems to be working for me and not Gordon!!

Beautiful, hot and sunny. A lovely visit to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens just outside Cape Town. The gardens are quite dry this year as they are experiencing a water shortage. Lovely mountainous backdrop –

Pensive thoughts whilst studying information on the African banana tree which fruits once then dies! Not much of a life.

Cool blue of the Agapantha flower –

Then a lovely orange breasted sunbird –

Then a cheeky common waxbill –

This is the best way to cool off a very hot car. Thank goodness for material seat covering –

Then home for a well earned swim and just to show I am here!! –

The backdrop to the pool is the back of table mountain showing the cable car terminus and one of the gondolas – 

View of Signal Hill as the sun is going down –

Ok. Another great day. See you soon. 

Ok. After a long delay let’s try and get started. 

A couple of shots from the plane on our decent into a very warm sunny Cape Town. A view of Table Mountain –

And good old Rolls Royce engines –

Then we arrived at our cottage to find we have a brand new kitchen with tri-folding flood to ceiling door onto the outside. I get so excited by the strangest of things!!!

Then we watched this female southern double collared sunbird trying to chase off her reflection (right) –

Yesterday we went down to the Waterfront shopping complex and watched the local pop group –

Leaving harbour with a little help –

And life on board goes on as normal –

Pollution the world over –

Then inside out of the searing heat 31C for lunch. The waitress who served us came from Russia and today there was a 55C difference in temperature to her home!!!

Fluid needed –

Then we visited the supermarket for provisions and were confronted by this –

Ok. That’s all for just now. See you later.