Capetown Old Downtown

After the explosive 10AM re-enactment, our tour moved on, en pied, into Capetown's older downtown and its Green Market Square.

Balcony from which Nelson Mandela spoke to the nation after
being released from his defiant years of imprisonment

We were absolutely knocked out by the amount of Art Deco
in Capetown

Just a fraction; maybe as much as SF!

We were let loose at the Green Market, a block of stalls of
crafts and tourist crap

I couldn't take my eyes of the buildings

Moving right along, Capetown's old mosque

It's astounding how many "traditional" restaurants are named
"Mama Africa"; maybe it's a chain?

Not Art Deco

You can't claim to be a city if you don't have an Irish pub

Worn but no less true

Click to enlarge and read; in this building, until 1991, judgments
were rendered about who was white, who had which rights...

These two benches remain for the their moral/dramatic effect

Our group reads and reflects

Capetown Fort

On September 28th the group did a guided excursion/bus/walking tour of Capetown: the fort, downtown, Green Market, the Company's Garden, Table Mountain, and the harbor area; a long but enjoyable and edifying day.

Capetown's dramatic background, Table Mountain

Downtown scene from the bus

Fort and moat; dates from the 17th, the current version 19th
century

Helpful model: yup, it's a star fort, just like we saw in Naarden
way back in 2015

In the military museum: Buffalo Bill Cody
worked here briefly before getting into show
business; wait, no...

Inside the fort, the governor's mansion, etc.

Statues of other warriors

Cannon to be fired at re-enactment ceremony; it's from the
the Royal Hobbit Fusiliers

Serious science I did not know about

Capetown skyline from roof of the castle wherefrom I was
supposed to photograph the firing of the cannon; I got lost or
possibly distracted

Re-enactment: Governor handing keys to officer who will
open the fort for business

Pomp

Circumstance

Drama

Kate and Bob found the roof-top perch I missed

The cannon enthusiast/volunteer explains to us all the steps
involved in firing a cannon

Which includes a jigger of gunpowder

And now, the moment we all have been waiting for: a student
from the audience has made a donation to the cannon society
and thereby gets to fire it

Bang!