I am now at the lovely 12 Apostles in Camps Bay ... 12 minutes drive from Cape Town city.
SO - we left La Residence at 7 am. We had a magnificent stay. The location is superb, the staff wonderful and the accommodation comfortable and comforting. What "made" the stay for me was the Assistant General Manager Stuart McFarlane. Not only is he a wonderful human-being (with adorable wife)... he totally "got it" from beginning to end. I hope I stay doing this job for another 10 years because by then he will be running the greatest hotel in the world (whichever that may be!) and I will there filming the hotel & him too!
stuart ...Anyway - a 90 minute drive took us to Thunder City at Cape Town Airport. There are two places on Earth where you can "privately" fly fighter jets ... here and Star City in Russia. The fleet includes the Lightning, Hunter, Buccaneer and a couple of other jets.
I was offered the chance to fly in the Buccaneer ... one of the most successful low-level-flying bombers ever seen. It's subsonic .. but I reckon could go super in the right hands.
SO - with pilot Ian Pringle, I took a 45-minute flight over Cape Town and the Western Cape. Erm - it was .... AMAZING!
I am collecting my thoughts over the whole flight ... but some of the aerobatics were breath-taking. It's all on camera ... or should I say cameras ... we had three trained on me in the cockpit! This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing (upto 11,000 Euros per flight) ... it MUST be done! You have a live ejection seat under you, you fly at amazing speeds ... and you feel ill! Awesome!
After my feet returned to terra firma, we headed into Cape Town and to the Waterfront where we met up with the Princess Emma - THE most luxurious yacht charter available. With skip Russell Matchette and gorgeous first-mate Maxine Steenkamp, we took a wee trip. It has to be said that the weather did dampen spirits and made the ride - at times - rather uncomfortable BUT the yacht itself is most lovely & luxurious! It is now owned by LVMH ... the luxury goods company - so everything is of the greatest quality!
One day I will take a proper cruise - in the sunshine ... just me, a cigar and a bottle of whisky! ha!
What a day ... now to sleep ... tomorrow is another big filming day.
Song of the Day: Waterfront - Simple Minds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxXfu-Kbtbc
Weather: Good, bad ... & ugly
ian pringle - pilot ...
dressed for action
chocks away ...
russell ... maxine ...
it's all too much ...
