Still Living in the Constantia Valley

Anyone who has cared to browse through this blog will notice that I last placed a post more than 2 years ago. What happened to the intervening months and years? Do I still live in the Constantia Valley? Am I still in the world of the living?

The answer to the last two questions is quite easy: "yes" and "yes". The answer to the first question is a little more complicated. To help give you some idea of my activities and interests in, around and beyond the Constantia Valley, please visit my twitter account: https://twitter.com/constantiacape

Could a 2014 New Year's resolution include regular contributions to this blog?

Time will tell.

In the meantime, a word of encouragement to this blog: "I'll try to keep you posted".

Chart Farm Re-visited

Yesterday (National Woman's Day here in South Africa), my wife and I re-visited Chart Farm. The weather was magnificent especially considering that it is still pretty well still mid-winter here in Cape Town. We thought we might strike it lucky and be able to pick an early flowering rose or two, but all the bushes had been severely pruned in readiness for growth and flowering during the warmer growing months.The folks at Chart Farm specialise in the rose business and I'm sure their roses will be as magnificent as ever in a few weeks time.

Although this is a view in summer, it was a day just like this.

 So we retreated to The Terrace Coffee Shop. Being a public holiday, the coffee shop was very busy, so we were lucky to get a table at one of the windows overlooking the magnificent Constantia Valley below. There was a bit of a wait to place our order, but the tea and cake were certainly worth the wait. The carrot cake was moist and the icing with nuts was just perfect. The scones were good too. Probably most importantly, the tea was hot and was made with boiling water. So often tea is not made with boiling water so it does not properly infuse.

To visit Chart Farm or The Terrace, you will now unfortunately have to wait until the end of August as the farm is closing for the next few weeks. But that should give just enough time for the first roses to flower.

A Gem of a Church

There is no direct road back onto the freeway and down into the Constantia Valley from Chart Farm. This is just as well, because two delightful routes lead to the valley below. In 5 minutes these roads will get you into the Constantia Valley, but a few more detours and a few more minutes will reveal further surprises.

For example, the photograph below is not taken in some hidden corner of England. This beautiful church resides in a quiet corner of Wynberg, on the edge of The Constantia Valley. Founded in about 1836, St John's is, if not the oldest Anglican Church in Cape Town, certainly one of the oldest.

To get down to St John's Church, retrace your route from Chart Farm, by turning right down Klaasen Road and back to Trovato Link. Continue down the hill by turning right again and just after passing through the traffic lights, turn right into St John's Road. The church soon comes into view.

St John's Church, Wynberg

and another aspect.

Putting Chart Farm on the Map

Constantia Valley with side of Table Mountain in the background

The freeway makes it quick and easy to get down into the Constantia Valley, but please consider this note of warning. Just before the viaduct shown in the post below, the road curves left and and at that point, it is advisable to slow down to the recommended speed of 70km/h. Over the years there have been a number of spectacular accidents at this point, simply because drivers go down the road and take the bend too fast.

If exploring the valley, my recommendation would be to rather take exit "12  WYNBERG" before this section of motorway and then turn right (sign "Wynberg Park"). This road goes under the viaduct instead (following 34 degrees south - see below). Then, turning first left, one come to the narrow road leading to Chart Farm.

At Chart Farm there is a great view over the Constantia Valley and beyond to the Muizenberg and Constantiaberg Mountains framing the valley. Apart from the great views, there is also a tea garden and an opportunity to walk amongst and even pick the roses at this rose farm. For more details and photographs of Chart Farm visit www.travelselection.co.za/chart-farm-wynberg-cape.htm

The road to the Constantia Valley crosses over 34 degrees South.

34 degrees south follows the road underneath the freeway viaduct

After cresting Wynberg Hill on the M3 south from the city, the road crosses over a small valley on the viaduct in the photograph. This viaduct also happens to "cross over" 34 degrees south. This line of latitude is not recognised in any way in Cape Town (not that I know of) and I guess it is really no big deal. After all, its hardly the Equator or the Tropic of Capricorn or the Arctic Circle! But as this line encircles the globe, is does pass through Port Elizabeth and the southern suburbs of Sydney, Australia. In South America it hits landfall just south of Santiago in Chile and heads across the Atlantic back to Cape Town from from just north of Buenos Aires. In an invisible way it is a sort of connection between all these places and everything else in between. You may not see it on the ground, but you could find it in an atlas or locate it on Google Earth. Big deal or no big deal, this "unseen line" goes under the viaduct in the attached photo - more or less at the point where the road passes underneath.

Constantia Valley is for everyone ... if you have time!

M3 freeway with Constantia Valley and Muizenberg Mountain beyond.

I have been involved with the bed and breakfast industry in Cape Town and South Africa for a number of years and one of the most entertaining requests we ever received for accommodation was when a Canadian couple phoned us to say that they had landed at Cape Town Airport that morning and were now phoning us from Cape Point. We assumed that they were looking for accommodation somewhere in Cape Town. "No" they said. "We are in a bit of a hurry and would actually like accommodation in Stellenbosch as we fly out again tomorrow!"

They would probably have driven through the valley on the M3 freeway, but with their super fast travel itinerary they would got from one end to the other in less than 10 minutes and this blog would certainly not have been of any interest to them!

Silver Trees along the M3 on Wynberg Hill

Some travellers have a lot of world to see in a very limited time and at times I have also suffered the disadvantages of high speed itineraries, but at such times we do tend to miss out on some of the interesting detail about places.

For example these fairly rare Silver Trees in the median between the freeway lanes accessing Constantia, could be overlooked. Wynberg Hill is one of the few spots where the Silver Tree grows naturally. This tree is almost entirely confined to the slopes of Table Mountain. There are more silver trees further up the slope on the west side of the feeway. I assume that these trees are growing here naturally, but it is possible that some of them may have been planted.

The silver colour to the leaves is from many fine hairs growing on each leaf. These lie closer to the leaf in very hot weather and thus provide extra protection, but exhibit a more pronounced silver colour. In cooler weather the hairs are more erect, allowing better circulation of air and the leaves look less silver.

Privileged to live in the Constantia Valley.

On a sunny Friday such as today, I feel extra privileged to be able to live and work in the Constantia Valley and hopefully future posts will capture some of the aspects that make this place so special. 

If you look up "Constantia Valley", the chances are you will only find one such valley and that is where I am right now - about fifteen minutes drive from Cape Town, South Africa. The Constantia Valley in this blog encompasses an area which is loosely defined by The Constantiaberg (Constantia Mountain) and part of Table Mountain to the west, Wynberg (wine mountain) Hill to the north, the Muizenberg (named after one Sargeant Muys = "mouse") to the south and to the east by the Cape Town to Simonstown railway line. The better known affluent suburb and wine-growing region of Constantia is but one area within the Constantia Valley.

Both rich and poor, along with associated issues and challenges of wealth and poverty, live in the Constantia Valley. We are extremely fortunate to have mountains, vineyards and greenbelts as "green lungs" for our valley. The waters of the Constantia Valley flow down to the sea at Muizenberg and taking a bit of "poetic" license, this blog does the same.

Having lived in Constantia for many years, it would be great to say that I know all about the valley, but in truth I don't. I plan to explore afresh and share my discoveries, possibly in the way an inquisitive visitor or new resident to the area might do and invite you to join me on this journey as I try to find out "all about the Constantia Valley".