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  • Day 6

    Cape Town in Bloom

    January 5, 2016 in South Africa ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
    Tuesday, January 5, 2016

    The oracle here thought that today's cricket would be attritional (and of course he was right), so we decided to attack our list and head for Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens this morning. It has been another scorchingly hot day, with not a cloud in the sky.
    The site is huge in acreage, although only a small part is actually laid out as a garden. The land extends right up the eastern slopes of Table Mountain and if you feel so inclined you can climb up Skeleton Ravine and walk to the Table Mountain cable car to descend.
    The land was purchased by Cecil Rhodes in 1895 for £9000 to protect the area from urban developers and when he died in 1902, the estate was left to the Nation. In 1913 Kirstenbosch became a botanical garden dedicated to the cultivation and study of the indigenous plants of South Africa. Messrs Pearson and Mathews, a Cambridge botanist and Kew trainee were the first Director and Curator who were responsible for much of the layout and they adhered to the stunning natural setting they were presented with. It is absolutely spectacular, but with a very different feel to the likes of Kew, less manicured, wilder and free as befits the landscape and the country come to that! It was fascinating for me to see all the fabulous exotic species I can use at home at a price, growing in their natural environment. The agapanthus are at their very best as is the indigo bush and the watsonias. Streptocarpus are growing as ground cover under the trees when we struggle to keep them as a houseplant! Too much water is their nemesis, which is probably why most of us kill them with kindness. All sorts of hanging basket annuals romp away here all year in their natural environment. King Proteas are for sale on the side of the roads for pence! I understand the real time to see maximum colour is the 2/3rd week of September, but it was still pretty amazing now.
    We took the shuttle tour as we knew there would be no chance of covering it all on foot in such heat. It was undoubtedly the right decision as the guide was a mine of information that we would have never picked up alone. I sat next to him with a bird's eye view. Howard was a real character, with a thick South African accent. When In passing I mentioned how hot it was, he grinned and said he came from the desert of the Little Karoo, where 55 degrees was not unheard of, so whilst it was warm, he wasn't breaking sweat-and he was't! “Have a look in the conservatory if you want a feel of what I am used to” he said. We already had and lasted 5 minutes before having to seek shade outside to cool off, relatively speaking. This was a terrific visit for me particularly and I'll include some photos to give you a feel.
    We stepped back in time this afternoon, by having afternoon tea at The Mt Nelson Hotel. We have had afternoon tea in some pretty wonderful venues, so they had something to live up to! The building and decor is lovely, albeit very traditional and old school. We sat on the classic colonial verandah, complete with potted ferns, by the open door overlooking beautiful gardens. The tea was lovely, with a true South African flavour that you would hope for and expect. Two points they need to note however, from the home of the afternoon tea, never make tea in front of the guest with off the boil water and sweetened whipped cream doesn't cut the mustard on the scones. I spared the management my thoughts and we had a relaxing delightful high tea and certainly will not want anything more today, except perhaps a nice G&T later on and on that note I think I will go and mix one. Cheers!
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