I Heart My City: Laura’s Cape Town

Hello city-lovers! Today’s city of choice is Cape Town, Africa’s Mother City, and it comes at the hands of Laura Trisnadi.

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The Mother City is My City

The first place I take a visitor from out of town is Table Mountain.

When I crave ice cream I always go Marcel’s.

To escape the city I head out on a drive around The Mountain to False Bay.

If I want to drink wine I go to the wine farms in Stellenbosch or Franschhoek.

For complete quiet, I can hide away at a quaint little hotel in Knysna, just four hours away.

If you come to my city, get your picture taken with Madiba (Nelson Mandela).

If you have to order one thing off the menu from Moyo it has to be the ostrich burger.

Woolworths is my one-stop shop for great food, groceries, and clothes.

If my city were a celebrity it’d be Johnny Depp.

In my city, an active day outdoors involves walking, hiking, biking, running, swimming, surfing, cruising, and lounging.

My city’s best museum is the Robben Island Museum, the prison where Nelson Mandela was held.

My favorite jogging/walking route is along the promenade at Mouille Point.

For live music, check out Cape to Cuba.

Cape Grace Hotel is the spot for late-night eats.

To find out what’s going on at night and on the weekends, read 48 Hours.

You can tell a lot about my city from all the raves it gets from people who’ve been here.

You can tell if someone is from my city if they say they’re from the “Mother City.”

In the spring you should check out the wildflowers in Namakwa.

In the summer you should spend as much time as you can outdoors, enjoying the weather.

In the fall you should head to the Hills for the wine farms.

In the winter you should stay warm and dry inside the many restaurants in Cape Town.

For a great breakfast joint try Gainsbourg.

Don’t miss the Cheese Festival every spring.

The best way to see my city is by Vespa.

If my city were a pet it would be an Australian shepherd.

When I think about my city, the song that comes to mind is “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley.

If you have kids, you won’t want to miss Boulders Beach, where the penguins are!

Going from wine farm to Table Mountain to surfing to yachting with fabulous scenery in one day could only happen in my city.

My city should be featured on your cover or website because it is the best-kept secret of Africa and one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

For more on the best of Cape Town, check out our Places of a Lifetime guide, and feel free to add your Mother City favorites in the comments below.

Photos: Charles O’Rear/Corbis and DigitalLyte via Flickr