I have a love-hate relationship with cycling in Joburg.
A couple of years ago, before I had a car, I bought a bike and planned to use it to get around. (Read the post about my bike purchase.) I liked the idea of riding a bike around town, but it turns out I didn’t actually like doing it. I used the bike about five times before deciding that cycling in Joburg is too hard (hills, traffic, minibus taxis, etc.).
I’ve had half a dozen bloggable experiences in the past 48 hours. Please bear with me while I catch up.
I’ll start with the most recent: yesterday’s Fête de la Musique in Melville. Fête de la Musique is a free music festival sponsored by the Alliance Française. This is the second year in a row that the Fête has taken place in Melville, which is a great source of pride to those of us who live here and believe our suburb deserves more love.
Tall buildings dominate the Joburg skyline. I visit and write about the city’s tallest buildings all the time – the Carlton Center, Ponte City, and the Hillbrow Tower are some of my favorites.
Gramadoelas is the most famous restaurant in downtown Joburg. It opened 46 years ago in a Hillbrow garage, and has been in its current location next to the Market Theatre in Newtown since 1992. Gramadoelas serves traditional South African food with an exotic twist, and has hosted some of the world’s most prominent politicians and celebrities.