CAPE TOWN,

SOUTH AFRICA –

EXCURSION DAY 2

Wednesday, March 26, 2025, 6 AM, Temperature 59 Degrees, Humidity 88%, W – SE @ 3 mph

Bright, shiny morning – Table Mount had thrown back her “blanket” and was exposing herself! Natives here say the mountain has pulled up her blanket when the fog rolls in. We are on an Excursion today and are looking forward to seeing the country outside of the city. First stop Stellenbosch, then on to a winery.

STELLENBOSCH –

Stellenbosch is the second oldest city in South Africa, located 31 miles East of Cape Town. Now it is a bustling university town and a popular tourist attraction. There is a modern Technopark located south of town, three golf courses, and numerous rugby fields – Stellenbosch is renowned for its rugby teams.

The town was founded in 1679 by the Governor of the Cape Colony, Simon van der Stel. He named the town after himself – the name means Stel’s Forest. The town’s economy was based on agriculture. The Dutch, known for their hydraulic engineering skills (remember the harbor they built in Cape Town for Queen Victoria) devised a system of furrows to direct water from the nearby Eerste River into the town. They also diverted water to irrigate their fields. In 1690, Huguenot refugees planted grapes in the valleys around Stellenbosch, and it soon became the center of the South African wine industry. The oak trees for which the town is now known were initially planted to produce wine barrels. Because the trees grew so quickly in the South African climate, the wood was too porous to be used for wine barrels; however, the ones that remained created the lovely, shaded streets for which Stellenbosch is famous. Streets in the old section are lined with many shops, cafes, and restaurants that cater to students and upscale tourists.

Most HAL excursions include a shopping opportunity. We had an hour to shop or eat, but we opted to visit the Stellenbosch Village Museum. The Museum has a small main building featuring artifacts and a video about Stellenbosch's history, but the main attraction is four houses that represent different periods. Cape Dutch architecture of the early period is known for high thatched roofs, thick whitewashed walls, and decorative gables (our guide said the “rule” for determining the age of a home by the gable – early curly, straighter later). The front part of the first house was completed in 1709, about 30 years after the founding of Stellenbosch. The rooms were simple but surprisingly large and spacious. The ceilings were 10+ feet tall, the floors were terra cotta tile, and the rooms were 24 ’ x 24’, much larger than you would expect in a house this old. It even had a real “Dutch Door”, designed to keep the farm animals out but let the sun and fresh air in (although with farm animals, the air might not be too fresh). The second house, built in 1789, retained the large rooms, high ceilings, and tile floors of the first, but with finer furnishings that reflected the style of its wealthy owner. It had a very curly gable! The docent said the high ceilings and tile floors were an attempt to decrease the chance of fire. The third house, which was started in 1782 and remodeled until 1803, is known as a patrician townhouse and reflects the prevailing fashion of the period—no more wide-open spaces and light-filled rooms - with their closed-in, dark, and wallpapered rooms. We preferred the early homes. No time for the fourth house – on to the winery!

BLAAUWKLIPPEN WINERY –

This winery is one of the oldest wine “farms” in Stellenbosch. The land was initially given to Dutchman Garritt Visscher by Simon van de Stel . By 1688, six years later, he had cleared the land and planted 1000 vines. In 1690, he sold the farm to French Huguenot Guillaume Neil, who named the farm De Blaauwe Klippen (meaning "Blue Stones") after the granite found on the property. Unfortunately, some of the oldest buildings on the property, the Manor House (1789), Jonkersuis (1720), and the Cathedral, a popular wedding venue, were destroyed by a fire that jumped over from a neighbor’s property in April 2024. Fortunately, the tasting room, cellar, and deli/restaurant remained. They also cater to families with a children’s play area, farmers market, and art gallery on the weekends. After driving through acres of vineyards, we reached the tasting room – constructed and decorated in old Dutch style – think whitewashed walls, high ceilings, tile floors. We sat at tables of 4-6 and tasted 5 wines: 2 white, 2 red, and 1 after-dinner wine. HAL gave everyone on the wine tours special “dispensation”; we could bring one bottle each back aboard the ship without paying the corkage fee they usually charge for bringing alcohol aboard. I’m not a wine drinker, so I usually evaluate tastings by the crackers they serve; they had a breadstick that left something to be desired. Our tablemates each bought wine but we passed; nothing we sampled was to John’s taste. After a visit to their very nice restrooms (high marks here), it was back on the bus!

CAPE TOWN FILM STUDIO –

We passed the Cape Town Film Studio, where they filmed the Black Sails pirate series. The Guide said they were in the process of making new programs. I hope so; John and I really enjoyed that series. She also said Cape Town is the Hollywood of South Africa. The variety of landscapes in South Africa means they can “pretend” to be almost anywhere, if it doesn’t require snow!

Back on the Zuiderdam after dinner, we sat on our balcony and admired the sunset over Table Mountain. The clouds were rolling in but John was able to catch a cable car as it moved to the summit. If you look very closely, you can see it too. Then we moved to the World Stage where The Tygerberg Children’s Choir entertained us with a wonderful program blending music and rhythms from across the globe. The Choir has performed all over the world for kings and presidents as well as World Cruisers! There was contemporary music as well as traditional South Africans songs and dancing. So much fun to see these young, smiling, enthusiastic young people.