Somewhere on the road... Western Cape, South Africa

South African roads are top class and the Western Cape region is nothing short of Road Trip Heaven. Renting a car is affordable and there is an abundance of scenic routes to choose from and to explore. Expect being stunned by breathtaking landscapes, crisp blue skies, rugged mountain ranges and contrasting seascapes. There are several routes which make for excellent day trips, all within a  70 – 100km radius from Cape Town. Splendid wine estates, sleepy colonial towns and rustic farm scenery provide panoramic pleasure along the way. When you head off the beaten track down less travelled routes, you can still find friendly pedestrians waving  at  passing cars on isolated country roads and  you can see deep green valleys down below from almost forgotten narrow mountain passes…

… and so much more, but heaven has to be experienced… May these pictures be an incentive for your next visit to SA. Why not rent a cabriolet?

The Road Beckons!

By Jean-Jacques

Louis and Ani, navigating the way

On the road

Between Somewhere and Nowhere

Vinyards and Clouds

On the road

Ani in the back

Cape Coastline

Onwards

Stellenbosch Wine Estate

Lunch in Franschoek - Bobotie & Salad

–

Click on images to enlarge

Posted in ALL, South Africa Tagged: Bobotie, Road Trip, South Africa, Travel, Western Cape ]]> http://travelosophy.wordpress.com/2009/03/15/road-trip-country/feed/ 2 Travelosopher Road Trip South Africa Road Trip Navigation On the Road Road Trip Scenery Western Cape Cape Vinyards and Clouds Cape Road Trip Scenery Ani in the Back Cape Coastline On the Road in the Cape Stellenbosch Wine Estate Bobotie and Salad http://travelosophy.wordpress.com/2007/09/15/hello-world/ http://travelosophy.wordpress.com/2007/09/15/hello-world/#comments Sat, 15 Sep 2007 12:07:58 +0000 Jean-Jacques Continue reading →]]>

Company Gardens and Table Mountain, City Bowl, Cape Town

NEWS UPDATE:

Arrival Cape Town:
21 January 2007

Cork International Jazz Festival, 2006

On Friday the 27th of October we, a few friends set off for Cork City on the south coast of Ireland. It would be the longest journey some of us had made since arriving on the Island. A full six and half hours from north to south. It was the one weekend of the year, according to my friend Victor, which deserved a visit to “The People’s Republic of Cork“. Why this Marxist-sounding nick-name? Well, according to rumour it had something to do with the locals not being too impressed with Dublin becoming the capital of Ireland back then, considering they had put up such a great fight during the Irish War of Independence, after all. National resistance hero, Michael Collins hailed from that area and era too. There are others who say that the name was influenced by a certain Che Guevara, whose grand mother hailed from County Cork and went by the family name of Lynch. An added ingredient to the “People’s Republic” idea were the red uniforms of the Cork Gaelic Football Team. It was probably inevitable that someone might become creative with so much folklore and history abound. Thus, according to several sources, in 1997 a few Corkonians dreamed up the catchy name over a few pints of the local cream, also known as Murphy’s Irish Stout.

Pints of Murphys

Dubliners, naturally considered this to be a bit pretentious, but folks from The People’s Republic might say: “That’s just them showing a bit of green, cause they can’t claim the same”. The rivalry continues, but as far as the arts go, Cork has done well for itself as the official cultural city of Ireland and in 2005 it received the prestigious European Capital of Culture award.

Holy Trinity Church

On this particular weekend in October the city was hosting the annual Guinness International Jazz Festival and the town centre was abuzz with atmosphere and brassy sounds. It was also the perfect opportunity for four “adopted” Belfast boys and girls to take a trip Down South to the Republic of Ireland – and Cork. Two of us, Maria and I, were to lose our status as newbie jazz fans. Victor, our jazz expert and trip organiser, made sure on the way down to expose us to quality jazz tracks and samples on the car stereo. On arrival at our hotel we dumped our luggage, freshened up, knocked back a couple of Bushmills whiskeys and headed straight for the Everyman’s Theatre by taxi. Our tickets were pre-booked for two acts in tandem; Hiromi, a highly rated Japanese pianist featured first and then head-lining afterwards was Branford Marsalis and his Quartet.

Everyman's Theatre, Cork

The first act was fresh and inventive, original and highly skilled and I think we were all very much agreed on that. With Branford Marsalis, a more famous and seasoned artist, some of our opinions differed. His quartet would probably fit more into the John Coltrane sector of the jazz genre, with multi-layered and complex sounds, probably catering more for the connoisseur with a well developed palette. Nevertheless, it was a captivating and extensive performance and they were extremely popular with the audience. Later on, back at the hotel, although exhausted we stayed up late and discussed this brilliant first outing in Cork City.

Music store opposite from the Everyman's Theatre

The following morning I headed down town earlier than the rest, looking for photo opportunities. The city centre’s atmosphere, style and architecture just oozed culture. The Cork accent is famous, yet makes quite an impact when exposed to it for the first time, just a little bit like the stout they serve around there. The locals I met were friendly and inquisitive, maybe not what you would expect to find in a popular touristy city centre.

Cork Street Scene

After criss-crossing the old streets for a while, I ventured down a small street next to a narrow park and discovered an old style hairdressers, called John’s Hair Studio. Through the window I could see much of the décor, which included classic old barber chairs and other dated bits and pieces. I couldn’t resist going in for a better look and John kindly allowed me to capture a few images on film. We got talking and he wanted to know how long I had been based in County Antrim. After my reply of “a bit over two years, on and off” he commented on what a “straenge blend” the Southern African and Northern Irish accents made.

John's Hair Studio

I carried on exploring leisurely for over two and a half hours, finished a roll of film and then made my way back to the tourist information centre where we all agreed to meet up later. Our small group wandered to the old quarter, found a pub with outside tables and indulged in a very satisfying meal, along with a couple of pints. They didn’t serve Guinness or were “out of supply”, but our waitress seemed very keen on serving us the local black stuff instead and assured us with a wink and a smile that “It’s much better than Guinness anyway (!)”. We tipped generously and she seemed pleased to have helped us convert.

Shape Jazz Orchestra

The Gresham Metropole Hotel, over the river and up the hill, was our next stop, the hosting point for the annual Guinness Festival Club. Here they served loads of sponsored Guinness on tap and more than ample jazz on stage. Very unpatriotically, there wasn’t a pint of Murphy’s in sight. The swanky, red carpeted venue was thoroughly converted for the event; with all three floors boasting three stages and three bars. The place was heaving and sighing with elegant socialites and jazz aficionados. We spent most of the rest of the afternoon and evening wandering about over here. Once the bands fired up, we followed the best sounds around, for hours. Our group split up and we naturally followed our individual “jazz intuitions”, while bumping into each other occasionally. Amongst others, we experienced the “Shape Jazz Orchestra” (a NATO band), “The Big Band Explosion” and “Vincent Herring’s Earth Jazz Agents” (photo above), the latter a personal favourite.

The Earth Jazz Agents

As the evening drew on, the Gresham Hotel developed a pleasantly overcrowded and highly festive mood, unlike what I had experienced in a long time. The clocks moved forward by one hour and prolonged the evening even more. Towards the very end, we chose to see a band from Latin America and unlike any of the others, this group had vocals with two singers doing the honours. Within ten minutes any inhibitions still intact were shed by the crowd, as everyone who could find space lapsed into exuberant and spontaneous dancing. It was a true grand finale and people lingered and milled around in the foyer for a period of time that seemed endless, while chatting and finishing off their drinks, before reluctantly drifting away.

Catia and Carlos and the Boys from Brazil

There is a small fishing village not too far form Cork, called Kinsale. The following morning we headed out to explore. It’s a classically quaint little town where the jazz fringe festival is hosted. Not to be missed if you find yourself in the area. While visiting Cork and surrounds, I had that sensation which every traveller longs to experience every once in a while. Discovering a real Gem.

By Jean-Jacques

Originally written 24.11.2006 / Published here 02.06. 2008

–

All images are “click-able”

Inside John's Hair Studio

John's Hair Studio Interior

Hardware DIY - Edward B. Sheehan LTD

The Oval, Cork

Larry Tompkins Sports Bar

MIR SSSR

We left Moscow in a coach, with the word “Sputnik” appropriately marked on its sides. The driver was taking the slightly pot-holed motorway through the Russian countryside to The Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre 35 km’s away. For us it was additionally exciting to be aware of the fact that the next day was also the 45th anniversary of the first man to have entered space in 1961, Yuri Gagarin, after whom “Star City” was named.

Star City Bus

A few seats in front of me, the middle aged Australian couple was listening attentively to our tour leader Nadya while she shared an interesting tale with them of how she experienced a massive culture shock when she arrived in the United States a few years ago as a camp councilor. I could only catch pieces of the conversation and after a while I decided to turn the volume up on my Walkman while observing the passing forest scenery from the bus window. As we crossed a bridge over an iced-over river, I spotted a glimpse of two fisherman, sitting on small wooden boxes, holding fishing lines that were dropped into the icy water through the round holes which they drilled into the solid surface. Several miles on, Nadya pointed to the horizon, where a gigantic satellite dish dominated the skyline.

On arrival at the Star City gates, an official car was waiting. After a few words with our driver and tour leader respectively, we were escorted by an official car into the base. Nadya explained to us that it being a live training centre, we had to be accompanied by a dedicated guide from the base, who was also a Russian to English translator. As we continued down the bare, tree-lined lane, she discussed how global warming is already affecting the Russian climate in a visible way. Temperatures at the start of the seasons had become more unpredictable and this was an exceptionally cold winter with some of the lowest temperatures recorded, around minus 40 degrees celsius.

Star city is a self contained village with amenities and shops, where all employees live and work and it forms the natural hub of activities in the local area. After a short wait we disembarked and were led to one of the main buildings. There we came across a large group of visiting Russian Police Academy recruits, posing for photos. A few moments later we passed through the doors and deposited our coats and bags in the cloakrooms. Some members in our group could not resist the temptation to try on some of the wide Russian police officer caps, with giggles and laughs and had their photos taken.

MIR Simulator - Star City

Upstairs, we entered a lecture room with a view of the MIR space shuttle simulator below us. Here the Russian officer gave an introduction to Star City and some background about Russia’s historical role in the international Space Race. Interesting bits and pieces of information emerged. The centre had been built in 1960, shortly after NASA and in 1961 Russia managed to beat the U.S in the race, by putting Yuri Gagarin into space. Since Yuri, it has been the training centre for all Russian cosmonauts. Unlike the U.S, Russia traditionally sends smaller teams of 3 cosmonauts into space and the trips are much longer in duration. Star City today is largely privately funded, since the Russian state withdrew much of its funding in the 1990′s. Famously that event created opportunities for Space Tourism. Billionaires and tycoons with money to burn pay 20 million dollars a go for Star City and a round trip. While onboard they’re allowed to conduct some personal projects such as photography, research or Blogging from Space! So far three private individuals have contributed to the program, including South Africa’s Mark Shuttleworth. If ever destiny could be read in a name… Four prospective Japanese space tourists were undergoing training at the centre while we were there.

Training conducted in Soyuz TMV Simulator

In the simulator room, downstairs we were shown various pieces of equipment used by cosmonauts onboard the earlier shuttles like MIR, which orbited in space for 15 years before being brought down to earth in 1991. The officer explained the workings of the internal waste disposal and oxygen generating systems. We were also shown various examples of vacuum packed and compacted space food items. As we walked around the “MIR”, an explanation followed of the special layers of material used for insulating the shuttle, all capable of withstanding very extreme temperature fluctuations.

MIR Training Module - Insulation Visible

We were then allowed to enter the cockpit, three at a time, and were shown various on-board items, including a fold-away exercise bicycle, which was used to keep cosmonauts in shape in a weightlessness environment. While inside, the official was still answering our questions when we heard loud Russian voices outside the door. It was a group of the Police Academy recruits, impatiently insisting for us to finish, so they can have a look too. Our guide firmly told them to wait their turn and attentively took his time in making sure all of our questions were answered, leaving Nadya on the steps outside, having to resist multiple requests for her mobile phone number by twenty young and eager Russian police trainees.

Inside MIR Simulator

From there we moved through various corridors to another large hall with a simulator of a Soyuz capsule. As far as space craft go, the Soyuz family has been assessed to be very reliable and has been in use the longest of all space vehicles since the Space Race started. They were originally used to transport cosmonauts to and from the MIR space station and are still the current International Space Station’s crew returning vehicles. Every six months, the ISS receives a new Soyuz capsule. When we arrived in the Soyuz hanger, training was being conducted inside the simulator. We were allowed to take non-flash photographs but had to keep our voices down. The guide continued to provide us with interesting facts and it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with the bombardment of information. I started realizing indeed how vast the Star City complex was and that we would regrettably only be able to touch on the highlights, due to time constraints. Nevertheless, I would certainly come away from there with a highly rejuvenated interest in the subject of space travel!

Soyuz TMV Simulator

The Hydrolab contained a submersion platform with the outer shell of a shuttle assembled on top of it. As part of their space walking and shuttle maintenance training, cosmonauts have to dive down to the submerged “shuttle” to which they have to make underwater adjustments. The density of the water closely resembles a weightlessness environment. We were told that the only unnatural aspect of using neutral buoyancy to simulate microgravity is the drag-effect caused by the water. We spent quite a bit of time in the overhead observation area, after which we had the opportunity to watch a video on cosmonaut training.

Hydrolab Submersion Platform - Star City

Unfortunately for us, the gigantic centrifuges in the Centrifuge Building, which imitate the lift-off-G-forces cosmonauts would experience, were on that day occupied for training and it was not possible for us to enter. How I wished I had $20 million! We had some time to take photos outside, before we were invited to have lunch at the Star City dining hall for officers and cosmonauts. Several courses of Russian fare were served in the mess-hall. It was well presented for a military base and I personally chose to wash my meal down with a quality rich and dark Russian beer.

Back on the coach, as soon as we left the base, Nadya delved into a goodies bag which our dedicated Star City guide gave her to pass on to us as souvenirs. Inside were various samples the space food we saw earlier on and I ended up with “food in a tube”, a kind of a high protein apricot fruit paste. We were all in agreement that it was a fascinating day. Most of us dozed off on the journey back to the capital, where that evening we would board a long distance train to the city of Pskov, a 12 hour journey away, close to the Estonian border.

By Jean-Jacques

Originally written 28.04.2006 / Published here 04.07.2008

All images are “click-able”

Soyuz Landing Capsule

MIR Simulator - Hatch View

Switches Inside MIR Simulator

Next to The Kremlin Walls

Day 2 – Continued

Well-refreshed from our coffee break at the underground mall, we all gathered at the statue of Marshall Zhukov, close to the Resurrection Gate. The next event of our day was to be the Moscow Kremlin. It was still drizzling softly as we followed the walkway along the Kremlin walls, walking behind other visitors and some soldiers, towards the compulsory cloakroom and the tickets office.

The Kremlin Walls

We crossed the slippery, stoned bridge and passed through the Trinity Tower above the fortified Kremlin walls, and once inside, I experienced the acute realisation of standing inside the epicenter of Russian power of past and present. We gathered on the steps of the first building, the modern looking Palace of Congress which was built in 1961 where an official guide, courtesy of our tour organisers was waiting for us. She was a middle aged lady with a friendly smile and professional approach. After introductions she proceeded to lead us through a maze of multiple sights inside the confines of the Kremlin walls, including towers and tombs, chapels and churches, cannons, icons, bells, bastions and more!

The Kremlin is a restricted zone and some areas, for instance the cobbled stoned roads, were out of bounds. This was put to the test almost immediately when a member of the group ahead of us stepped off the side walk which resulted in the shrill sound of a whistle being blown by an official, gesturing for the culprit to stay off the road. We gave their group some space to get ahead and Elena pointed out to a building across the way, previously The Senate, which today houses the offices of the President of the Russian Federation.

The Tsar Cannon

Shortly after we passed by the Church of the Twelve Apostles, we came across a “huge find”. As we walked we noticed rows of cannons on the lawn along the road, but none as impressive as the Tsar Cannon, one of the largest ever made weighing in at a massive 40 tones. It was apparently never actually used in war, but was “tested” by firing a certain person’s ashes back towards Poland in 1606. That privilege was extended to the first “False Dmitri”, one of two impostors who claimed to be the son of Ivan the Terrible. Once found out to be an intruder, he was dealt with by a mob and his remains ended up as fodder, with the benefit of proof that the Tsar Cannon does work!

The Tsar Bell

We continued our walk and behind the Ivan the Great Bell Tower we stopped at the Tsar Bell, the undisputed king of bells at a not-so-light 200 tons. The guide explained that due to its size it stayed in its casting pit for over a century after it was made, until a massive fire broke out at the Kremlin in 1737. The bell then shattered when cold water was poured onto it, but continued to remain there until it was finally installed in 1836 in its current location. The “small” chunk that broke out of the bell only weighs 11 tons.

The Cathedral of the Assumption

Around the corner from the Tsar Bell, we proceeded into a large stone paved court yard where we were surrounded by several domed cathedrals and churches. A tour of both the impressive Cathedral of the Archangel and the Cathedral of Annunciation followed. For me it was a personal first to enter places of worship with such stunningly beautiful interiors. All of us were in awe at the gilded walls, pillars and domes decorated with blends of gold, silver and other coloured frescoes, icon’s (iconostasis) and paintings. Not having studied art history, but now being exposed directly to these sights had a strong impact on me and may well have been the spark that will lead to my future exploration of the subject.

The drizzle had subsided a bit and we strolled leisurely down the cobbled road, this one with no walking restrictions, past the Great Kremlin Palace where we lingered for some photo’s .At the bottom we reached the State Armoury, and queued to enter this promised must-see treasure trove of Russian artefacts. Elena took over from the other guide and provided us with a highly enjoyable tour de force of history on display, with views of court and coronation dresses, crowns and thrones, carriages and couches, gold and silver and most impressively an amazing collection of Faberge Eggs.

Fourteen examples are owned by the Armoury. Amongst them we saw The Grand Siberian Railway Egg which has a tiny replica of the Trans-Siberian Express. Apparently it could originally run for about 20 meters when wound up. It seemed to have later been broken by the Imperial House’s children of the time. Two other eggs, the Shtandardt and Azov have models of the Imperial yacht and cruise, while the Kremlin Egg plays the tune of “God save the Tsar”. Some of the other Faberge eggs had very beautiful and highly skilled decorations of diamonds or were carved from crystal. We were told that more Faberge Eggs should find its way back to Russia and probably to the State Armoury. Apparently a Russian oil magnate bought the world’s second largest collection in 2004, once owned by the Forbes family.

By now my mental notebook was filling up fast and sometimes it was a tricky balance between concentrating on the visual aspects of exhibitions while also trying to pay attention to the highlights of the information provided by our guides. The most restrictive aspect of all tours, are the always present time restrictions. In retrospect though, it’s high level, full schedule informative travel and certainly worth the money – as long as you try to take in as much as possible, which of course can be quite exhausting!

Moscow Restaurants and Shops

It was late afternoon when our tour of the Kremlin concluded and Elena invited us all for dinner at a restaurant near Ploschadt Revolutsii. Reasonably hungry by then and looking forward to a shot of that famous Russian vodka, this idea sounded like just what we needed to end our jam packed day on a very authentic note!

By Jean-Jacques M

Written on 24.08.06

Moscow City Scene - Square next to Red Square

]]> http://travelosophy.wordpress.com/2006/04/10/visiting-the-kremlin/feed/ 0 Travelosopher Walkway next to The Kremlin Walls Kremlin Walls Tsar Cannon The Tsar Bell Cathedral of the Assumption Moscow Restaurants and Shops Moscow City Scene