Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and it touches me every time I visit. Mysterious Cape fog is back draping itself over Table Mountain, so yesterday was a great day to re-explore the peaceful, calming gardens.
It’s hard to say which Kirstenbosch delight is best – forested areas, fynbos gardens, hiking trails, dramatic mountain views, exotic birds, gourmet restaurants, Mambo Shona stone sculptures, or the gallery of talented South African artists. It’s a big dose of beautiful!!
Kirstenbosch Art Gallery
I visited the art gallery and especially liked the landscape paintings of James Yates. The exhibition – Professional Cape Artists – features sculpture, paintings, and ceramics of local masters. The exhibition is on display between 16th February and 11th March.
A few other artists include Bill McGill, Lionel Smit, and Tony Butler. It was too much trying to sort names with each piece. I took the curator’s card.
I hiked a close-in trail, had a lingering lunch, and enjoyed the stone sculptures perfectly placed throughout the grounds. Families were relaxing and picnicking on a lush carpet of grass.
Table Mountain Aquifer
Kirstenbosch’s water shortage isn’t as dire as Cape Town’s. Its irrigation flows from a different source – surface runoff and streams in Table Mountain’s Nursery Ravine, Window Gorge, a roped rock climb.
Chemicals aren’t used in Kirstenbosch’s drinking water. The water is “extracted from boreholes that tap deep into the Table Mountain Aquifer 200 ft. below ground level”. Drinking water from the aquifer is of “such high quality it could be bottled”!
Capetonians take the drought very seriously. It was nice drinking fresh spring water, washing my hands, and flushing the toilet without feeling guilty. Most public toilets in Cape Town have hand sanitizer dispensers. Sink water is turned off.
This trip I’m exploring Claremont – a leafy suburban neighborhood six miles south of Cape Town. Although nothing beats the energy and excitement of Cape Town, I wanted to experience a new area.
My B&B is between Claremont and Rondebosch, both growing suburban areas surrounded by spectacular natural beauty and Cape Dutch architecture. The University of Cape Town is nearby. It’s a major change from the city chaos in Maputo!
It looks wonderful. I like all the artworks and sculptures, and of course, the architecture!
Such beautiful artwork and the sculptures look wonderful in such a setting. Good to catch up and see another incredible botanical garden.