December 2006 SA trip pics

In Taiwan before we went on the trip, James geared up for a real African summer. He didn't really tell me about his expectation of sweat in the Sahara beforehand, I only gathered this from his serious complaints against the mild weather. He decided that it was all a farce, everything he had ever heard about African heat went out the window because he had to wear a windbreaker on most days. I'll ask him to post an entry about his take on it. The first picture captures his complete disgust with the chilly wind blowing. He refused to pose for the picture and started for the car saying," No way, I'm too cold to smile." I laughed my head off at him.
We spent one day driving from Kleinmond to Cape Town and back again via Franschhoek. It was a gorgeous day! The pic of the huge yellow courtyard was taken from inside the old Dutch fort better known as "The Castle" or "Die Kasteel". In the late seventeenth century, the Dutch built it to fortify their new found trading post in South Africa. Cape Town served as a pit stop en route to India and the Far East for ships from Europe. It is currently a museum that walks a visitor through the military history of South Africa with scores of military uniforms on display. We saw Dutch, English and Boer uniforms of different ranks which were exquisitely elaborate in comparison to army uniforms today. I wondered who the seamstresses were who sewed on all those little buttons and sashes.
The first half of this touring day, we were travelling with Heléne, Rolè, Jolè, a friend of Jolè's, Paul and Elene. We then met up with my father and JL at Tokara, the wine estate where we got married. My dad is Paul's hero and Paul is Elene's hero. Paul's only other obsession in life is Lego and Elene loves to snuggle on her mom's lap like a kitten. When he forgets himself, Paul will also join in on the snuggling, but that only lasts as long as there is peace in 'lapland'...which isn't very long!