We went on an urban adventure… to the city center… We may live in Cape Town, well actually about forty minutes drive further south. We are like most Cape Townians: if you don’t work in the city then you never actually go there… So, in keeping with my weekly outing this summer we headed for the City Center. We armed ourselves with good music, a google map and a snack…
We changed a spark plug (note to self: blog a post on car maintenance)… and headed out… Into the Friday morning traffic…
Spirits were high… and excitement rose as we arrived in the city center, with wide intersections and skyscrapers that we normally see from a distance up really “close and personal.”
And here is a truth about Cape Town, nobody goes to the city center because there is no where to park… Unfortunately we picked the same day as the Design Indaba and there was really NO WHERE to park!!!
Heaps of traffic and folks “double park” and otherwise just stop in the road while they go and do whatever they need to do… but really no where to park at all. Eventually I pulled my “I have eight children in this car and we have been driving around this block for an hour…” card. The poor car guard took pity and parked us in a shady spot until a parking spot became available… And can I just say – everyone was still enthusiastic about their outing!!! Once out of our hot, sticky car we were ready to conquer anything!!!
Past the mini-cooper showroom (Hood #1’s favorite car!!!) and BMW… would you look at that cool table in the glass room…forgive us we are from the relative countryside and everything was wonderful and so exciting!!!
And finally we got to our destination: the National Geographic Kids Offices…
How cool is that… Applause Applause!!! If you are local and read the local NGKids Magazine, then just pop your head inside the front cover – all my kids knew her straight away: “That’s Fiona”… Yup, she’s the editor… and she’s great.
She just stopped her workday and took us under her wing, happily interrupted the entire office to show us around and introduce us to everyone… And gleefully accept my kids artistic attempts for an art competition.
But that just wasn’t enough… she then took us to the top of the NASPERS building…22 stories high!!!
22 Stories High… I was happy to stand way back with the camera.
We could see forever…
Not to mention a lot of people battling to find parking spots…
And lunch in a real live cafeteria… and just look at the view of Table Mountain…
And a calamari roll and chips… Eating amongst all sorts of serious journalist looking types. And learning all sorts of interesting facts about National Geographic.
And our whirlwind tour of National Geographic was over and Fiona returned to work and my kids have not stopped talking about the whole event ever since!!!
And then since the Father person works at the top end of town and we never visit him at work and we were actually in the city center… We offered to meet him at Charly’s Bakery – an offer nobody could refuse!!!
Now Charly’s Bakery is Cape Town’s answer to cupcakes…
Everything here is totally to die for… even the sidewalk!!!
So much to look at that no pair of eyes was looking in the same direction…
Shelves and shelves of cakes… you have to love this!!!
And chandeliers…
And look at this one with the tea-cups… love love love it!!!
Treats for everyone…
Even Hood #8…
Who had to provide entertainment for the window shoppers – or was it the other way round!!!
And that was it!!!
Thanks Charly’s Bakery we will definitely be back for more!!!
Go on visit Charly’s Bakery’s website for lots more fun… and some of the most amazing cake stories ever!!!
That’s us!!! Hope you have a fabulous week!!!
What a fabulous outing! I just love the picture of everyone looking in a different direction.
Hi Ruby, Oh tell me!!! So much to see, so little time!!! I don’t think I am going to top this outing for quite a while!!! Hope you have a fabulous day!!!
ohhhhhh Charlie’s Bakery….. YUMMY YUMMY YUM
National Geographic also looks fantastic!!!
What a fabulous outing; it certainly wants one to support National Geographic fpr kids!
Hay Irene – Not a bad outing was it!!! Hope you have a totally brilliant day!!!
Aunty Muffin – I knew you would love it!!! Have a great day… hope you find a cool spot to collapse – it’s already pretty hot!!!
Oh boy! My lot would have loved to go to the NG Kids office. Our magazine is read from cover to cover and back again. Brilliant magazine!
Although I reckon they would have loved the bakery equally. I have this urge to make a tea cup chandelier now. Oh and the cute mosaics.
When you showed the photo in an earlier post, I thought you were off car buying. I reckon NG and cupcakes make a far better outing.
Now that was a fantastic outing!
Hay Cat, it was fantastic!!! Who knows what I am going to do this week for an encore!!!
Hay Cheryl… No car shopping is a little out of our league and with eight little helpers it may not be that much fun!!! Needless to say the outing we went on was a whole lot cooler!!! Our NG Kids mags are so well read that they practically know them by heart!!! I think the expression read to shreds and then saved forever!!! I think I am quite inspired by the chandeliers myself watch this space!!!
What a wonderful day in the city! Yup, to be remembered for a long time. 🙂
Hi Steph, I know it was one of those awesome ones!!! I came away thinking we should venture into the madness more often… so I am doing a little “outing research” and looking for things to do in the city… not an easy place mind you – not exactly brimming with wide open places and patches of green park… a little more “concrete jungle” surrounded by urban sprawl!!!
That bakery looks amazing! Perfect for kiddos.
Hay Katy… It is just wonderful, just the place to go for buckets of inspiration – as well as cupcakes and cookies!!! I came away full of crafty inspiration!!! Hope you are having a fun weekend!!! It is hot hot hot down here!!!