Cape Tour

A tour of the Cape peninsula is a must do on any Cape Town itinerary. It was one of our favorite days on the trip. We started out at the Waterfront and drove along the coast along the beaches in Sea Point, Camps Bay, and on into Hout Bay. After leaving Hout Bay we continued our drive along Chapmans Peak Drive, a beautiful drive along the very edge of the coast high in the air.

At the end of Chapmans Peak Drive we saw a sign for wine tasting. Since we had some time before our lunch reservation, we stopped to go wine tasting at Cape Point Vineyards. They have a lovely menu with snacks and a cheese tray if you'd like a light lunch.

However, we were eating just down the road in Noordhoek at Foodbarn. Of course the name "Foodbarn" does not conjure up ideas of high quality cuisine. But you are wrong! This place is quite a foodie haven.

I had the Bistro menu which includes an appetizer, entree, and dessert. I can't remember what my appetizer was but it was seafood and the sauce it was in was delicious. My entree was "Andouillette": Spicy pork belly and chitterling sausage, wrapped in a crispy spring roll, served with sauteed apples and potato fritter, finished with an apple cider and thyme juice. Not surprisingly, I had a cheese plate for dessert. All that wine makes me want lots of cheese.

Nick ordered off the a la carte menu. His entree was hands down the best thing we ate the entire trip and one of the top things of our lives: springbok in a vanilla jus.  Foodbarn was a wonderful restaurant with a casual feel.

After our leisurely lunch, we continued our drive along the coast. Down in this part of the peninsula it was much more deserted and the wind was much stronger. It truly feels like the end of the world. We continued down to Table Mountain National Park to see the Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. It was freezing cold and there were hurricane like winds. Since we had a marathon hike up a very large hill it was kind of nice that it was so cool. Johannesburg is 1500 km from the Cape of Good Hope while Antarctica is only 3000 km. The Cape of Good Hope is not actually the most southern point of Africa. But it was close enough for us.

Last stop: Boulders Beach in Simon's Town for the penguins. I love love love penguins and was so excited to see them. In fact I wanted to climb over the railing to touch them and go swimming in the water with them. In reality, you are confined to a boardwalk elevated above the beach and the penguins are down on the beach below. They were quite adorable and not smelly at all. If only I could have fit one in my suitcase.