Flower Power

Archived Newsletters - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 November 2005 December 2005

Greeting fellow discoverers. Well, after the last two adventures I sent you on, I've received many emails with a similar theme. "Oh great Caped Discoverer" the email will read, "the last two activities have taken a lot out of us, any chance of something a little more relaxing?"

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

Fear not friends, as usual, I have the answer. For those discoverers looking for some relaxation, look no further than a little place I like to call the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. Yes, I'm sure many of you have heard of these dainty gardens, found ironically enough, in Kirstenbosch. It's the perfect place to go and unwind on a Sunday afternoon, especially if you hate your job and the thought of the impending week depresses you. At the gardens you will find many young couples frolicking about on the lawns as only young couples will do. You will find little kids running around aimlessly, as only little kids will do, and you will find flowers - many, many types of flowers. Yes discoverers, no prizes for guessing that Kirstenbosch has an abundance of beautiful flora for you marvel at. Besides the amazing plant life on offer there are normally a diverse range of activities taking place. There are regular workshops for garden fundis, where experts will show you the do's and don'ts of cultivating a beautiful garden. "Don't they just need water?" I hear you ask. Amazingly enough, no, there is more to it than that.

Live Shows

There are also numerous live shows and concerts around the gardens, which can liven up an otherwise dull evening. These performers are normally unknown tribute singers or faded stars from yesteryear but I have it in on good authority that a certain Josh Groban (not my mate Joshua Groban who lives two houses down from me but the American singer) will be performing at the Gardens in December this year.

So if you're a Josh fan, or just get your kicks being around famous people, this is no doubt an event not be missed. A ticket to the show will knock you back at R340, which is standard fare for an international act. If you find the ticket price steep you can always get into the gardens during the day, find a dense bush to creep under, and hide there for a few hours until the concert starts. Hey presto, your trusty Caped Discoverer comes through for you again! Getting into the gardens on a normal day will cost you R20 if you're an adult, R10 if you're a student and I'm assuming it's free if you're a little kid. They also run specials regularly so prices will fluctuate from time to time.

Ideal Venue For a Romantic Picnic

It's a wonderful place to be romantic with that significant other, a cozy picnic is always a nice idea on a warm afternoon, as is a long, relaxing walk. There is also a restaurant available, but it tends to be quite busy, so booking beforehand is essential.

Besides all these things to do, there are also regular flower demonstrations, art exhibitions and tours. The gardens also make up another World Heritage Site, which is quite amazing, we must have about a hundred World Heritage Sites in South Africa alone... No, I'm clearly exaggerating, we actually have six but it's still pretty impressive isn't it?

So there you go, another fun day's events for the discernable discoverer. If you're a bit of an anorak, and can name all the flowers by their Latin names, you should probably bring a camera along and take a few snaps for posterity. If you plan on visiting the gardens this month, may I also suggest purchasing hay fever tablets, the Spring pollen can be a real killer on the sinuses (assuming you do in fact, suffer from hay fever) If not, have a relaxing, stimulating day of fun and be sure to keep the compliments coming this way. Till next month then.

Signing off.
The Caped Discoverer

 

Subscribe to the Newsletter

To subscribe just enter your name and a current email address and you'll be added automatically.

Name:
Email Address:

There is so much to see and do around Cape Town and there's always something new and interesting happening. Discover The Cape issues a regular newsletter which is packed with useful travel information, humorous commentary, local news, events and special offers. Subscription to the newsletter is free, your privacy is guaranteed and you can easily unsubscribe at any time.

To unsubscribe, simply send an email to list@discoverthecape.com with the  word "unsubscribe" in the subject line.