oops! I forgot about Bordeaux!

Oh wow - I guess I really did like Spain a lot as I forgot to blog about our two days in Bordeaux.... well, here I go..

First some ground rules for the Bordeaux wine region:

• they are very strict with the wine that gets labeled from Bordeaux. It has to meet a certain "taste" standard or you cannot advertise it as coming from Bordeaux.
• To have the wording Chateau (or Domain) on your bottle, you must have all the equipment to see the wine from planting to harvest to winemaking to bottling; otherwise your grapes get sold to a coop and are bottled that way.
• Bordeaux is a very beautiful city with great architecture, shopping and restaurants and you can cloose to live in Bordeaux for half of what it costs to live in Paris.
• Right now it's a three hour train ride to Paris but in 2016 it will only take 2 hours.
• Some of the buildings pointed out to us had belonged to one family prior to the French revolution. YOu can see why the people revlted as the difference between rich and poor was quite dramatic. These buildings still exist but have been turned into individual apartments or offices or government offices.
• They have an above ground electric metrorail system - very quite, hop on/ hop off and it has helped with those living on the outskirts of the city to get into the city without having to drive.
• An area along th Garonne River that used to be warehouses has been transormed into a park-like setting open to walking around or sitting on the steps and also a water reflecting "mirror" pool that reflects the clouds and balances the light is there - very cool. Every 20 minutes more water bubbles up and can create a 'fg" which is fun for all to enjoy. You can actually walk on it.

When the guide left us for our free hour or so we felt a little like 'fish out of water'.  It can be hard when you don't speak the language but we managed to find a restaurant and have lunch without too much hassle; although I am sure we could have eaten cheaper if we were a little more adept at the language.  Not much time for shopping but I did manage to buy myself a Longchamp bag.  I had bought one for Kate a while ago but now I have one and can say it came directly from Bordeaux.

The next day we were off for two wine tastings at two different wineries.  Both are in the Medoc region of Bordeaux.  The first one was at Chateau D'Auggesec - a very beautiful setting - medieval chateau with turrets and a moat - in the romantic style. Now owned by an insurance company as many of the families cannot afford them anymore.Visited the vineyard, touched the grapes. They only make red wines at this vineyard. We had a very nice tasting of 2 different red wines and liked both of them.

Our next stop was Chateau Loudenne, located closer to Le Verdon (where the ship is in port), this Chateau is right on the Garonne River and actually has its own harbor.  Was in the Gibley family for 125 years (an English family - Gibley Gin?) and now is owned by a French couple with two daughters.  They would have greeted us personally but were in Germany visiting their daughter.  Again, a beautiful setting and they actually have rooms that you can stay in or you can have your wedding there, etc.  They make red wine, rose wine and white wine.  Their total property is 143 hectares (over 300 acres).  BUT, when we arrived we were first treated to an amazing lunch served to us as we all sat at long farmhouse tables. A salad, followed by veal stew and rice and then a fruit dessert.  Two wines to choose from for lunch - both red and wine - we all had both. Lunch lasted for over an hour and we were all quite chatty by the end of lunch and ready for the tour.

Then another tasting at the end of similar but different wines from lunch - then a chance to purchase them and we were on our way back.  Another great day.

And Ed is actually starting to like red wine; so am I.

till next time....



Betsy