We’ve been there many times, and if you have been reading this blog for a while, so have you. You will find more images of it in Silvermine on my Mind, A Hike over Muizenberg, South African Flowers and Views of the Cape Peninsula…

Silvermine is a section of Table Mountain that is just south of the actual table, separated from it by the Constantiaberg. The area is split in two by Ou Kaapse Weg, a winding road that provides an essential link between the Cape Flats and the Peninsula’s west coast.

The view from Silvermine: Fish Hoek and Simon’s Town in the background

Hiking in Silvermine is never too extreme but systematically yields stunning views and exotic flowers. This is still somehow a mountain environment and weather is unpredictable. The heat can be as sizzling as the cold and wind can be bitter.

I am combining two outings in here, one in Cape Town’s winter, the month of May, and the other in summer, or December. On the first, we did the Amphitheater trail around the reservoir in howling wind. On the second, we simply stopped on our way home to go have a look at a patch of brightly colored flowers where a small fire had triggered new growth.