Western Cape Article - South African Vacations

inscribed stone in South Africa and was made of a local stone, Malmesbury shale. The stonewas originally left on the shores of Table Bay and removed for building purposes. A cast ofthe stone is also on view in the Table View Library. The tombstones of Jan van Riebeeck andhis wife lie in the courtyard of the museum.South African Fisheries Museum: Cape Town is home to the South African FisheriesMuseum. The museum features interesting exhibitions, models of fishing boats and fishinggears.South African Jewish Museum and Synagogue: This unique and historical establishment isfound at 84 Hatfield Street, and houses a rich collection of items depicting the history of CapeTown’s Jewish community and also early South African history. It was South Africa’s firstsynagogue. The museum is open from 10:00 to 17:00 from Sundays to Thursdays.South African Museum: Theestablishment is located inQueen Victoria Street. It wasopened in 1825 and is theoldest and largest museumin the country. The museumhas recreated scenes ofSouth African life throughthe ages and houses a richvariety of exhibitions,ranging from nature topeople and their history. Itsexhibitions include suchtreasures as a fossil gallery,which depicts the process ofevolution in the Karoo, aWhale Well and the onlyexisting example of a quagga foal (an extinct form of zebra). The Whale Well is a multisensory,multimedia display featuring suspended whale skeletons and the songs of whales.The museum also includes some of the finest rock art collections in the world, namely theCold Stream Stone and the Zamenkomst and Linton panels. For more information, contact itswebsite at http://www.museums.org.za/sam/St George’s Cathedral: The imposing cathedral is to be found at the bottom of the Gardens, inGovernment Avenue. The famous architect Sir Herbert Baker designed this magnificentbuilding.Statues: Life-size statues of Jan van Riebeeck and his wife Maria proudly watch over the citythey started and can be seen close to the City Hall in the city centre.Tuynhuis: Tuynhuis is the official Cape Town residence of South Africa’s President andstands in Government Avenue.Victoria and Alfred Waterfront: The V&A Waterfront was built in 1860 and is still a workingharbour. Many of the original buildings have been renovated and new ones built, all in themagnificent Victorian architectural design. There is a range of historical attractions to visit atthe Waterfront. The Old Harbour Tea Room, dating back to 1902, is now an upmarketrestaurant and the Robinson Dry Dock dates back to 1876. To this day it still provides repair51