November 8th

Today. when we awoke it was a beautiful day with the high only to be around 70 degrees. We decided to go to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. It is in Cape Town at the foot of Table Mountain. Jeff got us online tickets and we arrived about 20 minutes before the first free walking tour @10. There was a cool Bonsai exhibit at the entrance, some were over 100 years old! Anyway, our walking tour guide showed up about 10 minutes prior to the tour. By ten our group numbered about 20 people, and we did intros. Some were from Scotland, Germany, Austria, and two others from USA (Michigan) besides us. That done, our guide, Dee, talked about the gardens: they are traced back to 1913 (but area has history back to 1652!) as a 528 hectare garden area, only 40 hectares cultivated; the gardens are a UNESCO site; and showcases many plants of the diversity of all of South Africa. (She said much, much more, but that is the main takeaways. 

Walking tour commenced, she was very passionate and was an excellent guide. She lead us on the main entry way up to the higher walking paths – the entry is mostly up to the foot of Table Mountain, and what a stunning backdrop it is!!! We passed the spring fed Main Pond to Otter Pond, around through Matthews Rockery (dedicated to Matthews the garden's first Curator). Then through some of the Arboretum and to the Tree Canopy Walkway. This is an elevated walkway, 'The Boomslang'. It was developed for the garden's Centennial, 2013. It was a great addition and the vistas were amazing from it.

We were next lead to the areas north along the main walking paths. (There are hiking trails all through this garden – it is huge!) Here we were at the highest areas of the garden at the foot of Table Mountain – Quite Spectacular! Also here we saw some baby owls and the South African National Flower, the King Protea. It is just past season for it to be blooming, but we were lucky! It is a huge, bright pink outer petals going to a soft inner pink center. The flower is believed to represent change and hope, as it regenerates itself after severe wildfires. 

This is where the tour ended and Dee left us. We meandered about a little, generally heading back down. We saw a couple of very colorful lizards; some Cape Spurfowl, mom and 4 chicks; and Egyptian Geese, family- dad, mom, and 4 teenaged offspring. We now found the Tea Room – lunch was Bangers and sweet potato fries for Jeff and a Smoked Trout, cream cheese, capers, and red onion sandwich with a side salad. Jeff ordered a — coffee milkshake, I had a Cider. Good meal.

We headed over to a art exhibit right next to the Tea Room. They had displayed paintings/drawings from local South Africans – ink, pastels, acrylic and oils to name a few. Many were very good and they were for sale. From here we went back and toured parts of the garden we had missed. We spotted the parent owl perched in a tree. Retraced our steps up on the Tree Canopy Walkway. Then we went to the Wild Almond Hedge (which was placed in 1660's as a boundary to a settlement of Van Riebeeck (an owner prior to the garden, and a commander of the Dutch East India Company). Next we went under the canopy of Camphor Trees (planted in 1898 by another land owner before the gardens). Ended up in the Conservatory, which houses many plants of South Africa, and showcases a 100+ year old Baobab Tree (most southern Baobab in the world) in the center.

Wow! It feels like a whirlwind tour of the garden, but we spent FIVE hours here!! The grounds are just so big and so much to take in. What a good, beautiful day!! 

Leaving, we went back to our place by way of a grocery store, and a meat pie place, King Pie – this will be supper. We had a Mutton Curry Pie, and a Chicken Mushroom Pie; a salad; a nice bottle of a fruit forward Cab. Sav.; and then some ice cream and ginger cookies.     

 It was a glorious day!  Praise be to God Almighty our Creator!!!!!