Cape Town happy couple, with bridesmaid...
City centre of Cape Town, there are plenty of things to do on Sundays. One is to walk the walk, Company Gardens, the 500 metres between Wale Street (Taj Cape Town, and St George’s Cathedral) and Orange Street, and the main gate of the Mount Nelson Hotel.
The Gardens were originally set up as a farm supplying ships calling at the Cape of Good Hope. Now it is a pedestrian passage, about 20 feet wide, flanked by museums and galleries and lovely, beautifully-tended gardens.
The gal loves this part of town. It is all so friendly that even the community watch attendants, in dayglo sleeves, walkie-talkies at the ready, give a big smile.
.. the resplendent bride plops down, for her party to be assembled for a group photo
According to Cape Town Magazine, the ten best wedding venues in the city are, in their order, Mount Nelson Hotel, the Tigger 2 ship leaving from V&A Waterfront, Twelve Apostles, Strandloper Seafood Restaurant on Langebaan Beach, Tokai Forest near Constantia, Towerbosch Restaurant on Knorhoek Estate, Groot Vlei Guest House, MolenVliet Wine and Guest House, Harbour House Restaurant at Kalk Bay and, finally Lizewe’s Guest House in Gugulethu.
What the list does not say is that the top place for some locals to be photographed, on The Day, is in the gardens of Company Gardens. Look at them, the lovely lady in white froth that erupts more than shaving foam. Her elevenish-bridesmaids are also in Persil white, their hair done up as Miss World.
Another bride opts for adults bridesmaids, in bright orange
This is my favourite of the wedding couples being photographed today. Finally the bride plonks herself down, to be surrounded by wedding party members, and her bijou husband. I left before they got her up again.
Another wedding nearby was much less interesting, though this one had gone for brightly-coloured frocks for the bridesmaids. Not far away are the Houses of Parliament and the National Library, and the Iziko South African National Gallery and, to show how the whole world is somehow here in Cape Town, the Great Synagogue Holocaust Centre, and the Iziko S.A. Museum, and the Planetarium.
Statue of Jan Smuts
A statue of statesman Jan Smuts looks out over the gardens. But by now you might have had your fill of weddings and Sunday picnickers. Time to head to the nearby shopping streets, Kloof and Long (shops do open Sundays, but not always as long hours as other days of the week).
There is a good list of shops in 2012 Best of Cape Town Central City – I like the sound of Mungo & Jemima, on the corner of Long and Church streets (Kirsty Bannerman and Marian Park-Ross are behind this fashionistas’ boutique, and you can see them and other local designers exhibiting at Cape Town Fashion Week – I was trying to find out more about this and got into a Pan-African fashion site that is just fascinating).
Immaculately manicured palm tree, Mount Nelson
Actually a friend has just given me a fun magazine, Arise, which says it is Africa’s global style & culture magazine from This Day. It seems to be part of a global link of lifestyle publications chaired by Nduka Obaigbena. Must find out more about it.
Oh dear, there is just too much in this life to find out about. A curious mind leads to yet more leads. I divert from thinking about fashion in Nigeria, as covered in Arise, to gazing in admiration at the palm trees in the gorgeous gardens of the Mount Nelson, which will be the host hotel for International Luxury Travel Market Africa (ILTM Africa) next April.
Mount Nelson has hybrid cars for running around town
Perhaps then, too, they will pick me up in one of their Toyota Prius Hybrid Synergy Energy Drive cars, but next time I will be better dressed. On a Sunday and off-duty, the gal can get away with workout gear.
Come ILTM, which is what the International Luxury Travel Markets are called, and she needs to live up to the Arise fashionistas, though without the wedding foam.
