Cape Town: The Mother City and my adopted hometown

Your hometown is not always the place where you were born. Sometimes a city is so beautiful, in so many ways, it becomes home and is forever missed when you leave.

I first visited Cape Town way back in 1975 after first traveling three days on a train from what was then called Salisbury in Rhodesia (now Harare in Zimbabwe). As that train pulled into Cape Town station and I felt the pull of the massive, flat-topped Table Mountain, my heart was totally lost to this city.

I enjoyed a three-week holiday on the beachfront of Cape Town in a suburb called Sea Point. I made some great friends, saw some of them off on great passenger ships in the harbor and generally got a great tan. And yes, it took three days to get back home again on that darn train.

It took another 20 years before I actually managed to live there.

Briefly, I left Rhodesia (at that stage dubbed Zimbabwe-Rhodesia) in 1980, moving down to Johannesburg in South Africa. We lived in very cosmopolitan (at the time) Hillbrow, enjoyed strolling the streets in the evenings, browsing for books and records (you know, that vinyl stuff that is now coming back into fashion). Later, of course, Hillbrow became one of the most dangerous places to live, as did the center of Johannesburg.

In 1995, I was working for Rennies Travel and the company made the huge mistake of sending me down to Cape Town on a regular basis to train staff on computer software. Spending a week in the city each time, I gradually added an extra day or so to the beginning and then end of my business week, as once again I fell in love with this city.

While the company couldn't justify a job for me in Cape Town, I moved anyhow.

To give you an idea of the attractions of this place, in between 1975 when I first saw ships off to sea and 1995 when I moved there, a portion of the harbor became the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, offering a deluxe shopping and dining experience and generally a really good vibe.

Now, you can take a sailing cruise, harbor cruise, booze cruise or just relax in the many quality restaurants, cafes and bars. All this, hugged by the amazing backdrop of Table Mountain.

One of my favorite practices at that time was to go sailing from the V&A out into Table Bay. Admittedly, I never did actually do anything with ropes or sails, but I did get to steer us back into harbor quite a few times!

I have included a shot of a younger me on the "Spirit of Victoria," a traditionally designed 58ft Gaff Rigged Schooner and above left in the photo of the Waterfront you can see the boat at rest with its brown sails still proudly displayed.

The V&A Waterfront is a short walk (or bus ride) from the city center, where you can enjoy more shopping, browsing and a myriad of different eating experiences. It’s an adventure to stroll down Long Street and browse the book shops, walk-in St. George’s Mall and visit Greenmarket Square for the market. Just so much to do.

At noon each day, I would listen to the noon gun, booming out just as it has since 1806. This gun is located on Signal Hill, just adjacent to Table Mountain and the city center. If you are up for a little history, you can visit the Bo-Kaap, originally the Cape Malay quarter, with its quirky and colorful houses (pictured right).

 Go to the castle, or take a ferry to Robben Island where you can visit the jail cell occupied by former South African President Nelson Mandela for so many years, with a glorious view back to that iconic mountain.

Probably the best visit is Table Mountain itself. You can take a cable car right to the top and stroll around, looking at magnificent vistas across both sea and land. Make sure it’s a clear day when you go up there, though, as often the mountain is shrouded by a literal “tablecloth” of cloud.

A worthwhile green and leafy stroll can be enjoyed in the Kirstenbosch Gardens on the outskirts of town. For more nature, you can take a trip down to Cape Point, a reserve within the Table Mountain National Park. This is close to Cape Agulhas, where you can watch the colder Benguela Current of the Atlantic Ocean collide with the warm Agulhas Current of the Indian.

When you have had your fill of the city (if that is possible!) go further afield. Enjoy the famous Cape Winelands for wine tasting and delicious gourmet lunches. Visit all the beach towns dotted along the coast including upmarket Camps Bay, Bloubergstrand, Milnerton and Fish Hoek.

Travel further afield and see the Southern Right whales frolicking off the coast of Hermanus, or in the “whale nursery” at Witsand, close to the Breede River.

Passing Witsand, enjoy the famed Garden Route where you can drive all the way to Plettenberg Bay with a myriad small and attractive beach towns to visit along the way.

If golf is your passion, you will find world-class golf courses all over the Western Cape to indulge your hobby.

That cliché, “something for everyone,” was never more valid than it is in Cape Town. The city and its surrounds offer a huge selection of hotels, bed and breakfast and vacation rental accommodation to suit all. The All Cape Accommodation travel guide will give you an excellent idea of what is available.

With all that is going on in and around Cape Town, you probably wonder why on earth I ever left. Regrettably, my elderly parents were forced to return to the UK due to problems with their health and finances. As I couldn’t face living in that cold and wet place, I moved to sunny Spain to be that much closer to them.

However, I’ll never forget my adopted roots and hope to one day visit Cape Town all over again.