The Airbnb story actually gets worse. When we finally got up to the apartment, a decently sized one bedroom with a sea view, SM discovered that one of the windows had no bars and no lock. This was after we had to fight to convince the owner to change the locks. They put a screw into the window but when SM checked it the screw popped out and it opened easily. They ended up using six screws to make sure it stayed in place.
You may be wondering why we stayed. That’s another post altogether, but I kind of wish we hadn’t stopped that robbery. The place had a problem with cockroaches, smelled a bit, and was not clean. It had been cleaned and would be cleaned once a week during our stay. But everything in the kitchen drawers and lower cabinets seemed to have a veneer of grease. The whole place was in desperate need of sterilization.
This was aggravated by the fact that the owner was/is a bit of a hoarder. The closet was mostly emptied for us, but drawers and cabinets were packed with stuff. It reminded me of my dad’s place. Since Mom passed Dad has been able to let his penchant for holding on to things “just in case” have free reign. That, and his inability to pass up a “good deal” have left the house…quite full.
The apartment complex was very late twentieth century in feel but there was a pool, with a spectacular view. Or so SM told me. I never went down to the pool and SM and LB only went once. It was early spring, and the water was still quite cold. The apartment was at least fifty percent bigger than the one in Lisbon and not opening right up to the street was nice. There was a playground across the street. Unfortunately, on many levels, it was home to several people. LB and I only went twice, and SM refused to set foot in it.
That’s okay because the beach, a block and a half away, was strewn with playgrounds. The apartment was in Sea Point. Like a lot of the more affluent suburbs of Cape Town Sea Point faces the ocean which is lined with the Sea Point Promenade. The public pools are at one end and you can walk along the Promenade to Green Point Park and beyond. Back during Apartheid, the whole area was whites only and it still lacks melanin representation considering the makeup of the city.
Along the Promenade there are children’s playgrounds. Clean and safe public bathrooms are available. The beach is striated with rocks that form tidal pools full of interesting creatures and plants. The views are amazing, particularly at sunset. There were usually a few kids at the playground or beach even on weekdays and they were quite busy on weekends. We found the locals to be very friendly and the kids just glommed right onto each other. LB would have been content to just walk down to the Promenade every day and bounce between the playgrounds and the beach.
We ended up spending quite a bit more time at the V&A Waterfront than we anticipated. Named for Queen Victoria and her son Alfred it tends to be the beginning or end of every tour. It’s where you catch the ferry to Robben Island, where most of the boats that do leisure cruises dock, it’s great for seal watching, there is a large outdoor playground, plus several smaller ones, and the choices for food and shopping were varied and plentiful.
One big draw for us was PlayDate SuperPark. The target market is 0 – 12 with special zones and pricing for babies. If your little is 5 or older, they offer a Drop&Go service. LB lived for this place. They’ve got mazes, climbing towers, a zip line, a snack bar, and attendants who run around after your kid while you chill out or get a bit of work done. SM used the time to knock out some continuing professional education credits while I worked on this blog. It was great for the few days of bad weather we had during our trip.
Besides the large playground outside of the food court near the train “station” and opposite the Ferris wheel there was a small, boat themed playground in front of the ferry terminal. Between the main area and the aquarium is a market stall area with a small fenced in outdoor playground for the very little. And there is a tiny play area right outside the food stalls on the plaza side. Major advantage is this is where a lot of busking takes place. Plus, a few of the restaurants, including Mitchell’s Scottish Ale House, have playgrounds.
Deer Park Café, our favorite restaurant with a playground, was nowhere near the V&A but was only a short Uber ride away. Situated next to a fenced in public park with play equipment the only way in or out not over the fence is by the restaurant. It sits in the shadow of Table Mountain affording some beautiful views. The park flows downhill from the restaurant making it easy to keep an eye on the kids from the outdoor seating on the brick patio while sipping a glass of pinotage. And the food is good, too. Good enough to attract people without kids.😉
The next post will in fact, be all about all of the food.