Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/566324
f a l l 2 0 1 5 | w e s t w o r l d 23 O n Saturday mornings in Cape Town, designers, butchers and bakers circle around the Old Biscuit Mill in Wood- stock, an eastern Cape Town neighbourhood whose once-roug h edges have become smoother as the gelato shops, restaurants and galleries have moved in. e Mill's market ven- dors are setting up stalls to sell fox-imprinted socks, pendants made from bits of reclaimed pottery and T-shirts stamped with the word "untamed." Across the way, under a covered roof at the former factory, others hawk pan- toasted banana bread, microbrews and plum- blossom ice cream. My plan after continent-hopping flights from Canada to South Africa is to spend the first day chilling at my hotel. And what a hotel: the Twelve Apostles, once a mansion and now a luxury retreat clinging to the coast 20 min- utes south of the city, is not a shabby place to adjust to local time. ere's a spa that involves African rain sticks and a bar with Atlantic Ocean views, where on a good day, and in the right season, you can see whales. But Cape Town is not an easy place to stay put. Even with six days ahead, there's so much to do. You can climb one of the natural won- ders of the world, go cage diving with sharks or visit historic landmarks. And all of it set against a backdrop of ocean and mountain and to an urban soundtrack that mingles Afri- can and European cultures into an easy-going cosmopolitan vibe. So after I stumble down- stairs for breakfast on my first morning and the concierge mentions the Saturday market at the Biscuit Mill, I'm out the door. "Cape Town is a great place to be creative," says Amanda Williamson, who sells mini polka-dot dresses and onesies printed with suspenders at the Old Biscuit Mill. "Whereas Johannesburg is more about big business, the small innovative industry tends to be based here. People's priorities are about having a good lifestyle. This market is amazing, and there's stuff like this all over the city." Case in point: Cape Town celebrated its status as World Design Capital in 2014, with new projects adding to its wealth of galleries, local-label dress shops and artisan boutiques. Nature here, however, requires no designer input. While there are dozens of hiking trails to reach the flat-topped Table Mountain, I take the easier four-minute cable car. Even without the exertion of a two-hour trek, the views at the top are no less spectacular. "I'm on top of the world!" a woman cries into her cell- phone from one of the lookouts. I have to agree. e city is a dramatic post- card from above and below, and dwellings for some of Cape Town's 3.7 million residents spill down the hillside. Up here there are well-laid paths, a chic café and ocean and mountain views in every direction. Below, I can see the V&A Waterfront with its Ferris wheel and upscale shops, the golden beaches that ring the city and the Company's Garden, an eight- hectare park first planted in 1652 when the Dutch East India Company wanted a fresh- produce pit stop for its sailors plying the spice route to India. Cape Town is situated on the northern end of South Africa's Cape Peninsula, with the Atlantic on one side and the warmer waters of False Bay on the other. On a daytrip to check out the southern end, I cross to the eastern coast of the peninsula, heading south along False Bay. e drive is beautiful and I stop for coffee in Kalk Bay, known for its art shops and harbour, where fish cleaners in rubber boots sell yellow tail and tuna. (opposite) Taking it easy at Tjing Tjing Rooftop Bar; (this page) along the bustling Victoria and Alfred Waterfront. Experience the spirit of South Africa with CAA Travel. See page 27.