Big rocks, big flavours and big

The Cape Winelands aren't all about wine. There are also olives, almonds, grappa, walking, conservation and

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In 1657, Jan van Riebeeck sent Abraham Gabbema, who was the public treasurer for the Dutch settlement in Table Bay, to scout the interior.

While out and about, he saw a giant granite outcrop glistening in the sun after a rainstorm, and named it "de Diamondt en de Peerlberg" (Diamond and Pearl Mountain). People being what we are, it eventually became simply Paarl.

The Khoikhoi folk who already lived there called it !hom !nāb/s (Tortoise Mountain), because it looks like a tortoise.

I sent myself off to scout the interior, too. I saw mist, rain, sunshine, a big rock and lots more besides.

But first, a nip round the geology department: Paarl Mountain has three main granite outcrops - Paarl, Bretagne (or Kettingsklip) and Gordon's rocks - and it's the third largest granite feature in the world. Sibebe Rock in Eswatini is the largest. Then comes Stone Mountain in the US and then Paarl.

And a pit stop at the toponymy department: unusually, Paarl is pronounced differently in English and in Afrikaans. Also unusual, it's customary for Afrikaners to talk about die Pêrel (the Paarl) rather than simply Pêrel.

Paarl is the birthplace of Afrikaans, which celebrates its centenary this yearits official birthday was 8 May - so block off some time in your itinerary to take a turn at the Afrikaans Museum on Pastorie Avenue and to drive up to the Taal Monument. It's beautiful and the views are spectacular.

Check the Afrikaans 100 website (afrikaans100.org) for anniversary-related events. Afrikaans 100-Makietie is on 25 October at the monument. It's a great big party with traditional foods, wines and fun to celebrate the language's diversity and growth.

The museum is in the old house of Gideon Malherbe, who was one of the founding members of the Society of True Afrikaners (Genootskap van Regte Afrikaners) in 1875.