At the bottom of the page click on the YouTube link to see the photos.
Winding down from yesterday's hectic sea-day, we docked earlymorning in the heart of France's
wine country. We stepped off the gangway and into the UNESCO World Heritage City – Bordeaux.
This fabulous place has maintained its old town with distinct classical architecture. Fantastic buildings form the backdrop to a vibrant and charming city, within easy access of the city center cruise terminal. But first things first: A visit to Maison du Vin, to learn more about the seven wine regions of Bordeaux. The decision was easy: The Médoc vineyards and the stunningly gorgeous medieval village of Saint-Émilion.
This fabulous place has maintained its old town with distinct classical architecture. Fantastic buildings form the backdrop to a vibrant and charming city, within easy access of the city center cruise terminal. But first things first: A visit to Maison du Vin, to learn more about the seven wine regions of Bordeaux. The decision was easy: The Médoc vineyards and the stunningly gorgeous medieval village of Saint-Émilion.
We took a guided bus tour and drove along the famous Quai des Chartrons, the cradle of the Bordeaux wine industry. WOW! The views of vineyards rise as far as the eye can see. Same as in Germany, the grounds are orderly and well-kept, almost to the point of fanaticism! An hour later we had the opportunity to see the “must see” appellations in the Médoc region: Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pauillac, Haut-Mèdoc, Saint-Estèphe, Moulis, and Châteaux Rothschild. But the excitement soon gave way to disappointment. No one had explained to us that the châteaux are private homes. We saw a succession of chilly cellars, heard lectures in very broken English few of us understood, tasted a few wines and were soon back on the bus. However, Château Gruaud Larose created spaces for receiving guests and the sommelier’s well-trained nose uncorked several vintage worthy bottles that were nothing short of divine.
We were lucky enough to overnight in Bordeaux, so we had adequate time to tour the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Saint-Émilion as well. This is the heartland of the Merlot grape. The vines on the “hill with a thousand châteaux” reach up to the Saint Émilion’s ancient town walls and surrounding moat, dug out of solid rock. We learned that this is oldest wine town in France, named after the monk Émilion (what else) who settled here in the 8th century.
Having seen the catacombs in Rome, Paris and Lima, I skipped the vast underground burial sites the tour offered and headed to the famous Saint-Émilion wine houses, Cheval-Blanc, Belair and Ausone. All three of them are just a short distance from town, but the steep cobblestone street made me earn the “Nectar of the Gods”, as Louis XIV put it.
The sun was setting by the time we got back to the Prinsendam. We were tired, in a happy way, but needed to absorb more of the French joie de vivre, so we rammed the gangway again and embraced the easy lifestyle in the city center. There’s so much more to do here than wine. There’s the magnificent Cathedral of St. Andrew, where Louis VII married mademoiselle???... (I can’t think of her name right now), the Grand Theatre, Place de la Bourse and Parliament Square.
Part of the fun of traveling is sampling the local cuisine. With that in mind, we gave the outdoor Café Bordeaux a shot. The waiter recommended the spécialité de la maison (house special). Knowing damn well that the French eat bizarre foods like Duck in Blood Sauce, Snail Caviar and Maggot Cheese, I didn’t know what to expect, but we ordered it anyway. And somewhere between the duck confit, foie gras, several delicious cheeses, & cold cuts, I fell in love with Bordeaux. No pushy hawkers selling postcards or cheesy t-shirts in sight! But there are hazards – too much wine.
P.S. I swung a deal with a wine merchant in Saint-Émilion: “You buy 12 bottles and I’ll give you one free.” Guess the next 27 days in Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark, Norway and Scotland will take us to new heights and refinement and luxury.
Click on the above YouTube link to see the pictures.