DAY 2 – On the bus

Refreshed after a very early night I approached day 2 with a great sense of anticipation. After such a wonderful day yesterday how could I not look forward to more of the same! Same but different!

Notes from the road:

My luck with the weather ran out overnight and today has brought a very overcast and somewhat rainy outlook on this October day. The wintry weather in Cape Town is however but a drop in the ocean of what most of the inhabited areas of the Northern Hemisphere experience during their off colour days, and having spent a fair amount of time in those parts recently I am not going to let the weather curb my enthusiasm!

The Blue route (which is the mini-peninsula tour) is the source of my entertainment for the day and with 13 stops, and most of them offering some kind of activity, I am grateful for my early night! My first stop is Groot Constantia – as part of the wine tour offering on the blue route. I am slightly embarrassed to admit that this is my first visit to the oldest wine estate in South Africa but I am viewing it as a case of, ‘better late than never!’

The estate is truly magnificent and is characterised by masses of vines laid out over vast fields, spectacular views of mountain and sea, historical old Cape Dutch style buildings and tranquil tree lined avenues made up of huge oak trees – to think that it is situated so close to the city centre is even more cause for celebration!

There are a variety of things to do during a visit but having done many a wine and cellar tour during my wild misguided youth, and by virtue of the fact that I am now a teetotaller, I choose to pass up those options in favour of some lovely walks through the vines and along the avenues as well as visiting the two museums on the property!!

The first one is the old manor house and what a splendid Cape Dutch style building it is. Inside, elegantly furnished with all the trappings of yesteryear, I find myself longing to be able to turn back the clock and spend a couple of weeks living with the original occupants. As someone who enjoys copious amounts of good home cooked wholesome food I think I would have been in seventh heaven during my visit – provided of course that I put in a good shift during the day out in the fields or in the cow shed!!

The second museum is the old cellar, and all the fixtures and fittings that went along with the cellar processes are on display. I am particularly amused by two HUGE vats near the entrance – clearly the concept of ‘economies of scale’ is nothing new!

Wow! This was amazing! Look at more of the pictures here. Tomorrow I will post my Hout Bay experience and my Top 5 tips!

Read more about my two day adventure here:

‘Wonder’ful Cape Town in 2 days! Part 1. I decide to do City Sightseeing’s Red City Tour, which includes 17 stops in and around the city bowl and along the Atlantic Seaboard.

‘Wonder’ful Cape Town in 2 days! Part 2. I visit the SA Jewish Museum Bus Stop 8 and enjoy the beautiful view of Cape Town while climbing up the road towards Table Mountain Bus Stop 13.

‘Wonder’ful Cape Town in 2 days! Part 3. I experience a Canal Cruise along the waterways of the residential part of the V&A Waterfront complex with my 2-Day Ticket.

‘Wonder’ful Cape Town in 2 days! Part 5. I hop-off at Hout Bay Bus Stop 23 and enjoy the drive up Suikerbossie and Camps Bay Bus Stop 14.

Ross Clarke is an outdoor enthusiast who enjoys exploring all manner of places. He has been infected by the travel bug since his first venture beyond South Africa’s borders in 2003. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/rossclarke100