Goodbye Pretoria, hello Cape Town!

It is a lovely day in Pretoria today! As you can see from this picture. The weather is great, the sun is out, and there is just a gentle breeze to keep the heat at bay. Today we say goodbye to Pretoria and begin the move to Cape Town. It will be a gradual move since I have a wedding and a final service in Bryanston on Saturday and Sunday respectively. So, while our belongings hit the long road today (1419 km's to be exact), we shall only follow on Monday.

Pretoria has been a fantastic city in which to live! The weather is great, there is a lot to do, it is very green, there's lots of space, and within a few minutes you're out in the countryside. Sure there are some issues with safety and crime (we had an attempted car hi-jacking in 2004, a 'smash and grab' in 2005, and two break ins (even though we live right across the road from the 'Scorpions's (South Africa's version of the FBI) headquarters). However, there are much worse areas for crime and safety in Gauteng (and the Cape), for example the East Rand where we have a friend who has endured 4 car hi-jackings in the last few years).

I will confess, however, that we're looking forward the beauty of Cape Town. The weather is not quite as temperate (jokingly, Cape Town is like a baby - if it's not wet, it's windy!), but the scenery is great, the beaches are fantastic, the mountains are breathtaking, and we have many, many, good friends.