MARIETTE'S BACK TO BASICS: December 2017

Saturday, December 30, 2017

Part XI - Rhodes Memorial on Devil's Peak in Cape Town, S.A.

WISHING ALL READERS A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

On that memorable sightseeing tour with Graham H. Boonzaaier, Sunday, November 24 of 1985, we also went to Rhodes Memorial on Devil's Peak, Western Cape for a stunning panoramic view!

Beautiful statue of Cecil John Rhodes on his horse.
Built after a Greek temple.

We did see Groote Schuur where the world's 1st heart transplant got done in 1967 (see mention in previous post below) and from there to Rhodes Memorial.
For link to this map: Rhodes Memorial click it.

Beautiful view from Rhodes Memorial. Pieter is seated on the stone edging and Mr. Graham H. Boonzaaier to the right with his wife Patricia.

Great views from up high on Devil's Peak with the ocean to the left, above those trees but photo is too hazy...

View from Rhodes Memorial over Cape Town area.

Cape Town post card

CAPE TOWN

(from left to right): Rhodes Memorial near Groote Schuur - Official residence of the State President - The University of Cape Town - Groot Constantia, former home of Governor Simon van der Stel. Centre: Mostert's Mill on De Waal Drive

Thank you for your visit and stay tuned for Part XII

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Part X - Cape Town, South Africa

In my previous post, see links below at the bottom, I did mention that we both got picked up by our extraordinary host and tour guide, Mr. Graham H. Boonzaaier.
Sunday, November 24 of 1985...

First we visited his BLAAUWKLIPPEN Homestead and picked up his wife Patricia.

Off we went in his Rolls Royce, exploring the CAPE!

Pieter and I in front of Mr. Graham H. Boonzaaier's Rolls Royce in front of Harbour Cafe (to the right) at Mouille Point, Cape Town.
Harbour Cafe (click the above link) was the 1st Cape Town Harbour restaurant.

Here we go for lunch together.

Still remember that we ate the best crayfish (rock lobster or spiny lobster) ever!

Harbour Cafe in the sixties - Cape Town photos (link).

Harbour Cafe - Cape Town photos (link).

Now we are going from MOUILLE POINT at the top left, to 181 Longmarket Street (hospital) where the red dot is.

Husband Pieter always would climb up somewhere for getting a spectacular photo.
Just behind the ending of the brown rocks, you can see Christiaan Barnard Memorial which was in 1985 still called City Park Hospital, as seen when enlarged.

Pieter did walk all the way back for getting a fabulous view of Table Mountain with its clouds, like a 'Tablecloth' often draping around.
The City Park Hospital is right above the 3rd lantern, starting out from the right.

This was later called Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital
The entire world knew about this South African heart surgeon's 1st heart transplant in 1967!
Performed at the Groote Schuur Hospital where we have been but no photo...

Top left, near brown rocks is where Pieter took the above photos and the red dot shows where the former hospital was. We were riding on Strand St.

Strand St. ends into Newmarket St. and we're going to the red dot where Castle of Good Hope is located.

Castle of Good Hope bastion Leerdam (on wall to the right of center palm tree) with Devils Peak in the background.

Castle of Good Hope and Devils Peak to the left with part of Table Mountain on the right.

From a picture post card with a perfect Table Mountain view on a clear day - no tablecloth (clouds).

Driving now through Tygerberg Nature Reserve

Through Tyberberg Nature Reserve to Bloubergstrand for a stunning Table View...

Also Robben Island was visible from there.

Table Mountain with Lions Head as seen from Bloubergstrand.

Thank you for your visit and stay tuned for Part XI

Friday, December 22, 2017

Part IX - BLAAUWKLIPPEN Homestead in Stellenbosch, South Africa

Wishing all my readers a Merry Christmas!

On Sunday, November 24 of 1985, we were picked up at 10:00 from our Lanzerac Hotel in Stellenbosch. It was Mr. Graham H. Boonzaaier with his Rolls Royce. First he took us to his historic BLAAUWKLIPPEN HOMESTEAD 1789.

Now it is the world famous wine estate BLAAUWKLIPPEN ←just click this hyperlink.

Here, husband Pieter is leaning over the half Dutch door of BLAAUWKLIPPEN

This photo I took of Pieter, standing in front of Mr. Graham H. Boonzaaier's Rolls Royce.

To the left is Mr. Boonzaaier's wife Patricia and their little daughter Libby and Mr. Graham H. Boonzaaier is in the center.

He toured us around Cape Town that day, will show that next!

We owe this gentleman a lot of gratitude as he gave us one of the most memorable tours of our lives!

He was a thinker and a visionary who did work very hard to restore this fine homestead to its 18th century looks.

Here is an extensive Pdf about the history from the beginning. BLAAUWKLIPPEN ←just click it.

DE BLAAUWE KLIPPEN is Afrikaans, derived from Dutch.

Sadly, Mr. Graham H. Boonzaaier has passed away...

Don't know where Patricia or any of his children are. Maybe some of my readers do know?!

BLAAUWKLIPPEN's elaborate gables c. 1890

On Page 27 of this Pdf there are early 1978 photos being shown, courtesy Mr. Graham H. Boonzaaier.

Mr. Graham H. Boonzaaier shown next to the omnibus, with which visitors are taken on an enchanting ride of the farm.

It also reads: A special word of thanks to Mr. Graham Boonzaaier, who though not well, walked the farm once with me and supplied valuable information on how the buildings were developed during his tenure (1972-1999).

Page 75 shows a photograph of c. 1915 with the huge oak trees in front of the farmstead.

Page 84 mentions FIG 43 During Boonzaaier's ownership, the amount of land put under a variety of wine cultivars, expanded greatly (Boonzaaier c. 1982).

Page 85 mentions in the lower section: With great enthusiasm and a passion for quality and antiques, investor, thinker and visionary Boonzaaier set out to transform DBK (De Blaauwe Klippen) to recapture its proud traditions and heritage. Within a decade he upgraded DBK to one of the premier destinations for tourists to the Western Cape and Stellenbosch. Attractions included the winemaking process and cellar tours, the cheese factory, a museum of Cape country treasures, a deli restaurant, and an old carriage collection par excellence.

Page 87 mentions in the bottom section: By the late 1990s Boonzaaier's health was a major reason for selling the estate to Blaauwklippen Estates.

Page 88 shows the Blaauwklippen Homestead 1789

On page 90 at the top it reads: In June 1979 the lower part of the façade wall above the stoop was stripped (courtesy Graham Boonzaaier).

The other part shows the sash-windows (Room C) from the above drawing with rooms being alphabetized.

Page 91 shows the façade.

Page 92 with some more info about the previous façade.

Hope you enjoyed this piece of history in Stellenbosch.

Stay tuned for more about Cape Town in Part X

Monday, December 18, 2017

Part VIII - Stellenbosch, S.A. with its Cape Dutch Architecture

Though it was late afternoon upon arrival on Saturday, November 23, we took a taxi from our Lanzerac Hotel and went to the beautiful town of Stellenbosch with its Cape Town Architecture.

Come along with us...

This is the Rhenish Mission Church, The Braak, Stellenbosch.

Date built 1823, Front Wing 1840, just click on link for more info about this Cape Dutch style building.

This is the top photo that I used in the news paper: My South Africa Publication... see below post.

St. Mary's Anglican Church, The Braak, Stellenbosch (click hyperlink for more info).
Again a Jacaranda tree is seen in front of this Church.
Oak trees line the streets in Stellenbosch.