France 2010

June 13 Bordeaux, France

Out of hotel by about 8.30 this morning.  Have to catch the tour bus.  Signed up for a walking tour of 2 wineries in the area!  As if I need to walk more, but was 40 euros cheaper that they only other choice!

About a 40 minute, 30 km drive out of the city, we were dropped off.  And the walk began.  Turns out that the walk is 12 km long!  A bit of a shock!  Details as the tourist office were a bit light!  Some actually showed up with sandals!

The walk was great. A few hills, to the highest point around, 100 meters!  But it is a limestone cliff.  This is were much of the limestone was mined for the buildings in the area.

Stopped first at a fortress that work began in the last couple of years to restore!  

The first winery was the smallest in the area.  2.5 hectares.  

( http://chateaugrandbranetuk.free.fr )  And for sale, but owner would not say how much!  Very interesting and they produce some very good wine!  Tried a Clariet, which is similar to a rose, but very much better.  Also a couple of their reds!  None were more than 5 euros each.  Wish I could have stocked up at that price!  Lunch was here as well.  Smoked duck breast, which was pretty good, but was not struck with the duck pate!

Few drops of rain but nothing serious.  The serious part was that on the trail it rained fairly hard, and it was clay, so there were a few that wiped out!  Not me!

I expected that we would really follow some trails, but it actually just wound along the edges of vineyards or grass fields!  There were some roads walked on as well.

The tour finished at the largest winery in the area.  Huge in comparison.  This one had about 800 hectares of vines!  Wines here good as well and prices close to the same, but this winery did have some that were 10 and 30 euros!

June 12 Bordeaux, France

Off an running again this morning.  Bought ticket to Spain, I think!  Have to check the city.  I guess I will have to buy the ongoing ticket at the next stop!

Then wandered down the main street along the river.  

Got my hair cut!  Good thing I have an easy cut to explain, with what little French I have and sign language!  Bit worried when he brought out the straight edge!  But he did a great job, the best I have ever had.  He seemed to take great care in trimming along the back and sides!

Walked by a parking lot with a car sticking out.  This is part of an art exhibit.  Seems to be I have seen this on TV, not sure whether here or somewhere else, but still crazy!

Went into the Beaux art Museum.  Interesting, but nothing really caught my eye.  There was works spanning about 500 years, right to current.

Then off to Wine History Museum.  This was great!  Actually the museum is in an old wine cellar, with the history from about 300 AD on.  Mostly from 1100 on.

Interesting that it was the Dutch that introduced the French to using sulfur to clean the wine barrels which allowed the wine to age, more than a year.

This became known as the "the new french way'!  And it was the British that introduced glass bottles.

The best was some tasting at the end.  A white and 2 reds.

June 11 Bordeaux, France

Arrived without incident!  That is a good thing!  

And found the hotel, after a 30 minute walk, straight to it as well, no scenic routes!

Then off to tourist office.  Found it and actually went on a tour bus trip around the city.  Tour lasted about an hour, but took about 30 minutes just to get out of the city centre!  Very busy!  

But did see a lot of neat places that I can go back to and have a closer look tomorrow!

Also made it to the last remaining Roman ruins.  Palais Gallien.  Currently under some restoration work!  Got a great look from both sides.