Middle-aged flash packers

The botanical gardens came highly recommended, so we decided to make this our first Capetown stop along with a visit to the V&A Waterfront. We also needed to grab a few food supplies too.

A 15 minute drive from Camps Bay took us to the botanical gardens car park. So far, I’m very impressed with the location of our apartment. So convenient to the city but far enough out to have its own small town vibe.

Kirstenbosch Gardens are fantastic and if you come to Capetown, you must go. That’s an order. It is a crime not to visit them. They are by far the most beautiful botanical gardens I have ever been to and probably one of the most beautiful places I’ve been. Obviously it helped that it was a stunnning day but the backdrop of the slopes of Table Mountain and the immaculate maintenance of the plants make it an incredibly special place.

We wandered about for 4 hours, bird spotting and generally dawdling through each carefully tended area and being wowed by every single one.

Eventually we had to tear ourselves away in order to get some provisions and have a gander at the famous V&A waterfront.

S decided the Spar supermarket in a downtown mall was the one to go for, an 18 minute walk from the V and A waterfront. Usually the Spar at home is only suitable for some bread and a newspaper, but apparently this one promised all sorts of delights, so off we went.

On arrival, The Fear returned with a vengeance. Security guards must be one of the largest areas of employment in Capetown. The shopping mall was full of them. What terrors did it hold? I even needed a special code to go to the toilet as apparently they had been “vandalised”.

This scenario made what happened next even more mind-blowingly dim than usual. S decided to withdraw money from the cash till and I didn’t stop him. Any idiot knows that when you are in Death City, you get money out of the atm just before you leave for home, not when you just arrive as the last thing you need to do is walk around with a wallet full of bank notes. And what a wallet full! They didn’t even fit in his wallet so had to be shoved into his pocket. (It did have a zip on it to be fair).

Surprisingly, We made it to V&A without any mishaps and encountered only helpful, friendly people.

The waterfront development is quite a thing. Presumably old docks, the development is huge and very well done. There’s plenty going on but it did strike me as a little soulless. However, people were enjoying themselves and spending money which is good for everyone.

The Spar was aspirational; I.e sold lots of delicious Knick knacks but nothing you actually need. We did manage to get some breakfast stuff and some reasonable wine though.

Dinner was at the Hussar Grill. A favourite amongst locals and tourists alike, it’s reputation is deserved. Fabulously tender steaks and reasonably priced wine, it was the perfect end to a perfect day.

The Fear attempted a comeback when it was time to leave, but as we were unable to use the rubbish Uber app, we had to walk home again and all was well.

Me 2, Fear 0.