Wednesday--rain--Chapmans Peak and lots of shopping

After my journey to Cape Point I went back to Kalk Bay to have a coffee and wait to hear from my friend Zoey's cousin Cathy.  We had quite the rendevous.  She was running late and suggested we meet on the road to her son's school (who she needed to pick up), so I could follow her there.  Thank goodness for cell phones otherwise this couldn't have transpired.  She told me where on the road she would be and to look for her grey fiat with the red roof.  I love this kind of adventure.  We connected 

  

She collected her son from this most amazing school, Reddam, and we then continued to her home in Noordhoek.  The drive through the mountains was incredible.  

Driving and taking pictures is a bit difficult and slightly dangerous especially on a mountain road I've never been on, but how else was I going to document this.  All of Cape Town is surrounded by the mountains making it one of the most geographically beautiful places I've ever been.  The politics and way of life are another matter all together.  

I arrived at Cathy's home and met three of her four children.  She is an artist and took me to her studio, on the property of her home and showed me some of her work.  She inherited a wine collection and uses the wine as one of her mediums to paint with.  The results are quite good.  I was sorry that I missed her exhibit at the Jewish Museum here, that was taken down just before I arrived. 

When Cathy's husband Steve came home we had a nice home cooked meal.  I appreciate joining in family life while traveling and not just seeing sights and eating out all the time.  

I was a bit nervous to drive back to my hotel in the dark on a mountain road but Cathy made a map for me and it was easy enough.  In only 15 minutes I was safe and sound back in Simon's Town.

My plan was to get up at sunrise and go back to Cape Point but as all well made plans unfold this didn't happen.  I got myself up, packed my stuff, had a coffee and loaded the car.  I studied the map to see what road I would take back to Cape Town.  I was to meet Cathy's sister Balu in the afternoon so I could do some shopping in her store and then check into her guest house.

I choose the mountain route back through Noordhoek and over Chapman's Peak.  The roads are clearly marked and I found you can't really get lost.  My first stop was at Noordhoek beach.  The weather has not been what I thought it would be but the clouds make for interesting texture in the sky.

The wind was howling so driving over the mountain around Chapman's Peak was quite unnerving.  

This scenic road is similar to highway 1 in the Big Sur area where you drive along the cliffs.  However, I've never seen the mountain come over the road like this.  I must say I was glad when I got to the bottom and was on a straighter path.  There was a toll of nearly $4.00 that I needed to pay when I got to the end.  It was worth it.  I just wish the weather had been better. 

The town at the bottom is Hout Bay.  It was raining so hard that I decided I would just go to Emily's house.  I was quite proud of myself for getting myself to Emily's without having to call her.    

With so much rain it was a good day to go shopping. We spent the next few hours at Balu's store.