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Western Province - Cape Town Cont 2. |  |
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Performing arts The city's two main venues are the Cape Arts complex, on the Foreshore close to the central area (ballet, opera, musicals, drama), and the Baxter complex (both straight and, occasionally, local/experimental drama, and music, in its three halls). The latter is located in the suburb of Rondebosch and forms part of the University of Cape Town. There are several smaller venues, including the Theatre on the Bay (Camps Bay), which puts on professional and general light shows in its 400-seat auditorium, and the Maynardville open-air theatre in Wynberg (Shakespearean productions). Until recently Cape Town had a long-established and fine symphony orchestra, but this folded for lack of funds. However there's music at, as mentioned, the Baxter theatre complex; chamber performances at the Natale Labia Museum in Muizenberg, and varied musical fare (outdoors in summer, and mostly choral) at the Josephine Mill in Newlands and at the Kirstenbosch Gardens. Visual arts The National Gallery, on Government Avenue near the public gardens, houses more than 6000 works of art; exhibitions of local works are regularly held (pause for a moment at the nearby statue of Jan Smuts - it's an impressive piece of work). Some fine paintings, including Flemish masters, hang in the Old Town House (Greenmarket Square) and in the Castle of Good Hope. In the close-in suburb of Rosebank you'll find Irma Stern's home, now a museum containing some of the works of this acclaimed, and prolific, South African painter and sculptor. Stern, who first exhibited in Germany, in 1919, held more than 100 one-person shows in Europe, America and South Africa though it was only in the 1930s that she could, or was allowed to, sell a painting in her native country: Her art, much influenced by German expressionism, was condemned by both the authorities and the informed public as 'revolutionary' (she was even investigated by the police). Her canvases are now worth a fortune. Nightlife There's plenty of this, as befits a cosmopolitan city. It includes the usual range of disco/rave, dancing, pubbing and clubbing - though Cape jazz is rather special and the pubs, some of them, are attractively English in character - and tends to be concentrated in and around Long/Loop streets down to Waterkant Street, and on the Waterfront. Consult the local newspapers (Friday and weekend supplements) for specific venues. Eating out You have a choice of literally hundreds of restaurants, together offering the entire culinary range from Japanese to good old American-style steak. Some of them serve classic Cape dishes of either Cape Malay or traditional Old Cape (Afrikaans) kind or both (each influenced the other, and one can't really isolate the styles). Again, consult the local papers or invest in one of the restaurant guides available from bookshops. The Cape metropolitan area has more than 200 kilometres of coastline, much of it ideal for beach leisure, sport angling, scuba-diving, sailing and other watersports. The eastern seaboard is windier than the western, but its waters are warmer. Beaches There are especially fine stretches of sand at Muizenberg on the False Bay coast and, on the western side, at Hout Bay, Llandudno (sunbathers in quest of an all-over tan head for the nearby Sandy Bay), Camps Bay, Clifton, Bakoven (a charming cove) and, farther north, Milnerton and Bloubergstrand. Generally speaking the bathing is safe, but be careful of the backwash, and stick to the more popular spots. Walks and Hikes There are also some lovely walks in the wider Peninsula area, especially on and around Table Mountain, around Hout Bay and Constantia, and in the Cape of Good Hope Reserve. The options are spelled out in a number of informative guide-books, available in the bigger bookstores. Nature Reserves Much of the Peninsula - its higher and less spoiled parts - lies within the recently established Cape Peninsula National Park, which is on course to become the fourth of South Africa's recognized World Heritage Sites. Table Mountain The mountain's slopes and the plateau, all of which are embraced by the National Park, are a proclaimed Nature Reserve. Paths have been charted through the unique mountain fynbos ('fine bush') that graces the hillsides. The views, of course, are unrivalled. Robben Island. Once ill-famed as 'South Africa's Alcatraz' and now a Monument and Nature Reserve. The coastal stretches are a haven for Damara and Caspian terns, for the endangered African (or jackass) penguin and for about 30 other bird species. The wild flowers, and especially the arum lilies, are lovely; superb views from the rugged shoreline of the city and its mountain. Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, Newlands. The best place to see and learn about the South Africa's and in particular the Cape's plant life. Here you'll find the myriad proteas, ericas and restios that comprise the bulk of the Cape Floral Kingdom's unique 'Fynbos' vegetation as well as succulents, mesembryanthemums (known locally as 'vygies'), cycads and perlargoniums. These last have been hybridized to produce the geraniums that brighten window-boxes the world over. The plants are grouped according to type. A Braille route, fragrance garden and herb garden have been laid out; the visitors' centre features a conservatory (bulbs and succulents), a coffee house, and a 'lifestyle' shop (books, crafts, aromatherapy oils). Other amenities include a restaurant, and a nursery that offers a fine array of plants for sale. Cape of Good Hope Reserve At the Peninsula's southern tip, and well worth exploring either by car or on foot (some pleasant walks and picnic spots have been laid out) - especially if you're interested in the flora of the area. This is of the indigenous 'fynbos' type and comprises about 1200 different species, and the wild flowers, notably in springtime, are a joy to behold. Also on view are Cape mountain zebra and a number of antelope species, including the once-endangered bontebok. More elusive are the Cape fox and the caracal, a large, lithe and extraordinarily agile cat. Silvermine Mountain Reserve One of the region's most scenically enchanting drives is that which leads from Muizenberg (or from Fish Hoek, depending on which end you start at) over Ou Kaapse Weg ('Old Cape Road'), a route that twists and climbs up the slopes of the Steenberg to bisect the reserve. The vistas, especially that from the top looking over the Tokai valley to False Bay and the distant Hottentots Holland, are memorable. The mountain range and its neighbours, protected wilderness areas that extend across the 'waist' of the Peninsula, are popular among hikers, ramblers, picnickers and, especially in springtime, lovers of wild flowers. Tokai A largely developed area adjacent to Constantia, but its mountain-and-valley setting is enchanting. Tokai forest comprises trees of many different and lovely kinds, most planted in the 1880s as part of an afforestation experiment. You'll find the Tokai arboretum close to the Constantia Village shopping centre. Tygerberg Nature Reserve, set among the hills to the north of the city, offers fine views, walking trails, and good bird-watching. Helderberg Nature Reserve, near Somerset West, is known for its rich bird life, its lovely trees and the scenic splendour of mountain and deep gorge. Rewarding walks, some easy, others challenging, have been laid out. For bird-watchers Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden is home to the sugarbirds and sunbirds of the 'fynbos' biome. Get there early, before the rush of visitors quietens them down. World of Birds, Hout Bay. This welcoming sanctuary is home to upwards of 450 different bird species, exotic as well as indigenous. They also house a number of animals (most orphaned or otherwise disadvantaged). The walk-through aviaries are cleverly landscaped to simulate natural habitat. Boulders Beach, near Simon's Town, is a pretty little cove that has been taken over by one of only two land-based colonies of the Cape penguin (formerly known as the jackass penguin for its loud, donkey-like call). The birds are perfectly at home in human company, mixing freely with sunbathers and sightseers, and their numbers are growing by the year. The Lakes Close to Muizenberg, on the city side, is a scatter of shallow lakes (known as 'vleis') that sustain a fascinating aquatic bird life and serve as sanctuaries. They include Rondevlei, which boasts waterside hides and a small museum, and Zandvlei, a recreation area with section reserved for the birds (entry by permission). Strandfontein Sewage Works, along the False Bay coast east of Muizenberg. Sounds unattractive but in fact, for the real birding enthusiast, this is something of a treasure-house. The pans support all manner of aquatic species. Rietvlei Bird Sanctuary, Milnerton, is a major waterfowl breeding centre. It's also the headquarters of the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (Sancob), which does admirable work in rescuing and healing penguins and other injured, oil-polluted or otherwise damaged marine species. Sport Cape Town has all the sporting amenities expected of a modern city. Consult Cape Tourism for details of the various codes, both spectator and participatory, from angling through to windsurfing. Golf There are excellent courses at, among other suburbs, Green Point, Milnerton, Mowbray, Rondebosch, Wynberg, Simon's Town, Westlake and Clovelly. Clubs welcome visitors. Bowls Numerous greens; the standard is high; clubs welcome visitors. Horse-racing Regular meetings are held at the Ascot (Milnerton), Durbanville and Kenilworth courses. The prestigious Metropolitan Handicap, run at Kenilworth, concludes the summer season. Rugby and cricket Provincial and international matches are held at the famed Newlands grounds. The central area's main shopping venues are the Golden Acre, at the intersection of Adderley and Strand streets, and along St George's Mall, a rather pleasant, brick-paved, animated pedestrian walkway that runs parallel to Adderley. Newer and perhaps more lively are the outlets at the V&A Waterfront, whose main retail node is the Victoria Wharf mall, a glittery complex of converted warehouses that caters for general as well as specialist needs and temptations; next-door King's Warehouse focuses on food; the Red Shed and the African Art and Craft Market features handwork, some of it both unusual and most attractive. Other large, stylish, all-in-one shopping venues include Claremont's Cavendish Square, the Tyger Valley Centre and Century City in Milnerton. The pavements in parts of central Cape Town (and indeed in the busier suburbs) have been taken over by street traders, who will sell you everything from cigarettes and wallets to trendy hats, much of it unbelievably cheap. The central area, though, has two permanent open-air markets: next to the railway station in Lower Adderley Street, and in Greenmarket Square. On show is a great deal of junk, some good buys, and the occasional genuine bargain. Other, more specialised markets are held sporadically at a number of venues around the city, mostly over weekends and mostly under the imprimature of the Cape Crafters' Association. Some of the craftwork is exquisite and, again, you'll come across the odd authentic antique. Details from Cape Tourism, or from the local newspapers. |
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CAPE TOWN CITY 3 Western Cape
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