CPT: City Hall

It was just after 11:00a when we left the Castle of Good Hope. We had no specific plans in mind, so we decided to walk towards the City Hall … a few blocks away.

Built in 1905, City Hall is one of the oldest public spaces in Cape Town … its clock tower an iconic landmark of the city skyline. It is also home to the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra. Built originally to house the city offices, the duties carried out by these office have been moved to the Civic Center.

City Hall is considered an Edwardian masterpiece. It was from the portico balcony here that Nelson Mandela gave his first speech to the nation after being released from prison on 11 February 1990. In remembrance of the occasion, a statue of Mandela today stands on the balcony. An exhibit in the building remembers the day and Mandela.

At the visitor information center, located on the ground floor, the man on duty was happy to answer questions. When we asked what was open to the public, he directed us first to the Mandela Exhibit and then to the Attic Exhibit. The latter tells the story of the city … past and present.

By the time we left City Hall the heat and humidity had risen to a point where it was no longer comfortable to wander around. Seeking shade where possible, we slowly made our way through the nearby pedestrian mall to St George’s Cathedral. From there, we hopped in an Uber to the V&A Waterfront.

Our plan was to get a bite to eat before returning to the ship for our early sailaway. Unfortunately, none of the places that appealed to us was able to seat us within our small window of opportunity. Instead, we got ourselves a sweet treat from one of the gelaterias and slowly wandered back to the cruise terminal … with time to spare before the 3:30p all aboard.Meer informatie