Thursday, May 8, 2014

Adventures in Cape Town

It's been almost a year since Dom and I arrived in Kigali, Rwanda. We decided it was well past time for a break. So, we put our vacation fund to use and ran away to Cape Town.

Check out our video reel for fun highlights and don't miss our Top 10 list from Cape Town and the Cape Winelands.


Adventures in Cape Town from Crystaline Randazzo on Vimeo.

Table Mountain
Before arriving, someone told me that Cape Town is like Colorado meeting the California coast. I felt so at home in the slightly arid climate. Our ride to the top of Table Mountain was one of the most breathtaking things we experienced. We spent the following two hours wandering around the edge and communing with nature.

The Potluck Club 
It should come as no surprise that much of our trip revolved around food. When we discovered that we couldn't get a reservation at The Test Kitchen, South Africa's best restaurant, we decided to try out their sister restaurant. It's located at the top of the Old Biscuit Mill with amazing views of Table Mountain and Table Bay. I'm still dreaming about their pork belly, Korean fried chicken, and popcorn ice cream.

Sailing Around the VA Waterfront
A client of mine who is South African recommended that we take a sunset sailboat tour around table mountain. I admit I had my doubts when I saw the throngs of tourists and boat options at the Waterfront. But I am so glad that we did it! Even the sailboat captain was taking photos; he said that the winter solstice always brings the best sunsets. What better way to celebrate the beginning of our vacation then a champagne toast?!

The Cape Point Drive
We originally blocked off two days for the drive but found it was totally do-able in one. Each beach seemed more beautiful than the last and we promised ourselves that we would have to come back and enjoy them in the summer. It was pretty cool to be at the most south western tip of Africa and to hang out with a few penguins. Maybe next time we'll get to go in whale watching season!

Spice Route Wine Farm/ Vrende en Lust
There are so many wineries that it's quite difficult to choose! Spice Route was an amazing estate with wine tasting, fine art glass blowing, chocolate factory, coffee shop, brewery, and restaurant. It was our first stop on the tour and the wine/chocolate pairing knocked our socks off! Vrende en Lust came highly recommended by multiple parties and now we know why. We loved every bottle we tasted. Fun fact: I was able to bring home 10 bottles of wine, 3 pieces of ceramics, and 2 pieces of glass art. I have mad packing skills.

Franschhoek
We stayed two nights in Franschoek and two nights in Stellenbosch. When we go back, I think we will stay put in Franshhoek. It was such a charming town! Downtown was full of art galleries, restaurants, and boutiques. Surprisingly, the Cape winelands is really easy to drive. And there's a trolley if you don't want to bother with a DD.

La Petite Dauphine
This bed and breakfast was absolutely fabulous! All the portraits you saw in the video were shot there. Little cabins are nestled in between fields of grapes and olives. Breakfast and dinner were absolutely delicious! My favorite part were the four pups that ran around and the rooster, Heinrich, who kept an eye on us during meals from his perch on top of the piano.

Indochine Restaurant
We stumbled up this place at lunch and couldn't get a seating. So we came back for dinner and we are so glad that we did. We did the tasting menu and every course was divine! Make sure to book in advance!

Photo Session with Christine Meintjes
As Dom and I are celebrating five years of marriage this year, I was determined to get some professional photos done on our trip. After many hours of research I came across Christine's website and I just had to have her. We had such a great time hanging out with her and it was fun to just relax and be ourselves. I am so glad we have photos to help us remember this time in our life and our vacation to Cape Town.

If anyone is planning a trip to Cape Town, I am happy to share a more extensive list of sites!

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