20th of July 2024 - Bordeaux

Today we caught a tram to the Place de la Comédie in the centre of Bordeaux which has been designated as a UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.  The buildings are mostly made of honey-coloured stone.  We walked from the Place de la Comédie to the Cathedral sampling some local pastry specialities on the way.

We returned to the ship on another tram.  I was very impressed by the tram system in Bordeaux.  The trams were frequent and also very clean.

Tomorrow I travel home so this will be my last entry for a while.

19th of July 2024- Libourne and Art Workshop

Today the temperature was up in the nineties so I decided to miss the delights of the Libourne farmers' market.  Instead I took part in a watercolour workshop on board the S.S. Bon Voyage.

18th of July 2024 - Saint-Émilion

Today we visited the hilltop town of Saint-Émilion which has both exceptional architecture and historic vineyards.  The Romans were the first to plant grapes here and this was the first vineyard region to be protected by UNESCO because of its history.  The town itself has medieval ramparts, steep cobblestone streets and many wine shops.

 

I was then part of a group that visited Château Beauséjour Bécot.  We were taken on a tour of the property including a massive network of quite dark underground cellars.  I was surprised to see large pottery receptables being used for part of the wine production process..  Another surprise was seeing vine roots growing through into the cellars.

 

Our tour ended with a tasting of four red wines including two that were designated as Grand Cru.

Roses are planted at the end of rows of vines as an early warning system for the winegrower.  They attract insects like aphids before the vines.  They also get fungal disease like black rot and mildew before the vines do.  The strain of mildew that roses are susceptible to is not the same as for vines but if the conditions are good for mildew on roses then almost certainly are good for downy mildew on vines too.

After the Château tour we went back to the town of Saint-Émilion for free time and lunch.  I found a delightful terraced restaurant where I had a meal of veal tartare with potato salad.

17th of July 2024 - Blaye and Bourg sur Gironde

We started the day with a drive from Blaye along the Route de la Corniche Fleurie.  The road winded between limestone cliffs on one side and the Gironde on the other.  There were 19th-century stone houses built by sea captains below the cliffs and wooden fishing huts on stilts standing above the waters of the estuary.

 

When we returned to Blaye we visited the historic Blaye fortress which is a UNESCO-designated citadel that once protected Bordeaux from attacks by sea.  This citadel contains the ruins of a medieval castle, houses, squares and streets all within the fortress walls.  There was a great view of the estuary from these walls including of the S.S. Bon Voyage.

 

The tide was out when we were in Blaye so all there was of the river was mud.

 

In the afternoon we did a walking tour of Bourg also informally known as Bourg-sur-Gironde.  Bourg originated as a fortified villa built by the Roman prefect Pontius Paulinus in the 4th century.  The first picture is of what used to be the communal washhouse.  I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't want to wash my clothes in this water.

16th of July 2024 - The Médoc

 

The Médoc region has many prestigious wine châteaux with an array of architectural styles.  There are also well as miles of grapevines stretching as far as the eye can see.

Fort Médoc was built by Vauban on the left bank of the Gironde estuary.  This was with the intention of protecting Bordeaux against the risk of invasion from the river together with Fort Paté and the Blaye Citadel which are located on the right hand bank of the Gironde.  Fort Médoc the Citadel of Blaye, its city walls and Fort Paté were listed in 2008 as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

 

In the morning there was an oyster tasting at Fort Médoc.  Unfortunately I am allergic to oysters however many others enjoyed the beautifully fresh oysters brought from only an hour away.  At least I had a taste of the Entre-Deux-Mers that was offered to drink with the oysters.  I also enjoyed a stroll around Fort Médoc.

 

We took a scenic drive in the afternoon through the Médoc wine route from Pauillac to the tip of the Médoc peninsula past vineyards of the region.  These vineyards including Château Latour, Mouton Rothschild and Pichon Longueville Baron.

 

The drive ended by visiting the cellars of the Camensac wine estate followed by a wine tasting.