Deep Ties

  The most important landmark in Cape Town is, of course, Table Mountain, and Signal Hill nestles next to it and is also known as Lion’s Rump. When seen together with Lion’s Head, which is another peak next to it, the whole formation appears like a lion sphinx. Thus, the three hills lie adjacent to one another – Table Mountain, Lion’s Head and Signal Hill and can be seen from any point in Cape Town on a clear day. Signal Hill got its name from the olden days when signals were sent to ships through signal flags to communicate warmings as well as anchoring instructions to visitor ships experiencing stormy weather. The first two days in Cape Town saw Table Mountain shrouded in clouds. The drive up Signal Hill was picturesque with views of Cape Town below and glimpses of the peaks as the cars cruised uphill. The grey clouds hung ominously overhead as the weather threatened to worsen and we were all thankful that we had worn our thickest jerseys and woollens. The view was beautiful with t

  Once we had finished with Spier Hotel and Wine Farm, we were raring to go to the next leg of our trip. The gorgeous Malay Quarter, which nestles at the foot of Signal Mountain, took our breath away. The buildings were all tastefully painted in lovely colours, and I could hardly contain myself as we drove around. Pinks and blues, greens and oranges, yellows and reds… the sight was magnificent. History has it that the Malay Quarter came into being during the third quarter of the 18 th century. In the 1830s, when slavery was abolished, it is believed that the Malays who had been forcibly brought into the Cape, now earned their freedom and began to shift into this area. By the middle of the 19 th century, this area was dubbed the Islamic Quarter. The presence of this Quarter brought the Cape Malays together as a group, but in 1944, after World War 2, the quarter deteriorated to the extent that it was declared a slum. The City Council and the Historical Monuments Commission acted with

Photo Credit - Spier Wine Farm Four days in Cape Town. It sounded too good to be true! So, the four grandparents, the parents and the two terrific twosome (Z and S) boarded their flight, filled with anticipation. Each of them had their own ideas about what lay ahead, but one central idea loomed large. They were all set to have the time of their lives. The week earlier, or at least part of it, had gone into planning our itinerary. After all, there was so much to be done; the problem was in sifting the parts that interested us most. The general view was that it was going to be freezing and that we would have to be clad like Eskimos most of the time. That was daunting (brrrr!) because I suspected that I would have to be thawed out every time I returned home after a jaunt. We stayed in a friend’s beautiful home which faced a water body which was a kayaking path. At times, kayaks would whiz by, manned by men women and children. A few ducks also made the crossing, and weaver birds had bu

Monte Casino – the very name spells romance, glamour and intrigue. Tucked away in Johannesburg, Fourways, this sprawling structure looms, impressive and eye-catching and is one of the top entertainment spots in the city.  The name comes from Monte Cassino, a village near Rome in Italy and the entire complex resembles a typical Tuscan village. The first time we visited Monte Casino, it took our breath away. The moment we stepped onto the cobbled paths within, it was a different world altogether. From broad daylight and the scorching African sun, we walked into a sunset, an interior that exuded an evening ambience, with closed ceilings that alternated between the day and the night sky. While the main attraction is obviously the Casino which makes its presence felt with flashing lights, the sound of the counters and the hustle and the bustle, Monte Casino has much more to offer in the form of restaurants offering all kinds of cuisines, stores that show off their wares, little nooks wher