Cape Cod Rocks

Cape Town – From Past to Present

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 03:00:00 +0000

History of Cape Town

The first inhabitants of the Cape Town area were some of the earliest humans on Earth. In 1995, a woman’s footprint was found imprinted onto a rock on the West Coast of the region. This footprint, which has been nicknamed “Eve’s Footprint”, is roughly 117,000 years old. These early people left no written record of themselves, but the native tribes were variously called Khoi-san, Hottentots, Strandlopers, and Bushmen by European settlers.

The Europeans Arrive

Cape Town as we understand it today first began in 1488, when Portuguese explorer Bartholomeu Dias arrived, followed in 1497 by another famous Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama. However, the local inhabitants of the Cape and the Europeans didn’t have regular contact again until the year 1652, when the Dutch East India Company set up a “halfway point” between Europe and the East Indies for merchant ships.

European settlers, under the leadership of Jan van Reibeeck, started farming the area and trading with the native Africans for goods. Asian settlers also came, though not by choice – some had been banished to the Cape area by the Dutch; others arrived as slaves.

Gold Rush and Apartheid

Cape Town traded hands back and forth between different European powers during subsequent centuries, eventually controlled by the British, though the local European population remained largely Dutch.

In the 1870s and 1880s, diamonds and gold were discovered nearby. Cape Town grew from the increased trade in the region, and the new attention led to the beginning of an industrial revolution. Unfortunately, it was also during this time that the foundation for apartheid was laid. An outbreak of plague was blamed on native Africans, and they were forced outside the city. This was the beginning of a long, downhill slope in their already slim rights. By 1948, their voting rights were revoked, and apartheid officially began. Apartheid would not end in South Africa until 1994.

Historic Areas of Cape Town

Holidaymakers visiting the Cape who are interested in history should look for a hotel in the historic district known as Simon’s Town. A popular destination for tourists due to its proximity to the coast, a hotel in Simon’s Town offers visitors an excellent “base of operations” for exploring this city’s fascinating history. Simon’s Town has been an important port of the city for over two centuries, and the British built a naval base and round tower there in the late eighteenth century.

For people more interested in the history of apartheid, find a hotel with easy access to the area known as District Six. In the 1970s, 60,000 black South Africans were forcibly removed from the district to make way for an all-white neighborhood, even though it had been a lively, diverse, cosmopolitan area. A museum was formed there in 1994 that documents the area as it had been run during apartheid.

If human history is less interesting to you than natural history, find a hotel that provides easy access to the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. The garden contains 700 species of flora and fauna in the region, and in 2004 it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In all, Cape Town’s history is complex and very interesting. When visiting this unique city that blends African and European history together, be sure to take the time to explore its many historical landmarks and museum.

Cape Town – A Glamour Metropolis of South Africa

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Cape Town, which is located in the center of Western Cape region is often judged one of the most beautiful cities in South Africa. Wherever you go, from Table Mountain to Cape of Good Hope, this multicultural center bordered by the Atlantic and Indian Ocean, charms with a story offered to each visitor. Entertainment with performances of international DJs who are frequent visitors here, many rock tours, performances by famous jazz musicians, superb shopping in designer shops, beautiful beaches, vineyards as well as edge decoration of the city, falls as an additional effect of unreal landscapes, dolphins and whales as an attraction along shore, yacht racing every Wednesday, plenty of fish dishes, African top hotels, luxurious spa, rich tradition and history – these are just some of the reasons for visiting Cape Town. Although Cape Town is attractive year round, depending on the activities you choose it is better to avoid the winter that lasts from June to August and brings cold and wet time.

In addition to city tours during visit to Cape Town one should see its surroundings too. If you stay at least two weeks then don’t miss a safari in the Kruger National Park. Among the main spots to visit is the Cape of Good Hope – a meeting place of the Atlantic and Indian Ocean, Table Mountain which can be reached by cableway and where it is located the best vantage point for the Cape Town and Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela spent in prison 18 years) overlooking. If you do swim, be sure to go to the beach St. James whose trademark are colorful houses and extremely warm sea. All penguin lovers will be more interested in Boulders Beach where the African penguins live in their natural environment. If you want to watch whales you can do that in 140 km away town of Hermanus. If you are in the mood for good entertainment – no problem too! In the center of Mama Africa is a popular bar where you can enjoy traditional cuisine and authentic African rhythms. Great shopping awaits you in the center of Canal Walk shopping area with over 400 world brand shops.

Understanding Cape Cod Architecture

admin — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 01:00:00 +0000

Americans have always loved a good Cape Cod home. In 1938 when Life magazine asked families to choose their ideal place to live, the Cape Cod design was among those few selected, even when compared to an original modern home by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The design visionary may have had great ideas and some very attractive sketches, but he didn’t have hundreds of years of building tradition and a classic form recognized by everyone. Cape Cod designs are just as popular today, and will likely continue as one of the nation’s most enduring building styles.

The Cape Cod style dates back to the earliest period in American and Atlantic Canadian colonial history. These first homes in the 1600s were un-adorned and practical, built for year-round comfort in the windy, cold Eastern Seaboard climate. Scarce natural resources for building also helped keep these homes simple and small, with little deviation in design, and typically rock or plaster exterior walls.

Early Cape Cod homes had a narrow rectangular shape, with a steep pitched roof to keep winter snow from accumulating. Rarely built with upper floor dormers, these homes tended to have a stark, impenetrable look, which became fashionable during the Gothic Revival period of the early 19th century. Cape Cod windows were generally double paned with wooden shutters, and placed symmetrically on either side of a central door, as well as in the gable on either side of the house. The first Cape Cods, also known as Colonial Capes, were usually one or two rooms deep at the most and just a single story with a large attic, contrasting with many 18th and 19th century styles that featured large two and three story designs. Colonial Cape floor plans tended to max out at 1-2,000 sq ft, and were typically furnished with all hardwood floors.

Cape Cod architecture was less common in the late 18th and early 19th centuries as other styles predominated, but it enjoyed a widespread revival in the 1920s, when builders in other parts of the nation started using the style. The family awarded a new Cape Cod style home in the 1938 Life Magazine project chose to build in Edina, Minnesota, far from the coastal Massachusetts region for which the style is named. Colonial Revival Capes introduced a variety of new features to the classic form, including upper-floor dormers for extra light, bay and picture windows, front entrance pilasters, and more modern floor plans that sometimes included a kitchen extension at the back of the house. But revivalists were careful to remember the Cape Cod’s original appeal rooted in classic design, practicality, and affordability, and designed their new homes as traditionally as possible.