CT #7 - Final Random Pictures

Some final thoughts, random pictures, and facts about Cape Town.

This is the South African Art Gallery.
It is perhaps the one art gallery I haven't visited!
I'm saving it for my next trip to Cape Town. 
Devil's Peak is the mountain in the background

Coming soon to a Mini Cooper store near you: the new Mini Coupe.
In Italian, you would say: carino!

Naturally, lots of Dutch influence in the local architecture.

Who doesn't like a good statue of Queen Victoria?

The Legislature Building, in the Company Gardens.

Hello from Cape Town - this is Cecil Rhodes.
Rhodes founded DeBeers, was a statesman, and was probably gay.

Cape Town has a large stock of Art Deco building, like this one.
The reason is a lot of development took place between 1900 - 1940.
This is the South African Mutual Life Assurance Society building.
It has a lovely carved relief just above the ground floor window,
telling the story of the "founding" of the Cape Colony.

This is Jan Christian Smuts.
I bet he was teased in high school.
Smuts was, for many years, the Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa.
He was also the thought-leader behind the League of Nations, precursor to the UN.

This lovely building is "De Tuynhuys" the President of South Africa's Cape Town office.
His other office is in Pretoria.
South Africa has three capital cities:
Cape Town - legislative captial
Pretoria - Executive captial,
Bloemfontein - judicial capital.

FINAL THOUGHTS:  South Africa in the post-apartheid era is an interesting place: multi-coloured, integrated (to a degree), multi-dimensional with a challenging but interesting history, and a future of its own making.  The challenges are great, but it's evident there's a desire to move forward for the benefit of all South Africans.

Cape Town was a unique and wonderful experience.  South Africa was a place I've always wanted to visit.  Now that I've been, I can't wait to go back and see more!  I am indebted to my friend Karen C and her beau Charles for giving me the opportunity to tick something off my wish list.  Without them, I would never have ventured so far afield.  Thank you Karen and Charles!