City Lights

Two nights ago I played tourist in my own city.  Although I have lived in the city centre for over fourteen years and travelled up to the top of Table Mountain in the cable car many times, I have never driven along the road below the cable station at twilight and stayed in situ for a few hours to take photographs.  This situation had to be remedied and, together with my daughter, her friend and the trusty chauffeur (my dear husband) we set off with cameras, tripods and all the paraphernalia required for a night time shoot.

The zig-zag road with its hairpin bends clings to the contours of the mountain and the first and only space to pull off provided a chance to take this picture of the city and harbour, with buildings just touched by the setting sun. 

Higher up the view spread out more with the sun now gilding part of the harbour area and the distant hills.

We had to wait some time for parking space but eventually as evening drew in people started to return to their cars and we found a good vantage point.  Below, Devil's Peak swoops down into the city and the distant mountain ranges are swathed in veils of  pink and amethyst.

A last flush of pink of pink light bathes the city in its warm radiance.

The peak on the left of this picture is called Lion's Head while that to the right is called Signal Hill.  As a whole they're supposed to resemble a resting lion.  Lion's Head is a popular but fairly strenuous climb,  the last part of it assisted by ladders and chains sunk into the rock. From what I've seen of my daughter's photographs the view is magnificent.  There is a moonlight climb once a month and from our home we have a clear view of the procession of twinkling lights progressing up the mountain.  The summit of Signal Hill can be reached by car and has an incredible view over Camps Bay, Sea Point and our new 2010 Soccer Stadium in Greenpoint.

As the evening gradually transforms from warm to cool hues, the lights of the city start to flicker on all over the city bowl.

The blue intensifies and now the illuminations on the docks and one of the freeways out of the city are clearly visible.

The remaining vestiges of blue disappear and the landscape sparkles, jewel-like in the velvet darkness.