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With some degree of regret, we left our room at the Villa Castellini. Great room, super service and phenomenal view (see photo). Our first major stop was at Mossel Bay which was the place where Bartolomeu Dias (Portugal) rounded the southernmost point of Africa in 1488. His voyage paved the way for Vasco de Gama (accompanied by Dias) to make the first voyage around the Cape to India in 1497. A replica of Dias ship was built and sailed from Portugal to Mossel Bay in 1988. That ship is now in the Dias museum in Mossel Bay.
Mossel Bay is the last spot on the Garden Route and, from there, we head further west. (Photos to Mossel Bay are in the Garden Route album. Those after Mossel Bay are in the West Cape album.) Natural Gas is produced 80 km. offshore from Mossel Bay and is processed at Petroport, just west of here.
Albertine is the start of a new landscape and economy. Aloe plants are the source of a lot of activity in Albertine, but more importantly, wheat fields begin to appear and become quite prolific as one moves west. Canola and sheep are also a major economic contributor in this area.
At Swellendam, we turned south and an hour later arrived at Cape Agulhas, the southernmost point of Africa and the place where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet. We were met with a wild wind, which Andre says is unusual here. No problem, we still got our photos and walked to the point. We ended the day at Arniston where we have another great room overlooking the Ocean and beach. Another super meal. Our meals have been so good throughout South Africa that any restaurant in Canada should come to any restaurant in South Africa (including the small inns) and hire the cook. They are all as good or better than any restaurant in the Valley.
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