Taylored Trips - Out & About – Paarl / Wellington areaThere is a new pizzeria in the Wellington valley and although on our first visit we had to leave without eating in order to get to a prior appointment on time, we have been back twice after the festive

onslaught of holiday makers to our valley. The setting and views are amazing and even though their local beer prices are a total rip-off, we will probably go back there again even if it is just for the views.

View from new pizzeria in town

Val du Charron Estate

On the very last day of the year we decided to go for a drive

over the newly re-opened Jan Phillips Drive on the Paarl mountain. Jan Phillips was a wagon builder in Paarl in the 1800’s and he built this road along the slopes of the Paarlberg mountain as a test track and to demonstrate the robustness of the wagons that he built when promoting them to

prospective buyers.This road was washed away a few years ago and much to our delight, it has recently been re-opened, making access to the Paarlberg Nature Reserve and the Taal (Language) Monument from both Northern Paarl as well as from Southern Paarl.The panoramic views of Paarl from

above and the ever-changing views of the second largest granite outcrop in the world makes getting your car dirty on the gravel road well worthwhile.

Views from Jan Phillips Drive from Northern Paarl

Paarlberg Nature Reserve

Paarl Rock

KWV in middle of picture and Clift Granite Works in the foreground

A very festive and colourful crowd were at the Taal Monument’s restaurant and it didn’t take me long to realise that they were all here not only to

celebrate the last day of the year but also because they fire a canon from the monument at 12.00pm on the last day of every month. We had seen it before but hey, I wasn’t going to miss it just because I had seen it already! Our timing was perfect and we had just enough time to quench our thirsts before moving over to the

monument for the firing.

Taal monument restaurant

View from the Taal monument restaurant

Taal Monument

A very young volunteer fired the canon with a little help from the canon master

After the big bang we drove around to the southern side of Paarl mountain to the extremely popular Fairview Estate for lunch. The place was

abuzz with tourists and here are a few examples to show you why.

Goat bonding

Horny old goat

South African flag garden

Goat tower

A work of art being admired by a little Mossie

Wine tasting room

Goat bridge

And so ended 2016.Until next time, “Keep on Tripping!”