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The Mother City

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“People always seem to have time for brunch in Cape Town.”

That was the answer I gave to a journalist who asked what I thought was the main difference between Cape Town and Johannesburg. I could have mentioned the climate, the spectacular scenery, or even the inclination to uphold (Cape Town) or ignore (Johannesburg) traffic laws, but I chose brunch.

I hadn’t visited Cape Town since the launch of my first novel in 2006. That time, I mainly attended events and explored the city with fellow authors from Johannesburg who were keen to give me a full tour of Cape Town’s kaleidoscopic nightlife, ranging from salsa clubs and poetry hotspots to quayside restaurants and pool halls. That was a fabulous experience that reopened my eyes to the country of my youth.


Table Mountain from Bloubergstrand (Anton LeRoux-Marx)

After my book tour in 2006, I began writing a blog on a South African literary website, which put me in touch with a large group of South African authors, poets and other bookish folk. I had met some of these people over the years, because I visit Johannesburg regularly to see my family. But I hadn’t met the Cape Town set before this most recent trip. This explains why there was a whole lot of brunching and cocktailing and dinnering going on while I was there. It was an overwhelming experience, partly because my friend and editor Helen Moffett had taken it upon herself to arrange a two-page social itinerary alongside my other work and promotional commitments.

Fortunately, I kept a record of my observations and experiences, and I would like share some of them here. The first set describes my visit to Noordhoek, a lovely village just south of Cape Town, where I stayed with author Sarah Lotz, who is also a collector of stray dogs and cats.

The house lies snuggled into the back of the mountain like a crooked dog in a comfortable, tree-lined basket.

With names like Kanga, Charlie and Teddy, the crooked dogs are assured of eternal youth but not immortality.

The vineyard is squared and slotted in verdant geometry into the jagged jigsaw of the mountainside.

The bedroom’s rondavelled roof spirals skywards like a reed pyramid promising boundless African feng shui.

I also spent a day talking and walking in the centre of Cape Town with poet Rustum Kozain, who has kindly allowed me to include some of his own observations of his hometown, which vividly capture its colour and dynamism.

The wakes and slipstreams of pedestrians: sweat, shampoo, rich perfume, the sharp nicotine of a cigarette nipped.

A father slaps his son’s shoulder for crossing into traffic, excited. The boy sees me looking. I cannot bear his shame.

From the corner mosque, carpets on the streets, men in suits, jeans, robes, kaftans shake hands – an African Muslim allsorts of sorts.

I realise that I actually need five or six blogs to capture the sheer awesomeness of my visit. However, I hope I have done enough to convince you that South Africa’s Mother City is well worth a visit, and that you might be tempted to share your favourite Cape Town experience as a comment below.

(Photographer Anton LeRoux-Marx is also working on an intriguing “Retropresent” series in which he combines old and new photos of Cape Town.)


Shikaakwa, al-Qāhira and Guichéng?

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What do these three have in common? Any ideas?

Here’s a hint: they are NOT the secret ingredients of an international stew served at United Nations banquets. Shikaakwa, al-Qāhira and Guichéng are the original names of cities that start with the letter C in English.

Welcome to Part III of my alphabetical series on the origins of city names, in which I provide readers with a handy overview based on (possibly inaccurate) information copied from all corners of the web.

I’m proud to say that I’ve visited four of the cities on the list (Cardiff, Cape Town, Chicago and Copenhagen), and that I’ve previously blogged about no fewer than five of them (Calgary, Cape Town, Chicago, Copenhagen and Curacao). Hooray for me! I’ll be limiting myself to KLM destinations starting with C, but if you live in some other C-town, I look forward to reading about the origins of your city’s name. Here goes:

Cairo: One source says the Egyptian capital’s name derives from the Arabic “al-Qāhira”, which means “The Vanquisher” or “The Conqueror”. Another suggests that the name derives from “khere-ohe” (“place of combat”), referring to a battle between the gods Seth and Horus that is said to have taken place here.

Calgary: This Canadian city was named in 1876 by Colonel James F. Macleod, whose relatives owned a small castle on Calgary Bay on the Isle of Mull, Scotland. Apparently, the name derives either from the Gaelic words “caladh” and “garaidh”, meaning “the haven by the dyke”, or from the Old Scandinavian “Kali” and “geiri”, meaning “Kali’s triangular plot of land”.

Cape Town: This city on the southern tip of Africa was named “Kaapstad” by the first Dutch settlers. It is a town situated near a cape, which means the name will forever remain testimony to the immense lack of creativity of our Dutch forefathers.

Cardiff: The Welsh capital is known locally as “Caerdydd” (previously “Caerdyf”). The name probably refers to the original Roman fort (“caer”) and the river Taff (“dyf”) on which Cardiff Castle stands.

Chengdu: The capital of China’s Sichuan province has had various names and nicknames over the centuries. Chengdu literally means “become the capital” (possibly the work of a very tired civil servant). Fortunately, the city’s nicknames are more colourful: Róngchéng (“The City of Hibiscus”), Jinchéng (“The Brocade City”) and Guichéng (“The Turtle City”).

Chicago:  This American city derives its names from the “stinky onion” plants that were once common along the Chicago River. The Miami-Illinois people referred to these plants as “Shikaakwa”. At least, that’s what the first French settlers heard.

Cologne: This German city owes its name to the original Roman settlement at Köln: “Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium”. Understandably, this was soon abbreviated to colōnia (“colony”), which means we’ve been sprinkling “water from the colonies” (eau de cologne) on ourselves for centuries.

Copenhagen: The Danish capital is actually called “København”, which derives from the Danish words for merchant (“køber”) and harbour (“havn”). The Danish are clearly on par with the Dutch in adopting a pragmatic approach when naming their cities.

Curacao: This Caribbean island’s name derives from the Portuguese word “curação”, which means “medical cure”. According to my wife, it is indeed a cure-all for the world-weary globetrotter.

So, that wraps up the C-towns. Feel free to add your own below. My son suggested “Colorado” this morning, which just goes to show that he has inherited his father’s talent for geography.

Hike, braai and fly to South Africa

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Valentine’s Day on 14 February is the day of love. But for me there’s nothing more romantic than spending time with my loved ones. On 1 December last year, my husband Camiel and I flew with our two-year-old daughter Hannah to Cape Town, South Africa, for a four-week holiday.

It’s hard to know where to start; South Africa is truly amazing. It has everything to offer, from nature to nice dining and loads of wildlife. We travelled the famous Garden Route along the coast and returned to Cape Town through the heart of the country. We had an amazing hike on Robberg Island. The Dutch settlers named Robberg in around 1778; it literally is a ‘mountain of seals’ too. We hiked the circular route to the Point, which took us five hours. It was a little challenging with Camiel carrying Hannah on his back and me carrying our baby-to-be on board – but it was absolutely worth it! As we walked to the Point, the tip of the Peninsula, a group of seals accompanied us. Even though seals don’t really smell like lavender, seeing them frolicking around in front of us was very special.

Braaivlees
After such a long hike, you really enjoy eating. Although I must admit I don’t need a hike to savour food. As family travellers, we often made a braai – an authentic South African BBQ. This unique word says a lot about South African culture. You can have a braai anytime, anywhere. We saw people braaiing for breakfast, lunch and supper. We saw people braaiing on the beach and next to the motorway. We had quite a few braais of our own, fitting in nicely with the locals. Camiel stood fixated at the fire while I prepared the veggies and salads, probably akin to the first ice-age families.

Wildlife
South Africa is known for its wildlife and although we didn’t spot the big five, we admired our fair share of wildlife at the Addo National Park and the Karoo National Park. The elephants at Addo were especially impressive. When a huge bull looked in our direction after drinking water from the pond, we quickly drove away in our small Toyota rental.

Hannah was most impressed by the dogs at our B&B.

We’d read in the books that the best time to spot animals is early in the morning or late at night. So we decided to arrive at the park at 6 am and even baked pancakes for a picnic the night before. Arriving a bit sleepy at the gate, the guard told us to go to reception to buy tickets. What he did not say was that reception only opens at 7 am, so we had to wait an hour! We ate all our pancakes.

I’ve noticed, after driving around in a game park for a few hours, you keep trying to spot big dangerous animals even after you’ve left. Luckily, there’s not much chance of spotting a lion next to the motorway.

After four weeks of holiday, we flew back to Amsterdam at 23:59 hours on 31 December. Normally, I wouldn’t like taking off with fireworks – but this time it was special to start the New Year in the air. We ended a good 2012 with a wonderful holiday and started 2013 with new, fresh ideas and love for each other. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Marleen Veldhuis’ travel tips:

Culinary freaks:
Wine Estate Jordan in Stellenbosch
King Fisher Seafood Restaurant in Mossel Bay
Make your ownbraai

Tree huggers:
Tsitsikamma National Park
Robberg Nature Reserve

Wildlife lovers:
Whale watching in Hermanus and Tsitsikamma
Elephants at Addo
Smaller beasts in the Karoo

Musical masters painting in perfect unison

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I am a barbarian who knows next to nothing about classical music. Amsterdam boasts one of the world’s greatest orchestras, but I have never seen it perform. I couldn’t tell Beethoven from Mozart or Brahms from Bartok. I didn’t even know that the Koninklijk Concertgebouworkest (Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; RCO) and Het Concertgebouw (Amsterdam’s Concert Hall) were two separate entities.

“You could compare them to KLM and Schiphol,” I was told.

“Yeah, but only if KLM was called Schiphol Airlines,” I thought to myself.

In short, I am supremely unqualified to write this blog. But that has never stopped me in the past. Fortunately, I know enough about music to have a deep respect for classical musicians and the immense skill, care and dedication they display. But the music itself is too formal or intricate for my liking. Or perhaps it’s just that I prefer listening to Radiohead, Johnny Cash and Cat Power.

Similarly, I’m not a huge fan of Dutch masters like Rembrandt, Frans Hals or Vermeer, partly because the content of their paintings doesn’t really appeal to my imagination. And yet I always marvel at the precision with which they depict their chosen subject, the exquisite rendition of light and colour, the superb attention to detail.

In many ways, an orchestra is even more impressive, because you need to get a large group of masters painting in perfect unison, all the players contributing their own shade of light and dark to the music, and you need them to paint the same picture, with the same precision and passion, over and over again, wherever they may be performing.

The great advantage of an orchestra is that, unlike the paintings of the Dutch masters, it travels well. This year the RCO will celebrate its 125th anniversary with a world tour that will see the orchestra visiting Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro, Sydney and 20 other cities around the world. When I asked the PR department whether the orchestra, like rock stars before their concerts, had a rider specifying the needs and wishes of the musicians – blue M&Ms, pink champagne, cigars, shoe polish, a bow-tie press – I was presented with a 335-page book of essays charting the history of the orchestra, as well as a superbly designed photo book, from which I selected the wonderful images illustrating this blog.

As I sat skimming through the essays, looking for tasty titbits of inside information to share with you, it suddenly dawned on me that nothing I could write or show you would ever do justice to the quality of the orchestra or its music. It has to be heard to be believed. Preferably live.

Tickets for RCO’s world tour are selling like hotcakes. The Cape Town concert is already sold out, for example. But there is also some good news, because the orchestra will be performing open-air concerts in São Paulo on 23 June and in Amsterdam on 24 August, where the programme includes Tchaikovsky’s ‘1812 Overture’, conducted by the acclaimed Antonio Pappano.

If you do manage to attend the latter concert on the Prinsengracht, look out for a large, bald man bobbing around in a tiny boat, playing air violin. That’ll be me.

(Click here for a full overview of RCO’s concert dates worldwide.)

Yearning for South Africa

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“Suut Africa,” she would write on the blackboard. Then the stories would come and we would imagine climbing up Table Mountain with her for a picnic, with a spectacular view of Cape Town. Or we would go on safari, marvelling at the speed of the springbok, sniffing a “suikerbossie” (sugarbush) and meeting her friends out in the bush.

In my youth, I was taught by Miss Nieman, a South African lady who worked at an international school in the Netherlands. She was my first encounter with South Africa, which was where Noah’s Ark had run aground after the great flood, she said.

We sang in her language
Every year on her birthday, we would wait in a neat line to welcome her to class and congratulate her. She would bring along delicious African treats and we would sing to her in her own language, Afrikaans. Her love for her homeland was contagious and that was the beginning of the love of a lifetime.

Old school reports
Since those days, South Africa has been a major part of my life. During the film premiere for Out of Africa, I sat in the front row feeling faint from the yearning for Africa and Miss Nieman. I sat glued to the television when Nelson Mandela was freed, and I better understood Miss Nieman’s lessons about apartheid and freedom. I still love her handwritten comments in my old school reports and I cherish the little painting she gave me as a farewell gift.

Homesickness
Thanks to an email from my cousin, all of these colourful memories are flashing back to mind. Along with a generous helping of homesickness for a country where I have no roots, which I have only visited once, but still love deeply. “Heeeelp Morenaaa… I’m flying KLM to South Africa next week to visit family. I’m very nervous. Will you be working then, because you know how afraid I am of flying!!!!” wrote my cousin.

I replied that there’s no need to worry and that I thought it was very brave of her to fly again. Meanwhile, in the back of my mind, I put flowers on the grave of my old teacher, who lies buried in the land of her birth, and I thank her for all those beautiful inspiring moments.

In the words of Miss Nieman: “Suut Africa: Inspiring New Ways” and “A land that will live in your heart forever.”

With LAV,
Morena

Working With Wings of Support in Cape Town

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“Will you be tasting wine or chilling by the pool when you are done working?” asks a passenger. We’re on our way to Cape Town, South Africa. “Not this time,” I reply. I feel my chest puffing up with pride and my voice dropping a few octaves as I add: “I’ll be doing some renovations for Wings of Support.”

“DIY? You? I hope you come home with all ten fingers!” – that was one of the more enthusiastic responses I got when I shared my plans with family and friends. Much like the passenger, they too wanted to know what I was going to do.

The answer proves to be: mixing cement to anchor a pole for a canopy at a little school. I’ve never done this before, but it certainly makes a nice change from flight safety demonstrations and serving meals.

WoS blogbeeld5

Schools, orphanages and clinics

Wings of Support (WoS) is a charity founded by KLM staff, supporting hundreds of projects worldwide, providing schools, orphanages and clinics with funds and goods. WoS was established by a KLM captain in 1998 and has blossomed into an organisation with 80 employees, hundreds of volunteers and thousands of donors. I myself hooked up with the foundation in August 2006, when I first began carrying clothing and goods on my trips to Africa, South America and Asia. Nowadays, I handle communications for WoS.

DIY Trip to Cape Town

DIY trips are a big hit among WoS donors and volunteers. This year no fewer than 140 cabin attendants applied for 30 DIY spots available to them. In addition to these cabin attendants, the project teams include cockpit crew, retired employees and family members. They all pay their own way. And many of them are novices.

WoS blogbeeld6

Painting, welding and woodwork

We’re all wondering whether we have the required skills to get the job done. But we needn’t worry because there’s a lot of paintwork to be done – outer walls, decks and gates. Or we can help with the cleaning or assist with minor repairs, like fixing beds and toys. And then there are the real handymen and women who can weld goalposts, make cupboards or fix the plumbing.

And me? I just mix my cement and put up the pole, together with a colleague who I’ve only known for a couple of hours. When we’re finished, I grab my camera and make photos of the other members of the DIY Team. As we chat, I discover they’re from Engineering & Maintenance, Cargo, IT, Operations Control and Ground Services. They’re not the kind of people I meet daily as a cabin attendant, which adds to the fun. The DIY trip and Wings of Support create a mutual bond between us.

WoS blogbeeld2

Happy children

The kids at the orphanage and school are absolutely thrilled when they get the full attention of team members on a break. But who’s entertaining who? At peak hour, more than 50 handymen and women were working away. And many hands make light work – as the proverb goes. By the afternoon, the walls have been whitewashed and decorated with drawings, the vegetable patch is looking good and the entrance has been transformed into a garden by the most creative team members. And we still have the traditional barbecue to look forward to!

In between chores, we play with the kids. During their school break, they get their nails polished and faces painted, they place with streamers and balloons, and they want to see the photos I’ve taken. At the end of the day, my DIY trip is over and I see just how useful this work is. The coordinator sums it up succinctly: “You’ve done six years’ work in six hours. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.” His eyes glisten as he smiles, and many team members also have tears in their eyes. As I take aim with my camera and see the many happy people around me, I am overjoyed to have had this opportunity.

And to those who had any doubts: I typed this blog with all ten fingers.

WoS blogbeeld4

If you want more information or if you’d like to get involved, visit www.wingsofsupport.org.

The post Working With Wings of Support in Cape Town appeared first on KLM Blog.

Globetrotting with Two Toddlers? For a Year?

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We all like to go a little crazy once in a while – let it all hang out, dance on tables, shake your booty. And then there are those who sell their house, take a year’s unpaid leave, and travel the world with their partner and two toddlers. Dream or nightmare? Why not take crazy globetrotting to the next level?

Yes, all this craziness is actually happening to us. The madness begins on 28 June, when the four of us board that big blue bird (KLM, of course!) and set off on the first leg of our world trip. Destination: Cape Town!

But who exactly are we?

Well, there’s the boyfriend, aka Papa, Thaddeus (31, sports physiotherapist and manual therapist, CrossFit coach and physiotherapist instructor). Here he is:

Then there’s Jools (3.5, aka Little Miss Scissorhands, Dollface and The Big Sister) and Pippa (2, aka Steffie Stunt Pilot, Wild Thing and The Little Sister):

And then there’s me! The Momster, Annette. I’m 33 and I teach Dutch at the International School in Amsterdam. I’m also owner of MOMspiration.nl, which is an online community run for and by (wannabe) happy moms. I’m really proud to be the first non-KLM employee to join the KLM Bloggers Team. I’ve been a KLM fan for ages, so this is a huge honour for me, strengthening my bond with the Big Blue Family, almost as if I’m a member. It really is going to be a huge pleasure to take you along on our adventure, which I expect will be quite exciting. Why?

Because we’ll be doing something most people can only dream of…

Travelling the world as a family for a year! And…

Because we’ll be doing something that is a total nightmare (to some people)… Giving up everything in exchange for adventure!

DOur decision to live the dream didn’t just drop out of thin air, of course. We both studied abroad for quite a while, and we had already travelled the world. But we never lost the desire to explore and experience other cultures, even though there are four of us now. In fact, travelling with children makes it all more intense, because it teaches you to see people, animals, vehicles and landscapes through their young eyes. You’re more in the moment, because you experience the colours, shapes, aromas, tastes, sounds and unexpected events together, immediately, intensely. In short, it’s mindfulness to the max!

As is the case with most people, the idea of travelling the world for a year as a family was just a dream, until one crazy Friday in January we took the plunge. We sold the house as well as Thaddeus’ partnership in the physiotherapists collective. I applied for a year’s unpaid leave from the International School and we booked four tickets to Cape Town. Bang! Let’s do this!

Fortunately, it’s not just Thad-the-Dad and I who are rearing to go. Jools and Pippa have constantly been “playing KLM” for the past few months, which includes the flight safety instructions and captain’s announcement. They also keep asking when we’ll be taking off aboard that big blue bird (along with their neatly packed suitcases and carefully selected hand baggage).

We’ve rented in Cape Town for a month, but all other options are still open. Although we do have a WOULD-LOVE-TO-DO-LIST, which includes:

  • Visit projects run by Kinderfonds MAMAS and KLM Wings of Support to see how our donations are supporting worthy causes;
  • Take the time to shoot good photos and get to know our brand-new Canon EOS M5.
  • Do some fun projects for D&A Models in Cape Town.
  • Waddle with penguins on the beach.
  • Go up Table Mountain to enjoy the sunset.

No commitments, just opportunities.

Would you like to join us on our adventure? Follow the @theflyingdutchfamily on Instagram and keep a close eye on the KLM blog for more Sunny-Side-Up Stories.

Love,

Annette

The post Globetrotting with Two Toddlers? For a Year? appeared first on KLM Blog.

6 Things You Need To Know Before Flying To Cape Town

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When travelling to The Mother City for the first time, there are several things that are good to know in advance. Things you may not find in the average travel guide, giving you some idea of what to expect when you reach your destination – a place that prompts love-at-first-sight among many visitors and will hopefully win your heart as well!

1 – Where are the elephants?

That was the first thing our youngest daughter Pippa asked in amazement when we disembarked from the plane in Cape Town. Although we had a good laugh about this, it isn’t really a strange question, because so many visitors to (South) Africa believe they’ll see wild animals roaming all over the place. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), this is not the case.

Kaapstad

The chance of spotting the Big Five (elephant, rhino, leopard, lion and buffalo) anywhere near Cape Town is minimal, and it’s less than zero when you’re waiting at a traffic light in the city centre. There are some game farms in the area, however, including Villiera in Stellenbosch, where you can see giraffe, zebra and various antelope. This place is ideal for (younger) children, because the game drive in an open Jeep is very safe and doesn’t last too long.

Game drives
There are various options for game drives along the Garden Route, running along South Africa’s south coast. The Garden Route Game Lodge near Albertinia offers a malaria-free alternative for spotting the Big Five, but this is almost a four-hour drive from Cape Town. And you’ll have to go even further if you’re looking for something truly adventurous (and malaria-free). We really enjoyed the Madikwe Game Reserve just north of Johannesburg, which is less touristic than the famous Kruger Park and therefore offers a more exclusive atmosphere. But again, this is nearly 1,500 kilometres from Cape Town.

Kaapstad Safari

In Madikwe, tourists aren’t allowed to go exploring in their own cars, making it more quiet and safe. We found the Madikwe Safari Lodge especially charming, because it had that classic African bush atmosphere that you won’t find anywhere near Cape Town.

2 – City of contrasts

Mountain and ocean, cityscape and landscape – Cape Town is a city of many contrasts. The biggest of all is between rich and poor. Driving to the city from the airport, you pass through shanty towns and townships, as well as leafy suburbs with luxurious villas. At the traffic lights, people in rags beg at the windows of flashy cars. And you’ll see people waiting for leftovers at the kitchen doors of expensive restaurants. This too is Cape Town. A city of great contrasts.

3 – Which districts get a thumbs-up?

Cape Town is divided into so many different districts, it can be difficult to decide what will be fun for whom. Here’s a rundown of our favourites:

City Bowl/V&A Waterfront = Cape Town for beginner. Completely touristic and very modern, but the atmosphere is very pleasant. There’s lots to do for all ages, which means you can spend a couple of days just exploring this area. Our favourite spots were Vovo Telo and the Food Market (for meals), Watershed (to shop for local products) and the Two Oceans Aquarium (to learn and play).

Extra Tip: If you want to take a trip out to Robben Island, make sure you book your tickets well in advance.

Kaapstad

Green Point/Sea Point/Mouille Point = The perfect place to discover Cape Town and it surrounds. And again there’s plenty to do! Green Point Park is great for walks, coffee at The Tea House, letting kids roam free in playgrounds, and there are fascinating lessons to be learned on local flora and fauna in the Botanical Gardens.

You definitely need to take a walk or run along the Sea Point Promenade. On the way, you can stop to have a breather and enjoy the view or make use of the outdoor exercise equipment. The area is bustling with sporting, energetic Capetonians. An absolute delight!

Extra Tip: Have a cappuccino and sandwich at Giovanni’s in Green Point. Delicious!

Gardens = Hip & Happening. The place if full of fun coffee bars and breakfast nooks, such as Beleza and The Power & The Glory. Kloof Street is a great place to spend some time. If you’re staying at the More Quarters Hotel or Cape Cadogan, this whole district is within easy reach. Have a glorious dinner at Cafe Paradiso (I loved the gnocchi and the kids can make their own pizza and biscuits) or head over to Manna Epicure.

Camps Bay = A rather elegant suburb, frequented by those who love sand and sea. The beach offers a wide array of delights. A 360-degree turn gives you views of the Atlantic Ocean, the 12 Apostles, Table Mountain and Lion’s Head, and a rather lovely row of good restaurants and cocktail bars.

Bo Kaap =  This is one of the city’s oldest neighbourhoods and certainly worth a walking visit. Bo Kaap is best known for its colourful, flat-roofed houses and rich history. You can book a tour or do your own exploring.

Kaapstad

Extra tip: Start with fresh juices at Cafe Batavia at 114 Church Street and zigzag through the steep streets with the colourful houses, ending your walk at Haas Coffee at 19 Buitenkant Street, right near the Castle of Good Hope, which may be of interest to you.

4 – Better safe than sorry

The districts mentioned above aren’t very risky during the day. You may feel a little uncomfortable if you’re approached by people begging from tourists, but there is no pressure to give if you don’t want to. Don’t flash your valuables around unnecessarily and keep an eye on your bags, but the same goes for any big city in the world. During our six months in South Africa, we never felt unsafe and we heard the same from all the other tourists we met.

If you’re heading out at night and you don’t have your own rental car, it’s advisable to take an Uber or a taxi.

Extra tip: Don’t leave anything in the car. You may not have any valuables in that bag you left on the back seat, but desperate people don’t know that and may risk breaking into your car for a couple of rand.

5 – Big City = Busy Roads

Always check carefully how much time you’ll need to get from one place to another. Then add a lot more time, especially if you’re travelling between 8 and 10 in the morning and between 15.30 and 18.30, because there’s a good chance you’ll get stuck in slow-moving traffic, especially on the highways.

6 – Four seasons in one day

For us, the big question at the start of every day was: long pants or shorts? T-shirt or sweater? Slippers or sneakers? You never know in Cape Town! The winter can feel like summer, and the summer can feel like winter. The weather can be beautiful on one side of Table Mountain and chilly on the other. We eventually learned to wear layers you can take off and put on easily, or we took along an extra change of clothing.

Kaapstad

Extra Tip 1: It’s often freezing cold on top of Table Mountain. Be prepared for this if you go up by cableway or on foot. And make sure you book your tickets for the trip online. That saves you a lot of waiting.

Extra Tip 2: Don’t forget that the seasons in South Africa are exactly opposed to the seasons in Europe. Summer starts in December and autumn starts in March. Handy to know when you’re packing your bags. You’d be surprised how many people we met had packed summer clothes when travelling to South Africa in July! Bad decision! Then again, it’s an excellent excuse for a shopping spree on the V&A Waterfront.

For more must-see & must-go spots in Cape Town (and surrounds), please follow our exploits on on Instagram: @theflyingdutchfamily.

Want to read more about Cape Town? Check out this edition of our iFly magazine!

Enjoy your trip!
Annette

The post 6 Things You Need To Know Before Flying To Cape Town appeared first on KLM Blog.


How Long Before Cape Town’s Dams Run Dry?

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Imagine turning on the tap, but no water comes out. The dams and reservoirs are dry. You have to find water elsewhere to drink and cook, to wash yourself and your clothing, to flush your toilet. This sounds like an improbable scenario to most Dutch people, unless they’ve temporarily turned off the water for maintenance work in your house or neighbourhood.

An unlimited supply of clean water is something many people take for granted. It’s an everyday commodity that we use every day. We drink, shower, fill the bath (or even a Jacuzzi), flush the toilet and water our garden. We do these things without realising we should be very grateful we have so much water at our disposal. We are unaware that this is a great luxury.

Regrettably, the people of Cape Town are all too familiar with “imaginary” scenario sketched above. South Africa has had very little rain for a long time, causing dam levels to drop further and further. They are now faced with a very serious drought, which has had a major impact on the Western Cape, the province in which Cape Town is located. Recent estimates have warned that drinking water in and around Cape Town will have dried up completely by 13 May 2018. That means not a single drop will come from the tap.

This moment has been referred to as “Day Zero”. To postpone this date for as long as possible, strict rules for water usage have been imposed, with a maximum of 87 litres of water per person per day. That may sound like a lot, but the following figures may help to change your mind:

– In the Netherlands, we use an average 123.8 litres of drinking water per person per day.
– Flushing a toilet = ± 7 litres.
– Taking a shower =  ± 7.8 litres per minute.
– A full bath = ± 120 litres.
– A washing machine =  ± 50 litres per hamper of washing.
– A full dishwasher = ± 17.4 litres; washing by hand = ± 6 litres.

Water shortage

The people of Cape Town have grown accustomed to using water consciously and sparingly. But with the summer holidays looming, the locals are worried that visitors won’t share their conscientious attitude. The aim of this blog is to inform people travelling to Cape Town just how important it is to save water. You can contribute by following these simple rules:

  • “If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.” To be absolutely clear, don’t flush the toilet if you’ve only had a pee, dear people! That saves 7 litres of water every time! Having lived by this rule for six months, it was strange to return to the Netherlands and flush the toilet after a “Number 1”. But we do it here at home, because we don’t want the next toilet user to savour the full aroma of our “mellow yellow”. In Cape Town, however, you will be applauded (maybe not literally) for your restraint, because this is the “way to go”. It takes some getting used to, but it soon becomes an everyday matter to NOT do something automatically.
  • You should NOT take a bath. EVER. Just don’t do it. Period.
  • Have a short shower instead. And turn the shower off when you’re putting shampoo in your hair or soaping up your body. This saves many litres of water!
  • Put some water in a cup when you’re brushing your teeth. Use it to rinse your mouth afterwards. Don’t leave the tap running unnecessarily.

Every drop counts, dear people!

This information may also help you understand why swimming pools in Cape Town aren’t being refilled. Fortunately, there are two huge oceans nearby, where you can cool down during the hot summer months. They should remain full for the time being…

On behalf of all Capetonians, thanks for your understanding and cooperation!

Love,
Annette

The post How Long Before Cape Town’s Dams Run Dry? appeared first on KLM Blog.

10 Reasons To Live Abroad At least Once In Your Life

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Before I moved to Cape Town, I had a great life in the Netherlands, but it was always quite predictable. I had a good job as a marketeer for one of the country’s biggest women’s magazines. I had the time of my life whenever I went on holiday. It was always great to get away, to rest and recuperate on the beach, or to go and explore new places.

Taking the plunge

I’d been to Cape Town on holiday and it was one of those places where I’d found the kind of lifestyle that really appealed to me. I spent days walking around on my slippers among the palm trees, enjoying the superb weather, hiking up the most incredible mountains surrounded by the magnificent landscape, surfing on the most beautiful beaches, and eating the freshest and most delicious food. Having spent seven years doing the same job, I often dreamed of living that lifestyle in such a beautiful place on a more permanent basis. Eventually, I decided to take the plunge.

Cape Town

10 phases, 10 reasons

And so I gave up my safe, little life for a new world full of adventure. I moved to Cape Town with my partner in 2016. Your personal growth rate is astonishing when you decide to let go of everything. Here are the ten phases I went through, which are also my ten reasons to live abroad (or at least spend an extended period away from home).

Reason No. 1: It’s a thrill!

It can be tough at first, adjusting to new surroundings, a different culture, new languages and people, a new house, and so on. It takes time to find your feet, but as soon as you take those first baby step outside your comfort zone and you manage to stay on your feet, it really is a thrill!

Cape Town

Reason No. 2: It makes you feel alive!

I firmly believe that you only feel truly alive when you have control over your circumstances. If you’re living abroad and have to make choices – however simple or scary they may be – it gives you a great feeling every time you choose. By choosing consciously, you become more aware of your actions, which really gives you a feeling that you’re awake, that you’re alive! It’s very addictive!

Reason No. 3: You get to know yourself really well!

It may sound obvious, but wherever you may go in the world, you always take yourself along. Are you a patient person? Are you the kind who asks for help sometimes? Or are you more likely to offer help to others? When you live abroad, you need to fend for yourself, which means you really get to know yourself intimately. What I’ve learned is that things often don’t go as planned. The only thing you really control is how you respond to this, how you cope.

Cape Town

Reason No. 4: You learn that you can feel at home somewhere else!

Because you’re now experiencing the country as a local, who has adjusted to the new culture, language and surroundings, you learn that you can feel at home in others places. That’s a wonderful lesson to learn, because it opens up a new world of opportunities.

Reason No. 5: You become less materialistic!

To be brutally honest, back in the Netherlands, I usually spent most of my money on stuff before my salary was deposited. All those lovely goodies can be quite tempting if you work in the magazine industry, but once you live abroad, you seem to become less materialistic. Nowadays, I prefer to save my money for trips and travel – real experiences – rather than buying all the latest stuff.

Cape Town Travelling

Reason No. 6: You live more spontaneously!

It was more difficult to live spontaneously back home, because it always took a lot of planning to see all of my old friends, plus my new friends, plus (former) colleagues, plus family and in-laws. So my schedule was always fully booked. We all do it, even if we find it annoying at times.

Once you arrive in your new country and you’re building a new social circles, it becomes easier to live your life more spontaneously. This is another great reason to try living abroad. It helps you take every day as it comes. What are you in the mood for today? This gives you a sense of freedom!

Reason No. 7: You learn a lot about quality time!

On the downside, you lose a lot of moments with your best friends and family when you choose to live your new and adventurous life. Sometimes you feel a bit selfish for having made the choice, but everyone has to live their life as they choose. Hopefully, everyone else is also following their dreams. When you do chat with one another long-distance, those moments become so much more valuable! And when you return home – even if it’s only for a brief visit – you really choose to spend time with someone. Those hyper-conscious moments of togetherness are the epitome of quality time. That’s what life is all about, in my opinion.

Cape Town

Reason No. 8: You learn what’s important to you!

So you’ve learned that your new hobbies really give you energy; you’ve learned to give yourself more space; you’ve learned that living spontaneously really suits you; and you’re having deeper conversations with family and friends than ever before. In short, being away helps you realise what you find really find important, your values. All of these lessons help you when you have to make new life decisions.

Reason No. 9: You grow as a person!

When you detach yourself from the safety of your home life, you step out of your comfort zone. Things you initially thought would be really scary become an ordinary part of your life and personality. That means you’ve grown as a person.

Reason No. 10: You become more self-confident!

And last but not least, all of these experiences help you grow as a person, which makes you more self-confident. That really is the coolest thing about the whole experience: you learn to believe in yourself. You now know that you can build up a completely new life somewhere else. That’s something no one can ever take away from you. It really gives you a boost you can take back home or use when you take on your next challenge.

Cape Town

I realise these may not be enough reasons to give it a try. I’m aware that everyone has their own dreams, but maybe my experiences have prompted you to reassess your own life. Whatever dream you choose to pursue, you always have to step out of your comfort zone, which means you gain new experiences in a series of phases. My advice is: go for it! You only live once!

You can follow my adventures on Instagram: @marcellemudde. I hope you’ll be back for my next blog!

The post 10 Reasons To Live Abroad At least Once In Your Life appeared first on KLM Blog.

Three Phenomenal Spring Trips

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From the magnificent cherry blossom trees in Japan to the budding greenery of New York’s Central Park: when spring comes, the world always becomes more beautiful. In iFly KLM Magazine’s special Spring Selection, we take you on a journey to a number of fantastic spring destinations!

Spring in New York City

New York City is an amazing place to visit during any season, but spring brings just that little bit more to the table. Central Park is in full bloom and the Mets and Yankees are getting ready for a new baseball season. As the city sheds its frosty winter coat, the bustling streets and wide avenues fill with optimism and spring colours. What’s more, in the city that never sleeps spring brings a season of fantastic events including the flamboyant Easter Parade and swinging Fleet Week. So if you’ve planned a city trip to NYC in springtime, these handy tips are a must-read for you.

The Cape at its best

The Garden Route is one South Africa’s most popular itineraries. And for good reason: the route takes you through historic fishing villages, over hills clad in fynbos and past beautiful lagoons – and all with a view of the deep blue Indian Ocean. What’s more, the mild sea climate guarantees sunshine and pleasant temperatures of around 25°C. The official route runs from Mossel Bay to the Storms River and encompasses around 300 km, although most visitors begin their journey in Cape Town. iFly KLM Magazine shows you the most beautiful stops along the way on this breath-taking route.

The most amazing cherry blossom festivals

For the Japanese, spring doesn’t really start until the beautiful cherry trees blossom. In Japanese culture, the cherry blossom symbolises both the beauty and fleetingness of life: the trees only blossom for two weeks a year. The best time to admire the cherry blossoms in the northern hemisphere is from late March to late April, although the exact flowering time is hard to predict. All the more reason to welcome this spectacular display of natural beauty with exuberant celebrations when the time comes. We’ve compiled a list of the most amazing cherry blossom festivals.

Check out the complete Spring Selection of eight exciting articles here.

About iFly KLM Magazine

iFly KLM Magazine is KLM’s online magazine. For more than six years, we have been inspiring millions of people around the world with remarkable travel stories and surprising tips about new and long-established KLM destinations. Subscribe to iFly so you never miss a thing.

The post Three Phenomenal Spring Trips appeared first on KLM Blog.

Three Phenomenal Spring Trips

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0

From the magnificent cherry blossom trees in Japan to the budding greenery of New York’s Central Park: when spring comes, the world always becomes more beautiful. In iFly KLM Magazine’s special Spring Selection, we take you on a journey to a number of fantastic spring destinations!

Spring in New York City

New York City is an amazing place to visit during any season, but spring brings just that little bit more to the table. Central Park is in full bloom and the Mets and Yankees are getting ready for a new baseball season. As the city sheds its frosty winter coat, the bustling streets and wide avenues fill with optimism and spring colours. What’s more, in the city that never sleeps spring brings a season of fantastic events including the flamboyant Easter Parade and swinging Fleet Week. So if you’ve planned a city trip to NYC in springtime, these handy tips are a must-read for you.

The Cape at its best

The Garden Route is one South Africa’s most popular itineraries. And for good reason: the route takes you through historic fishing villages, over hills clad in fynbos and past beautiful lagoons – and all with a view of the deep blue Indian Ocean. What’s more, the mild sea climate guarantees sunshine and pleasant temperatures of around 25°C. The official route runs from Mossel Bay to the Storms River and encompasses around 300 km, although most visitors begin their journey in Cape Town. iFly KLM Magazine shows you the most beautiful stops along the way on this breath-taking route.

The most amazing cherry blossom festivals

For the Japanese, spring doesn’t really start until the beautiful cherry trees blossom. In Japanese culture, the cherry blossom symbolises both the beauty and fleetingness of life: the trees only blossom for two weeks a year. The best time to admire the cherry blossoms in the northern hemisphere is from late March to late April, although the exact flowering time is hard to predict. All the more reason to welcome this spectacular display of natural beauty with exuberant celebrations when the time comes. We’ve compiled a list of the most amazing cherry blossom festivals.

Check out the complete Spring Selection of eight exciting articles here.

About iFly KLM Magazine

iFly KLM Magazine is KLM’s online magazine. For more than six years, we have been inspiring millions of people around the world with remarkable travel stories and surprising tips about new and long-established KLM destinations. Subscribe to iFly so you never miss a thing.

The post Three Phenomenal Spring Trips appeared first on KLM Blog.

Why Cape Town Is One Of The Best Holiday Destinations

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I’m writing this blog while basking on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Great, I’ve got your attention 😉 I moved to Cape Town two years ago, so I totally stand behind the above title. I’m quite sure I’m not the only person who has fallen completely in love with the city. I’ve seen and experienced for myself that Cape Town is booming. These days, everyone raves about Cape Town as if it has become the new Ibiza or Bali. The number of flights to the Mother City is rising almost exponentially, so I thought it would be interesting to take a look at why it has suddenly been “discovered”.

When I first went to Cape Town in 2010 (and I have to admit, I had absolutely no idea at that point where on earth I was going), there were very few experiences, in terms of safety, about Cape Town and they were rather unfavourable on the whole. And it was – and still is – true that you really need to be on your guard in Cape Town, especially at night. But as long as you stick to the safety rules, take an Uber ride from A to B after dark, never stop on some motorways where this is indicated in big letters, you don’t notice it that much.

Safety

Safety throughout the world – and this includes Europe – has changed. Because it has become less transparent and more unpredictable, the way people perceive safety has changed. In the wake of technological developments and digitisation everyone is interconnected, both economically and socio-culturally. Through social media, people nowadays get a good picture of all the positive aspects of Cape Town and why the city is loved by so many!

More and more people are experiencing and taking the step to head off to Cape Town for a holiday. Let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to… flying from Europe without jetlag and arriving in such a paradise within ± 11.5 hours. On arriving in Cape Town, you instantly come face-to-face with one of the world’s seven new natural wonders: Table Mountain. And then your holiday begins.

TIP for holidaymakers!

The safest way to enjoy a fantastic holiday is to do as the locals do. Get up very early (for the action lovers among us, you could head off hiking or surfing), enjoy a great breakfast, drink a glass of wine in the afternoon or go out for a delicious dinner in the evening, and then you’re just about done to get up early again the next day.

Living the day

Basically, living from day to day during your holiday. I’d focus on that to get the most out of your stay. Or take an Uber to eat out at a restaurant in the evening. Of course, you’ll realise how lucky people are in some cities around the world where you can walk or cycle home after an evening out. But apart from the nights, I feel very safe in Cape Town.

In answer to why I live here now and why it’s such a fantastic holiday destination, my first response is always the same: the sun! It’s gloriously sunny for at least nine months of the year in Cape Town. All cities with hot weather stand out during winter in Europe or on social media, which is no doubt the most common reason for Cape Town’s popularity. Escaping winter for a bit is often reason enough for some people to book a ticket.

Spectacular outdoor life

Once in Cape Town, people are shocked at how close everything is – Table Mountain in the middle of town, flanked by Lion’s Head and Signal Hill. All stunningly beautiful mountains, offering loads of sporting potential for many Capetonians. How about hiking or paragliding? Plenty of the locals hike up mountains for work – how’s that for inspiring?

And how about visiting a few of Cape Town’s countless pristine beaches, from the popular options of Clifton 1,2,3 and 4, to Camps Bay, Llandudno and the unspoiled beaches lining the coast at Cape Point. Then there are the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens close to the Constantia wine area where I’d start my holiday, visiting one of the wineries. Nature takes second place after the sun as another important aspect making Cape Town so popular.

Because everything is located so close, you can hike from one panoramic view to the next. Cape Town offers the most amazing views. Whether you’re soaking up the rays on the beach, peering out across the universe from the top of Table Mountain or from Lion’s Head, or from a stool in the centre town. Life is lived outdoors, just like the locals. I love outdoors!

Restaurants everywhere, and they’re all good
And now for perhaps the most important aspect of all – because let’s face it, you can find sunshine and nature throughout the world. The food in Cape Town, a city known far and wide for its culinary highlights. It boasts a truly fast-moving restaurant scene. New eateries pop up continuously and existing gems open new establishments in other a beautiful areas like the Winelands.

The exchange rate of the Rand is favourable against many other international currencies, making it less expensive to eat out at the best restaurants where chefs can be especially experimental with local products. This is definitely one of the reasons why I have fallen so love with Cape Town. What’s more, of course, don’t overlook the wines.

Just an hour by car takes you to the heart of the Winelands, where you can easily spend an entire day at one of the dozens of wineries. We saw a gap in the market here, because a winery has so much more offer than a wine tasting. My boyfriend and I therefore opened up The Winery, aimed at inspiring people to make a choice.

West coast

Cape Town offers an amazing city life, mountains for hiking, beautiful beaches, good restaurants and an abundance of opportunities for road trips to safari parks or places along the west coast or in Afrikaans the “Wes Kus” where you can eat the best fish, and the list continues. Cape Town is therefore perhaps best described as “The City that has it all”. And the quality of life is incredible.

Reality check

It’s also important to mention that Cape Town is currently suffering from a very serious drought. However, that doesn’t detract from the fact that the tourist industry is of pivotal importance to South Africa. As long as everyone is aware of how much water they use, taking care to have shorter showers and not washing your towels too quickly, for example (and take note of the eyeopener of how much water a person actually uses each day), I can assure you that you will enjoy one of the best holidays of your lifetime.

Follow my adventures on Instagram @marcellemudde. I’ll touch base again with you in my next blog! Have you already read my previous blog? To inspire people to live abroad for a period of time, you can read 10 reasons for daring to take the plunge.

Want to know more about Cape Town? Read our South African edition of our iFly magazine here!

The post Why Cape Town Is One Of The Best Holiday Destinations appeared first on KLM Blog.

First trip to Cape Town? 10 practical tips to make it magic

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A while back I wrote a blog explaining why Cape Town is one of the most beautiful holiday destinations. If you’ve decided to go to Cape Town, I’d like to give you ten tips on how to make your trip easier, safer and more fun!

  1. The safest way to enjoy your holiday is to do as the locals and get up early. If you’re the active type, that’s the best time to hike or surf, or to go out for a leisurely breakfast. Maybe have a glass a wine with your lunch and then go out for dinner in the evening. In short, a Daytime Holiday is what I’d suggest to maximise your enjoyment.
  2. Go out for dinner whenever you can. The food is world class, but inexpensive compared to Europe. And by going out a lot, you also stimulate the local economy and employment.
  3. If you go out for dinner in town, make sure you arrange an Uber to bring you home!
  4. Don’t walk around alone a night, just get yourself an Uber.
  5. If you want to do the right thing, ask the restaurant to put your leftovers in a doggy bag, which you can give to someone out in the street.
  6. If you’re feeling even more generous, many restaurants support StreetSmart, which means they add 30 eurocents to your bill, which is donated to projects for kids living out in the street.
  7. Always make sure you have some coins in your pocket or in the car. If you rent a car and park it out in the street, a street guard (usually wearing a yellow vest) will watch your car and assist with parking. It is customary to tip them ± 5 rand.
  8. Never leave anything lying around in your car. I heard of one case where a car was broken into for an umbrella (!). And it wasn’t even raining. Best to keep everything out of sight.
  9. Don’t stop alongside highways where you’re warned not to. Try to avoid driving in the dark.
  10. Please bear in mind that Cape Town is still experiencing water shortages, but this doesn’t change the fact that tourism is a key industry for South Africa. Use water sparingly. Try taking shorter showers and reusing your towels more often, to avoid unnecessary laundry.

If you follow these tips, you’ll have the holiday of a lifetime!

You’ll find more of my adventures on Instagram: @marcellemudde. See you next time, when I’ll be sharing more cool tips about Cape Town the surrounding area.

 

 

The post First trip to Cape Town? 10 practical tips to make it magic appeared first on KLM Blog.

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