When I was growing up, my gran lived in Paarl. She had one rule when we came to visit: you weren’t allowed to complain about how hot it was. Because, believe you me, it is boiling in summer, and we’re all well aware, thank you very much. So here’s my first tip: if you’re planning a li’l Paarl breakaway, opt for spring or autumn. Or even winter. We went on a rainy weekend in June last year, and that was pretty magical. Here’s what we got up to…
DAY 1 Historical walking tour
Hybré van Niekerk loves Paarl, and her enthusiasm for the town she grew up in is infectious. She took us on a stroll along Main Road, stopping periodically to tell stories, point out landmarks and share anecdotes. Did you know that the Strooidakkerk, completed in 1805, is the oldest South African church still in use today? And that the oak trees lining the main road were originally planted to be used for wine barrels? Paarl’s hot summers and long, wet winters threw a spanner in the works, however: they grew too fast, making the wood too soft to make good barrels.
Hybré is also passionate about the Afrikaans language and its origins.
‘Afrikaans is often mistakenly seen as the language of the oppressor; in actual fact, it started on the tongues of the slaves,’ Hybré says. The (piggyback), for example, is derived from a Khoekhoe language; and is borrowed from the Malay word for a saucer, .
