Table Mountain & Boulders

So today I finally got to take Talya up Table Mountain, one of the most beautiful sites the world has to offer. We went up there with a good friend of mine from Israel (whom I met in Turkey, but that's a story for another day) and his lady. Though it was slightly foggy early on in the day, the weather cleared up rather quickly leaving us with a perfect day for seeing much of the Cape Peninsula. The scenery was, as expected, breath taking. One of the highlights for me was spotting two whales just off Camps Bay. Though we were so far away, we could see them coming in and out of the water. Fantastic stuff. I've uploaded a few pictures (In the 1st, you'll see Robben Island in the middle of the picture, just after the fog) - and will upload more when I return to Israel.




“During the many years of incarceration on Robben Island, we often looked across Table Mountain at its magnificent silhouette … To us on Robben Island, Table Mountain was a beacon of hope. It represented the mainland to which we knew we would one day return.”
Nelson Mandela

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After Table Mountain, Talya and I met up with my 'rents and went to Pinelands Cemetery. It was tough, really tough. So many members of our family tree - so many names that are carried by my siblings, my son & I. My tears started flowing when I saw my late Granny's grave. Oh how I wish she could have interacted with my son. She was such an incredible woman. I broke down when I saw my late Nonnou's grave - Nissim Piha. My son's name on a tombstone ... in English & Hebrew. I guess what I felt was what my dad must have felt when he saw his grandfather's (the man whose name I carry) grave in Rhodes with me. A tradition continues. A simple one, but one that creates an unbreakable bond to our history and identity.

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We finished off the day with a trip to Boulders, a beach shared by man and penguins (and a few dassies). It was fun to see Nissim's reactions to the penguins. He really does love the sand but still no success with the water bit. Oh well, at least we tried! :)



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It's amazing to think this (almost) month long vacation is almost over ... It's been such a wonderful experience. A home away from home. I'm looking forward to get back to Israel ...
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