In November of the late 1600 hundreds Simon van der Stel, the Governor of the Cape, discovered a river running through a fertile valley not far from Cape Town. He called this the Eerste (first) River. He established a settlement there and called it after himself - Stellenbosch. The settlers planted grapes in the fertile valley and soon it became the centre of the wine industry. The meticulously restored buildings, particularly in oak-lined Dorp Street, bear witness to a proud past with fine examples of Cape Dutch, Victorian and Georgian architecture. It is here where one can visit many outstanding wine estates. We will visit Neethlingshof, J.C. le Roux, Morgenhof and take a stroll up Dorp Street. "Oom Samie se Winkel" (Uncle Sam's shop) is worth a visit. After that the road takes us over Helshoogte pass to Franschhoek. A picnic lunch can be enjoyed under the trees with a nice bottle of wine, before hitting the road again for Moreson and Chamonix. A stroll along the main street in Franschhoek is not to be missed. There are lots of antique and art shops, and it leads to the Huguenot Monument. When the Protestant religion was outlawed in France in 1685, 300 Huguenots arrived at the Cape of Good Hope. They brought with them vines from France and planted them in the Franschhoek valley. This is South Africa's very own "French Corner."