Cape Town - It was the perfect lady date night – my bestie and I watching the ultimate chick flick, Thelma & Louise, at The Galileo open air cinema, while tucked under blankets with a bottle of wine.
We went to the V&A Waterfront where movies are screened every Thursday; other venues include Hillcrest Quarry on Tuesdays, Kirstenbosch on Wednesdays, rotating venues on Fridays, and selected wine estates on alternate Saturdays.
The Galileo’s fourth season runs until the end of April and offers a line-up of popular movies including musicals, drama, romance, cult classics and family fun.
I’ve already earmarked Shawshank Redemption for February. It’s a long time to plan because of the fickle Cape Town weather, but we got lucky with our first excursion – apart from eerie fog later rolling in over the ocean – so fingers crossed.
The location at the Waterfront is the lawn in front of the Springbok Experience museum, so there is a bit of distraction with the music floating in from the nearby amphitheatre area and the Cape Wheel, which always looks so beautiful, especially as it lights up when the sun goes down.
With a bit of concentration you can filter this out and focus on the movie.
Sitting on the ground for three hours is a young person’s game and even with the backrests – which can be included in your ticket price or hired separately at a slightly higher price – I’d suggest taking a few cushions for extra comfort.
You’d think with my natural padding in the rear I’d have been all right, but that wafer of foam needed to be supplemented. Either way, the backrest is a must. As for the blankets, use theirs; the grass gets damp.
The cinema opens at 6pm and the movie begins around 8pm (following lots of adverts and a few trailers), and getting there early is part of the experience.
You can take your own picnics and cooler boxes and there was much popping of Champagne corks on our evening, as it should be. If lugging all that from your car is too much hassle, there are several food and drink vendors and prices are reasonable.
I had rather nice nachos with lots of chicken, melted cheese, and guacamole for R60 and my guest had a little pizza for the same price. The wine was R100 a bottle.
My only complaint about the Waterfront venue is that there are no restrooms close by. Take wet wipes for your hands and learn to hold it in otherwise you have to walk across roads and up and down stairs.
For the full lineup and to book tickets see www.thegalileo.co.za.
l Ticket prices: Standard: R79; Warm: R87 (plus blanket); Comfy: R95 (plus backrest); Warm & comfy: R100 (plus blanket and backrest); VIP: R149 (Reserved premium seating, Savanna, box of Chocolat Frey, popcorn & sweets, blanket, backrest).
Weekend Argus