Today we are back to the beautiful Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden but this time to stay and enjoy. The gardens cover an area of 528 hectares with 36 hectares of cultivated garden. The gardens are a celebration of South African flora – showcasing only indigenous South African plants. Fynbos, proteas, cycads and rolling lawns are intermingled with streams and ponds and well-laid out pathways for easy walking. A great variety of birds inhabit the gardens and the sweeping views from the upper slopes are spectacular.

From Kirstenbosch we head over to the Rhodes Memorial.

Rhodes Memorial is a structure that was built in 1912 on the slopes of Devil’s Peak a short hike below the block house, and above the University of Cape Town. The edifice was built by Sir Herbert Baker in remembrance of Cecil John Rhodes who lived between the years 1853 to the year 1902. With its spectacular views, it’s a popular spot for tourists to visit, those who’ve just got married to get photos taken, hikers to start their trip up and families to come for lunches.

The structure has 49 steps, one for each year that Rhodes lived, leading up to a statue of the man leaning his head on his right hand. Below the statue is inscribed: “THE IMMENSE AND BROODING SPIRIT STILL SHALL QUICKEN AND CONTROL. LIVING HE WAS THE LAND AND DEAD HIS SOUL SHALL BE HER SOUL”, which I understand is an extract from a Rudyard Kipling poem, Burial. Above the statue it says: “TO THE SPIRIT AND LIFE WORK OF CECIL JOHN RHODES WHO LOVED AND SERVED SOUTH AFRICA. 1853 – 1902”.

On each side of the steps are 4 lion statues (which visitors to the memorial like to sit on & have their photo taken, although this is not recommended as there is quite a drop to the side of the lions).

At the bottom of the steps is a bronzed horseman with the horse having one leg raised in the air and the horseman shading his eyes from the sun as he looks out over Cape Town’s northern suburbs. The following words are chiselled into the blocks of Cape granite below the horseman: “ENERGY, THE WORK OF GF WATTSRA, AND BY HIM GIVEN TO THE GENIUS OF CECIL RHODES”.

The terrace of the steps is semi circular in nature and at the top of the steps is a monument of pillars that is rectangular – shaped. Granite is used to line the stairs and on the granite is the structure of eight lions.

We had lunch at Rhodes Memorial Restaurant and Tea Garden with panoramic views over the Cape Flats.