The long, long road

And on the long, long road was a long, long ride.  I don’t know the exact mileage from Knysna to Cape Town but it was a full day’s ride.  I must say, however, that John our guide is very conscious of the needs of these veteran (read that as old) travelers and we manage to stop every 2 hours or so to stretch and empty out. 

Leaving right after breakfast we headed out traveling along the coast.  Not as close to the water as we would have liked, the scenery was still wonderful. 

Out first stop of the day was an at aloe farm to use the bathrooms and of course to engage in a small amount of retail therapy.  Deliciously smelling skin products and baked goods assailed our noses.  I took the time here to photograph some of the many beautiful flowers that are all starting to bloom now.

Riding along further we stopped in the small town of Swellendam full of museums focusing on the original settlements of the Dutch East India Company in the 1670’s, plenty of art galleries and small cafes.  Our wonderful lunch was on the banks of a gentle stream, where birds perched and sang their happy songs.  Our typical malay lunch consisted of…, fresh greens and pears poached in wine.  Dessert was a scrumptious milk pie.  Or so they called it. Custard to me. 

I think the plan of GCT is to feed us well so we all take a nap and keep us quiet.  Our remaining miles to Cape Town went quickly as we took in the scenery.

Arriving in Cape Town we rearranged the schedule some to visit Table Mountain.  Like so many of the mountains they do tend to cloud over reducing visibility to almost nothing.  The weather deities were with us and the mountain was clear.  The cable car is not in its third iteration.  The current system hold 60 people and rotates so you can see the whole panorama in a single trip up or down.  Views from the top were phenomenal.  This mostly flat surface, hence the name, allowed views in every direction.  It was a Goldilocks kinda place…not too hot or cold…not too sunny or shady…and just enough time spent at the top to walk around.