Hiking and Biking

Ever have those days where you think, that was a pretty perfect day?
I seem to be having lots of them and all so varied at the same time!

I joined my friends Ali and her family for the weekend last weekend at her parents' place up the east coast in Kleinmound. We went on Friday night so as to get the most out of Saturday there...it was fantastic! We went for a hike up to a waterfall in Leopard's Kloof in the morning, with beautiful scenery, cold water, and fun ladders to climb up, then stopped in the gardens for a coffee on the way back. Then after a lovely lunch of pitta bread and yummy fillings, we went for a walk along the coast, saw whales jumping and swimming. Then we hired a little row boat and went out on the lagoon. Then a braai in the evening...







Another pretty perfect day was Tuesday when my friend Ali managed to get a day off work and we set off in the morning for a bike ride. We stopped in for breakfast at a lovely cafe (well, if you are going to cycle all day then you can definitely have a chocolate croissant for breakfast, right?!). It was a beautiful day, completely blue sky, and not too windy. We set off from hers in Muizenburg, up through Constantia (wine country - and no, we didn't stop for wine tasting as we thought we might not make it otherwise!), up a HUGE long hill and then down (yey!) into Hout Bay. We stopped in at a pottery place and a tea bag place that makes cards and other things from used tea bags - a township supporting project. Then up the long hill to Chapman's Peak with the most beautiful view over the ocean. Then down to Nordhoek for a spot of lunch and into Fish hoek. The wind had picked up by this point and it was just HARD WORK and felt like putting up my hand and asking "Can I go home now?" There were no nice views to distract me from my pain in my knees and my bottom (very hard boy seat not really made any less painful by the padded cycling shorts). I had been thinking that I was a lot more unfit than my friend until I switched bikes with her and realised that in fact the bike was just quite uncomfortable and I was able to speed along and chat up hills just like she had been doing!!! So the last bit on the other bike, along the coast back in Muizenburg was lovely and there is a path that is RIGHT on the coast back from Kalk Bay to Muizenburg - awesome! :)







Then after picking up her girls from school and having some time with them, I got the train back to Rondebosch to join my family and celebrate David's birthday. Now was not the time to think about not having any wine for the first day since arriving in Cape Town!!!