My weekend in pictures

Unbearably hot weather and the year end tax preparations put paid to our usual weekend jaunts but last Sunday, this was sight that greeted me when I went downstairs to collect the newspapers.  An effort to venture out had to be made so we decided to lay low for most of the day and go down to the V & A Waterfront around five thirty to try and get in a bit of photography.

On the way we noticed a couple of blondes jogging along the beach ...

... and a little girl dancing for joy in the waves

The Waterfront is a working harbour so apart from the usual shipping activity, there's always lots a lot going over the weekend.  Crowded restaurants, boat trips around the harbour, checking out the dozens of barking and complaining seals lounging on their special landings; music of every description from small jazz groups, marimba bands and traditional dancers there's plenty of space and benches on which to sit under the green trees dotting the paved surfaces.  Sunbathing on the quay is popular ...

... little kids get their faces painted ...

... while their parents enjoy sundowners.

... and tugs bustle about, herding the large ships into berths so snug, you can only marvel at the skill of the pilots. A huge hospital ship drew up along the wharf, its decks full of ambulances, jeeps and equipment necessary for its mission of mercy.

Did you know that South Africa has four Nobel Peace Prize Winners ?  From left to right they are Chief Albert Luthuli, our beloved "Arch" (Archbishop Desmond Tutu), ex-President F W de Klerk and that South African (and world) icon, ex-President Nelson Mandela.

The seagulls kept a watching brief on the crowds below. Incidentally this photo is also one of my own but I post under a different name on Instagram.

 While the U S Army Brass Band played a selection of catchy numbers in the Amphitheatre, a portrait artist worked on commissions, oblivious to the comments of helpful onlookers

Also in a world of their own, this young couple huddled on a bench in the golden sunshine seemed to have important matters to discuss.

The pedestrian bridge over part of the harbour swung open to allow the impatient hordes to cross over to another part of the Waterfront, where the ferry leaves to take visitors over to Robben Island.

... and then closed to allow an elegant boat to glide to its mooring in the yacht basin.

We walked past this diner with a lone patron chatting up the girl behind the counter ...

... and long queues of people waiting to buy icecreams, while little kids fretted over the important choices to be made

Our visit ended with an early supper at the Cape Town Fish Market.  Sushi and crisp white wine - the perfect choice for a harbour visit.