Oct. 21 - Return To Bordeaux

Cruising and Chateaux Wine Visits

The final day of the trip - hard to believe it - and we sailed away at 9 am from Pauillac, bound for Bordeaux.  The trip took almost three hours and I did stay on the sundeck for a considerable amount of time to enjoy the sailing, but the majority of the time I was in the lounge by the floor-to-ceiling plate glass windows as the temperature WITHOUT the wind was in the low 50s, so it was chilly.  We arrived back in Bordeaux about noon and it was time for lunch.  I had a scant 45 minutes before I needed to be on the dock to board my bus for a 5 1/2 hour wine tasting trip to two gorgeous chateaux.  What I DID NOT KNOW was that the bus trip would be 1 hour and 45 minutes and basically take us right back to where we were before we sailed!  In fact we passed both of the chateaux that we visited yesterday on the trip out of Pauillac where we embarked from today!  My lone "complaint" about the trip is that it should have been called, "Chateaux, Buses, and Wine" rather than "Chateaux, Rivers, and Wine" :)

The first chateau we arrived at was Leoyville de Poyferre.  Of the classifications of wine producers in all of France they are at the second level.  And while you may think that's pretty good, we found out on this trip that there is ONLY one producer that is EVER #1 and they are heads and shoulders above all the rest, so anyone who rates #2 is an excellent wine maker.  Here's another tidbit for you.....the classifications were made in 1855 and they have never and WILL NEVER change!  Here's one more little fact I learned....check out the two bottles pictured below.  Note the different names.  Well, that is a clue to the quality.  Like nearly every business, a winery manufactures several different brands and/or blends of wine.  They are only allowed to name ONE brand the "Chateau" - that's the TOP brand of the highest quality and obviously the most expensive.  They can name the others what ever they want but NEVER use the word chateau!

Far and away the "best wine" of the day at at this wine producer came when we were given a real treat.  The grapes had just been finished being picked and the vat you see the girls drawing from can only be drained like this for ten days of the entire year.....and we were here on one of those days!  It was the "best red" I've tasted because it was simply ultra-pure grape juice.....and chilled to 36 degrees to boot.  DELICIOUS!  I will say that when I toasted my new pal John with their "chateau" red it was a good red wine - as far as reds go :)

Now it was back on the bus for what proved to be a very interesting visit - to Chateau La Tour Carnet.  It is one of the few in the region that is actually an original castle - built in 1195!  Still has a moat and a drawbridge!  Pretty cool.  What a setting.  They allowed us to taste a white - very unusual for the Medoc area of France, and their two best reds.

The long drive back to the ship got us on board with ten minutes to spare before the Farewell Dinner.  I sat with my ladies and for three hours we laughed and talked....at least every ten minutes someone would talk about how special the dinners had been since we discovered each other.  And perhaps the most meaningful comment came from the two elderly ladies who - at ages 87 & 88 - said they had NEVER had such a wonderful experience as the evenings with us.  It was touching.  The last half hour it was the six of us at our table and six other couples came to join us for quite a while.  When we finally got up, we looked around and there was NO ONE left in the dining room.  Lots of hugs, misty eyes - especially from the elderly ladies.  A very special ending to a wonderful trip.

Starting from my right....John, Margie, Kim, Eileen, Donna, Rita, Anneli, and of course me

Up at about 3 am tomorrow - off the ship at 4 am, first flight leaves at 6 am and I'll be home (I hope) at about 6 pm in time for my sweetie Kim to pick me up and we will go to the Florida Panthers hockey game!

Thanks for following my adventure!  By the first of the week the front page of the site will be re-designed to include the highlight video and a page devoted to all the great gourmet meals we had!

FOOD!

Chateaux, Rivers (Busses), and Wine

Gourmet Meals

Oct. 20 - Blaye/Pauillac/Chateau Kirwan

October 20 - Blaye Citadel Tour

We woke up today and after breakfast we walked right across the street to tour the historic Blaye Citadel.  This was built NOT to defend the city of Blaye just outside the walls, but to defend the waterway which leads to the important city of Bordeaux!  As we approached through the "Prince Gate" (pictured above) we walked through the outer ramparts, across the bridge which crossed the dry moat (it was always dry) - the second line of defense - and then through the gate into the city behind the massive walls which were the third line of defense.  From the time this was built in the 18th century it was NEVER breached (through sixteen attacks) and provided constant protection of the water route.  

It was interesting that unlike other medieval towns with a castle, the people of Blaye were basically on their own, while with the walls were only barracks and living facilities for the armed forces manning the protective site.  We crossed through the massive facility to the far side and came to the ruins of a castle that was the original defense structure when it was built in the 11th century - that's old!  You'll note that the towers are gone as is the top of the main gate......

But do you notice how it all seems to be "shaved off" at the same height?  That is because when the citadel was built the army felt that the six towers of the castle provided an easy target for cannons to use for targeting the citadel.  So they were leveled off at the exact same height as the walls of the citadel!  The walk from our ship - five minutes from the Prince's Gate - through a complete circle around the structure took over an hour - it was massive.  The temperatures were in the upper 50s and the sky was a brilliant blue with bright sunshine.  A perfect day for touring a castle in southwestern France - JUST what I'd come over here to do!

Chateau Tour & Private Dinner at Chateau Kirwan

We were all on board by noon when the Forsetti cast off and we cruised to Pauillac during lunch.  I sat with my ladies and so enjoyed actual cruising while having another delicious meal.  At 2:30 we were all back on the bus - and for the first time all the ladies from the dinner table were on the same bus as we toured some of THE TOP chateau wineries in all of France.  We got to walk among the vineyards - actually picked (and ate) some grapes off the vine at one; and walked up a tree-covered walkway to another before ending up at a chateau for more wine tasting.  Now it was close to 6 pm and we headed to Chateau Kirwan where Viking hosted a private dinner for the entire ship-full of passengers.  We found a table to sit together at, posed for a picture and enjoyed a delicious meal.  I met another couple and he is very much into horse racing!  Small world, eh?  We headed back to the ship around 8:30 and arrived a little after nine.

October 19 - Cognac

October 19 - Cognac

Today was another really wonderful day. Yesterday when I departed for my excursion we left the Forsetti shrouded in fog. Those guests who remained on board had anticipated crusing up to Saint Emillion but by the time the fog lifted the water levels would not permit the ship to sail beneath the bridges, so they went nowhere. This not only impacted the schedule yesterday, but also for today. As only a Viking cruise can, our program director spent yesterday arranging four separate visits to local chateaux; then organizing the guests so that this "bonus visit" would not interfere with the planned excursions; AND arranging transportation to those sites from our current location; AND arranging for the ship to travel to Blaye; AND for the excursions to join the ship there rather than return to the ship! So this morning I began the day on the earliest excursion because we had the BIG adventure to Cognac later in the day (a 5 1/2 hour adventure). We boarded the bus and within an hour we were at Chateau Le Daphunine - a chateau and winery. We received a tour of the grounds and the wine-making process. Interestingly, the winery we went to yesterday would typically sell individual bottles for prices anywhere around $50-to-$175. The winery we visited today would sell theirs for $5-$30. 

One new thing I discovered today was that in the early 1800s a bug was brought inadvertently from the US to France which began eating the roots of the vineyards. Over 80% of the vineyards were destroyed! The only way to re-create the French vineyards was to import American roots and then graft on the limbs from the French vines! And TO THIS DAY every vine - EVERY vine has a US root and French vines! AMAZING!

One of the highlights of the morning's adventure was that I discovered "my girls" Anneli and Rita were in my group so we sampled a glass of wine together!

We arrived back at the ship in time for a quick lunch before boarding the bus for our trip to Cognac, France - the home of, duh, cognac. Did you know that you cannot manufacture cognac and call it congnac unless it is produced IN COGNAC, France? True story!

We arrived at the House of Camus, the fifth largest, of 800 French cognac makers, but it is the LARGEST family-owned house. The business opened in 1863 on it's present location and has been run by the head of the family (six different men), until present day.

After a short history of the business and then a basic lesson on how cognac is made, the highlight of the day arrived. We were taken into the "Master Blending" room where we had five different blends of cognac. We were briefed on each and how they not only tasted, but how they should blend together. Then we were allowed to blend them together until we were satisfied with "our unique blend." We would take the measured tube to the barrels matching the samples we had and fill it; then mix it; and then empty it into out bottle. We'd complete the label and then it would be packaged for us. We were told that the bottle SHOULD remain sealed for at least three months before opening to get the maximum blend of the alcohols. AND we registered the mix with our own unique number, under "our label" and this will be available to order through Camus for the next 20 years! Pretty cool.

Once back on the ship I missed the briefing for tomorrow and at dinner I discovered that due to our disrupted schedule Viking had arranged a special treat. We will meet for debarkation information at 9:30 and then go on our scheduled walking tour of the Blaye Citadel in the morning. Then during and after lunch we will sail north. When we dock in Pauillack we would board busses for our schedule excursions as planned. BUT instead of returning to the ship, everyone on board will be transported to Chateau Kirwan where we will have a specially prepared dinner prepared for us! HOW AWESOME IS THAT? Only on Viking!

The last story I'll share is about dinner. Last night all the ladies were insistent that I return today and share how my trip went. And sure enough they were waiting for me this evening. As has become the practice the last two nights the six of us were so comfortable together and once again closed down the restaurant. Not since our trip to Australia where our dinner table became like a second family to us have I had this kind of experience. And we shared this sentiment this evening and everyone agreed they felt the same. AND we all were of the same mind that we wouldn't want to eat with anyone else but each other at the chateau tomorrow!

October 18 - Chateau Siaurac

Day 4:  Liborne - Chateau Siaurac - St. Emillon
For the second time on the trip I was awakened by the alarm!  This is so unusual for me, and particularly today after most of yesterday was spent relaxing on the sundeck watching the French riverside drift by.  But I had to be up early as our bus was leaving from where we were docked in Bourg for our first stop in Liborne.  When I finished getting dressed I went upstairs and looked out, only to see......literally NOTHING!  Why, because of a very dense fog!  But the moon was shining brightly on the horizon.  I went to breakfast where I met John and Kim (remember they were the couple that I sat at dinner with, after they invited me to join them and were the ones who asked that I join them on the tour today).  John immediately said to me he wanted me to meet the couple they were sitting with.  It turns out that they live in Saratoga, NY - home to Saratoga Race Track - immediate connection.  And her job is to make the floral blanket that goes on the horses that win the big races.  So we started talking and I discover that she used to live in South Florida and worked for years at Calder Race Course!  What a small world!

The plan for today - which had been switched since we were unable to sail to our original destination due to the water levels, was to go via bus from Bourg on an hour's drive to Liborne which has a medieval city center and a traditional market that has been taking place every year since 1260!  After spending about an hour here we will continue our road trip some twenty minutes up the road to a wine making property.  Here, in a Viking exclusive we were invited by the owner of Chateau Siaurac to tour their vineyards, the wine-making facility, the cellar, the chateau itself AND have a lunch prepared by the on-site chef while sampling SIX different wines they make.  AND they are rated as one of the top wine makers in the Bordeau area of France.  Late in the day we'd go to Saint Emillion, a quaint medieval town (current population of only 200) and see the historic ruins.  But before running through the descriptions of our stops and the accompanying stories I must tell you that one of the facets of today's adventure that contributed to it being one of the BEST Viking excursions I have EVER taken was our guide, Virgina.  She was a French woman, mother of two 2 1/2 year-old twins, from Bordeaux.  She had lived in Boston for some time so she spoke good English.  But her accent and less-than-100% grasp of the language made her stories very entertaining.  She was very animated and asked all the time what the word she was looking for or better yet would mis-pronounce it leading everyone to chuckle, including her.  She was one of the best guides at story-telling and taking care of the group that I've had and she made a spectacular day even more special.  So we headed out on the road - and it was chilly outside, and very foggy.  The fog with the sun glaring into the front windshield of the bus caused us to travel more slowly, but we reached Liborne about on time, only to be caught in morning "rush hour."  Hardly anything like I-95 in the morning but considering it was a two-lane street and we were on a schedule it was an issue.  So we hopped off the bus a block early and walked to the medieval gate.  Then we walked through the cobblestone streets until we reached the open market where Virginia gave us a brief tour and then we had forty minutes on our own.  One comment Virginia had made to one of our guests in response to a question was that if you see something that you want to try when on a vacation in a foreign land, you should eat it.  I took that to heart and purchased a French pastry to eat on the way back to the bus!  It was delicious.  Near the bus was a very Euro-bridge that we were told was originally built in 1820 AND the architect was the same one who designed the primary bridge in both Bordeaux and Paris!

Without question the highlight of the day were the hours we spent at Chateau Siaurac.  Pictures, and even the videos that I'll upload later just don't capture how charming and spectacular it was.  EVERYONE on the tour remarked about how sensational the day's adventure was.  And we all felt even better about our choice to pay for this optional tour when we were told that the passengers who had elected to stay on board for the "included" day's activities - to sail up the river for two hours and then have a tour of St. Emillion - were sitting on the ship which was stranded by the fog, which delayed departure until after the tide came in and then they wouldn't fit under the bridges!  So they sat onboard until after lunch then bussed to St. Emillion and back.  We first went into the vineyards to be given a basic lesson on the region and the grapes that were grown on this 100+ acres.  We were taken into the back area where we watched workers sorting the grapes and then into the areas where the wine is processed, and the cellar where it is stored in oak barrels.  Then it was into the chateau which was built in the 1800s.  Unlike most chateaus where you only get to take photographs outside we toured inside and then were hosted to a four-course lunch prepared by the chef on site while sampling six different wines.  Near the end of lunch the owner of the chateau came down and chatted with us.  I was impressed that he thanked us for traveling across the ocean to Europe in a time where many people were fearful of this and that we showed courage to continue our travels.  Pip, pip!  And how very appropriate that the decorative vase on our table was of.....a horse and jockey!  We also discovered that the chateau actually has six rooms that they run like a bed and breakfast - what a place to spend a long weekend (or more!).  I spent most of the time with John and Kim and had an excellent afternoon!

Welcome to St. Emillion

St. Emillion was nice - and the ruins were interesting, as were the stories that Virginia shared with us, but honestly we could have passed on that stop.  We returned to the ship around 6 with just enough time to change for cocktails and then dinner where I sat with "my ladies" from last evening to exchange stories about the day.  We also exchanged emails - except for Lillian and Rita who do not do technology so they gave me their home postal address and asked me to mail them the group photo we had taken :)