Today we visited Durban, the port area is considered unsafe so we took the ship's shuttle to the Sea World park. The park had a ton of shops, restaurants, an aquarium, and other attractions and access to the promenade and the beach.
We had a wonderful walk on the beach, visited the aquarium, enjoyed a delicious lunch and some Sangria before returning to the ship. The beach has some sand artists and the mall area a few buskers and some local folkloric shows. Another wonderful day in Africa.

Happy Easter!
Another lovely sea day! Adrian spent today working on his taxes ughhhh and I spent the day enjoying the sunshine. Not much to report from the ship - they did have a lovely chocolate display and Happy Easter sign!
​I also thought you might like to see our growing magnet collection. We moved them to the inside of our cabin door as some mischievous passengers kept moving them around. Tonight was our 4th welcome cocktail party - hard to believe we've started our fourth leg of the trip. We always enjoy drinking on the ships tab!

Today we arrived in Mossel Bay around 10 am. We had to tender into shore and were very lucky the seas were calm enough. For s change of pace from wine tasting, if not a change of theme, we took a masterclass in gin making!  It was both a chance to make our own gin and a chance to taste the artisanal gin made right here.
So much fun - We were greeted with a gin and tonic and then we each sat at our own station which included our own still. We were presented with three base options, citrus, floral and herbal, and a selection of flavourings to add. Adrian and I chose the herbal base - unique to this distillery and everyone chose 4 flavourings to add from about 18 different options. The choices in flavourings included vanilla, orange, chocolate etc as well as a number of local options, honeybush, boschu, rooibos and more.
Once we chose our base and added our flavourings we added a pouch of spices and of course juniper berries to our still! While our concoctions were getting heated we had a gin tasting. This distillery makes a classic, floral and what they call an oceanic gin. All delicious. They also make their own ceramic gin bottles which are lovely.
Once our gin started to distill, we were instructed to throw away the first 10 ml of the alcohol which is undrinkable and then carry on until our batch was complete. Our completed batch was measured for alcohol content and then diluted with water to reduce it to the maximum allowed which is 43%. Each of us received a bottle and a label of our own too! We got to name our gin - Adrian chose In"gin"eous for his name and I chose Wanderlust.
After our class we had a spectacular lunch in the Cafe Gannet which is part of the distillery which also includes a hotel. The distillery and masterclass were added during Covid as a job creation project and now employs 13 people.
After lunch we returned to ship and our friends Mary and Steve introduced us to another new drink - this one nonalcoholic, thank goodness! Steve taught eh barista onboard how to make an espresso tonic - tall glass filled with ice and tonic water with a shot of espresso poured slowly into it. Always tonic first or it will bubble up and overflow. Lovely and refreshing, a bit bitter from both the espresso and the tonic but with just a touch of sweet from the tonic coming through! A great ending to a wonderful day in Mossel Bay...

Our third day in Cape Town started with coffee and a walk. Very proud we managed to do about 16 km today in and around the port. we walked the boardwalk for as long as we could and then went on to explore the many stores and cafes of this vibrant port. The city even has chairs on it's stairs to accommodate folks who just want to sit!
The oceanside walk was beautiful with a few beaches mixed in with the rugged rocky shoreline. Lots of folks out walking and running and even someone getting a massage. 
Like so many great cities Cape Town has lots of public art to enjoy. We had our picture taken in the Table Mountain frames. There are a number of them throughout the city, perfectly framing the mountain - maybe an idea for Mahone Bay's Three Churches?
The city has two pedestrian draw bridges that are regularly used, and fun to watch, by the many private yachts and tour operators in the area. We went to the Water Shed, a huge building full of African artisans and their wares, such fun. The area is overflowing with restaurants, coffee shops and bars. We had lunch in a Turkish restaurant followed by croissants and coffee in a coffee shop that specializes in decadent desserts - Adrian got me a Dulce de Leche filled version - worth the calories! We got back to the ship with 30 minutes to spare!! Already planning our return trip.

Today we had another wine tour - this one to the Stellenbosch region and booked privately with friends Mary and Steve. Our driver Shane was great and we ended up sharing the tour with another couple from LA, Sarah and Marcus, who we really enjoyed.
The first winery we visited was the Fairview Wine and Cheese. Another beautiful setting, this winery is all about sustainability. They produce both the wine and the cheese they serve in their wine tastings and restaurant.
We had 6 wines at this tasting plus two bonus wines at the end. we left the port at 8:30 am and hadn't had breakfast so I was feeling no pain by the time we finished.
The Fairview also boasts a wonderful shop with their cheeses, vinegars, spreads, meats and cheeses in addition to their wines of course. I had a ton of fun picking out some great snacking foods to take back to the ship - we also bought a couple of cases of wine too!
​Our second winery was the Marianne Wine Estate. We had 6 wines to taste here as well. These tasting included jerked meats - springbok, kudu and beef. Our friend Steve is an artist and we whipped up a watercolour while we were at the winery and gifted it to Markus and Sarah, so kind!
On our return to Cape Town our driver took us into the community of Stellenbosch and we had an ice cream. Really great community that we both agreed we should visit again.
We got back to the ship and unloaded our purchases around 2:30 pm and then headed out for some much needed lunch and to explore Cape Town. The waterfront is beautiful, walkable and filled with restaurants, shops, and art galleries. After wandering through some stores and looking at some art we finally had a yummy lunch of Kingklip fish. The restaurant was across from the lagoon and we had an excellent view to not only people watch we could also watch the seals playing in the water. 
Once we'd had our first real meal of the day at 5 ish we carried on walking the waterfront and eventually ended up on the ferris wheel - perfectly timed for sunset. Spectacular view of Table Mountain, the harbour and the city. Hard to believe we could match yesterday for fun but we sure did! 

What an outstanding first day in Cape Town. Today the around the world passengers were hosted by the cruise ship at the Boschendal Wine Estate. Once we cleared customs all of us boarded buses and headed to Franschhoek, about an hours drive from Cape town.
We were welcomed with local music and then greeted by servers offering our choice of sparkling wine or rose wine. The venue was gorgeous, lovely tables set for lunch, places to sit and lounge and chat in groups, and bars all over the place.
The vineyard itself is beautiful with lovely ponds, walkways and of course the mountains as a backdrop. in addition to providing us with the opportunity to taste some great wines and enjoy fabulous food the trip also hosted a market for us. Each of us received a bracelet entitling us to one item each from the market. The offerings were fabulous: set of three wine corks; local jewellery; 2- pack bottles of wine; art prints, scarves, and beadwork necklaces and wallhangings as well as african animals. What fun we had trying to decide what we wanted - thankfully some items were also available to buy.
​The wine and appetizers were excellent. There was music throughout and we even managed a dance during lunch. It was a fabulous day and first introduction to Cape Town. We were exhausted by the time we returned but I managed to get a picture or two of Cape Town befor eturning in.

Our last sea day before Cape Town! Very excited. Today was another lovely day, sunny and windy. Adrian was a stand in Bridge partner for Bill so I spent the afternoon walking the deck and catching up on yesterday's blog. Tragically the coffee machine in the Horizon's lounge broke down about 4 days ago. Coffee is still available at Baristas - but with only one person making the coffee for everyone it became a bit of a pain. Thankfully today the machine got fixed. 
This afternoon we had a private wine tasting with Steve and Mary. They have a lovely suite and a butler! The tasted three excellent wines which they bought in Uruguay accompanied by lots of appetizers. Steve is an artist and it's so much fun to visit them, his art from this trip is hung up all over their suite. Steve also has a blog https://kotrch.com/ where he's writing about this  trip, complete with illustrations. Above is his illustration of the repair process for the coffee machine. 

You know it's going to be a great day when a seal comes to great you on your way into port! Such a shame I can never get a good picture of them! We arrived in Luderitz at about 10 am - today is a bit warmer than yesterday and the sun looks like it might come out.
We decided to do our own thing today and just walk around the port. Such a difference from the sand dunes in Walvis Bay, still barren but rock not sand. There's a diamond mine nearby and lots of signs of the industry. Big houses on the waterfront and throughout the community. It's Sunday and seems largely deserted on the back streets.
​We walked around the about an hour, visiting the church, walking the backroads and paying to take a peak in a local home which is available for rent and boasted a spectacular stained glass window depicting flamingos. After the church we explored one side of the harbour before deciding it was time for a coffee break. We stopped at a lovely local cafe for a Cappucino and some carrot cake. Then we carried on our exploration to the other side of the harbour, doubling back to have lunch at the Portuguese Fisherman restaurant where we indulged in some local Kingklip fish, pan fried in garlic butter, yummy!
After lunch we went onto explore Shark Island. Shark Island got its name in the war when the Germans used it as a concentration camp, forcing prisoners to help build the cities infrastructure. Most were eventually killed, their bodies were cut up and fed to the sharks, hence the name. Today it's a memorial site and a campground. The houses on the road to the island campground were spectacular. Large waterside mansions!
Tonight the chef presented his Market Dinner - he does two nights of these dinners, usually in each country or region to feature local dishes, tonight's menu includes ostrich, crocodile, oryx, a whole lamb and a local sausage!​

Day 2 in Namibia has been equally fabulous! Today we went to experience the sand dunes by 4x4! This was a private tour with one other couple. The day started cooler and cloudier than yesterday.
Our first stop was the flamingos in the lagoon which we'd walked to yesterday. From here we took the same route we walked but, continuing on into the national park.
Once we reached the sand dunes the driver stopped and deflated the tires a bit before our adventure began. There's  a video included (with more to come if I can ever get them to upload) and lots more pictures in the album but the experience was impossible to capture. We just couldn't capture the breadth and the depth of the dunes, their height and the subtle shading that changes with the light.
​Our tour started with an extensive drive along the water where the dunes run into the sea. On this part of the tour we managed to see a Black Backed Jackal having a snack and what remains of the roof of a house that had been reclaimed by nature with the shifting sands.
​From the beach we headed up and over the dunes for a thrilling ride up and down, stopping at various points for pictures and to enjoy the incredible views.
It's a bit cool today so our driver found a lovely sheltered spot amongst the dunes to stop for our champagne toast and gourmet picnic lunch. After lunch our driver took us to the "ladies outhouse" for a much needed pit stop.
As if the tour couldn't get any better on our way back through the dunes our guide manage to show us an Ostrich, and we got close enough to photograph an Oryx and a Palmetto Gecko.
Finally we visited some salt flats on our return trip. The flats are flooded with sea water and then the salt is harvested and processed after the water evaporates and the salt crystalizes. The salt looks quite a bit like snow from a distance.

,What a fabulous day in Namibia! Today we had to go through customs personally, first time this trip. This process meant we didn't go ashore until after 11 am. The weather is cooler here on the coast.
Walvis Bay has a large bay, a lagoon and of course the sand dunes it's famous for, that literally run into the sea.
We took the ship's shuttle to the Dune Mall, a large modern mall opened just 3 years ago. After stocking up on snacks and some drinks we returned to the ship for lunch. After lunch we went ashore again and walked the waterfront. We were docked very near the lagoon, famous for it's flamingo's. Just 1.5 km from the ship was a seemingly new area of the city, lovely walk along the water's edge that went on the miles along the lagoon.
We walked over 13 km in total, admiring the buildings, streetscapes, flamingos and plovers along the way. Stopping at the end for a beer and a local specialty, Eisbein, in a restaurant over the water.