The River Cruise - Chateaux, Rivers & Wine

Day one, Sunday, March 30:

A little before 7AM the Viking Forseti (our boat!) cast off from Bordeaux and headed north toward Paulliac.  It was a short trip up the Garonne river to the Gironde – the Gironde is actually an estuary, rather than a river.  It is formed from the meeting of two rivers – the Garonne and the Dordogne River and is subject to strong tidal currents.  This is wine country!  The Gironde divides the region into two -- the left bank and the right bank.  The land to the south is known as the left bank and includes the Medoc and Graves region.  The land to the north is the right bank and includes the wine districts of Pomerol and Saint-Emilion.  While cruising the river, Arne and I are amazed at all the Chateau’s lining the river banks!  One after another – and the majority of them are still working wineries!

We docked in Paulliac about 10AM and after lunch went on our first Chateau visit.  They divided us (there are about 180 people onboard) into 4 groups and we all went to different Chateau’s.  We travel by bus to the various chateaus.  The Viking buses are state-of-the-art Mercedes Benz.  They are very new and very comfy.  The chateau we went to is called Chateau du Tertre.  It is located in the Margaux appellation.   For those of us who are not familiar with what an ‘appellation’ is or what it signifies, I would say we don’t really need to know to enjoy the wine! J --  But, I did a little research on it and my understanding is, the appellations are defined by “terroir” (geography, geology, and climate) with the assumption that the land where the grapes are grown imparts a special quality that is specific to that area.  The designation is controlled by a government agency and there are lots of rules and regulations tied to each designated region.  Anyway…on with my story…

We enjoyed the tasting and learning about the history of the Chateau du Tertre.  The guide was a very well informed young lady who told us that while growing up, she was so interested in the Chateau that she bugged the workers and owners with questions about all aspects of the wine, wine making, and the workings of the winery before going to school and majoring in Wine Tourism! 

The French Oak barrels

Cute sculpture in the Chateau

The Chateau du Tertre

After leaving Chateau du Tertre, we enjoyed a scenic drive through the region where we saw chateau after chateau after chateau – and vineyards going on and on as far as the eye can see. 

Another Chateau we stopped to look at.  It's so perfect it's almost fake looking!

The endless vineyards!

We met up with the rest of our shipmates at Chateau Kirwan for a wonderful dinner.  The food on this trip has been amazing.  I don’t know how they put on 3 meals a day for 180 people day-in and day-out.  And it’s all prepared on this ship in a very small galley!

Day two, Monday, March 31:

The ship traveled from Paulliac to Blaye while we were having our ‘petit déjeuner’ (breakfast).  After breakfast, we joined the guided tour of the Citadel of Blaye.  The Citadel was built between 1685 and 1689 to protect the town of Blaye.  It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was designed by Sebastien Le Prestre de Vauban who was responsible for designing many defensive fortifications as well as figuring out how to breach fortifications.  There is an interesting write up about him on Wikipedia, if you are interested.  The guide told us the history of the Citadel and some interesting anecdotes about some of the people who had lived there or been imprisoned there.  The Citadel boasts some beautiful views of the Gironde, which I have included below.

Arne overlooking the Gironde from the Citadel

Another view of the Gironde from the top part of the Citadel.

This was where the military brass stayed (the large house).  In the foreground you can see remnants of part of the fortifications.

More of the Citadel and one of the two entrance bridges across the 'moat' -- which was never full of water, but served as one of several layers of protection built into the Citadel.

After lunch, Arne and I took a walk on our own though the town of Blaye, which was mostly closed up (evidently, the towns are closed up on Sunday and Monday).  Our walk brought us back to the Citadel, so we decided to tour it again at our own pace, stopping at the museum and getting some good pictures.  It was a beautiful day – sunny and about 73!

One of the buildings inside the citadel.

Inside the prison courtyard.

This was carved on the wall in the prison.  It was a women's prison back in the 1800's.

Day three, Tuesday, April 1:

We traveled from Blaye to Libourne and arrived about 11:30AM.  Arne and I had signed up for a tour of Chateau Siaurac, which left Libourne for the chateau, a wine tasting and a light lunch, followed by a tour of the neighboring town of Saint-Emilion. 

At Chateau Siaurac, the tour guide was the actual owner of the chateau (by marriage) and was pretty entertaining!  Lunch was delicious – a small salad with chicken, couscous (which I couldn’t eat), olives, cheeses, and of course, wine.  Dessert was a rich chocolate mousse with whipped cream…and wine.  We also toured the vineyard and learned about the terroir of the area and how they tend the vines.  At this time of year, they have pruned the vines and left only two longer branches on each vine.   This is to control the production of each vine.  These branches are tied down to the support wires so they can manage the balance of leaves vs. fruit exposure to the sun.  Chateau Siaurac has a long history in the region and the owners were in the process of restoring the Chateau and making it a B&B.

The owner of Chateau Siaurac and our tour guide.

The Chateau

One of the vines with the branches tied down.

In the vineyard - one of the local churches in the distance.

From Chateau Siaurac, it was just a short ride to Saint-Emilion.  This pretty, medieval town has steep, narrow streets, historic ruins, combined with quaint cafes, shops with local artisan’s paintings, jewelry, and crafts, as well as, sophisticated boutiques.  It also boasts fantastic views of the surrounding vineyards.  At this time, Saint-Emilion is my favorite place we have visited so far!  I am including several photos below.

The town square

The view from above the square of the town and the vineyards in the distance.

One of the narrow winding streets.

A very, very old building!

Looking uphill!  This town is built on a steep hill!

This is a restaurant with outdoor seating!  Pretty unique!

One of the ancient walls to the town of Saint-Emilion.  You can see pock marks from shells fired at the wall during WWII.

Day four, Wednesday, April 2:

We were supposed to sail to Cadillac today, but because of some government regulations the ship did not have access to dock there.  Instead, we stayed in Libourne, which gave Arne and I time to get in a good walk around town after breakfast. 

The gate to the fortified port of Libourne.  One of seven and the only remaining  gate to the city.  Constructed between 1330 and 1350.

Across the river from where the ship was docked in Libourne.

Our longship, the Viking Forseti.  When the tide is in, this park is underwater.

For our afternoon excursion, we traveled by bus to the Chateau D’Arche, where they make the sweet Sauternes wine.  Although neither Arne nor I are partial to Sauternes, it was really interesting to learn about how they produce it.  The climate of the region encourages the growth of a fungus known as Noble Rot.  The fungus forms on the grapes in the autumn and changes their composition – decreasing acidity and increasing the sugar in them.  The grapes become shriveled, sometimes unevenly in a cluster, so harvesting is a ‘one grape at a time’ event.  The harvest of the grapes can take several months with hand-pickers combing the vineyards daily.  Most Sauternes are made from primarily Semillon grapes, although they use some Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle as well.

After the chateau, we headed for Cadillac and the Cadillac Castle.  Cadillac was founded in 1280.  We toured the castle and the Catholic church in this town before heading back to the ship.    A little history about Cadillac (pronounced ‘caddie yak’)…A Frenchman named Antoine Laumet de La Mothe Cadillac was granted permission by King Louis XIV of France to set up a fur trading post on the Great Lakes.  He established Fort-Pontchartrain du Detroit (later shortened to Detroit) in 1701.  Cadillac governed Detroit until 1710.  The city of Cadillac, Michigan, Cadillac Mountain, Maine, and the Cadillac car are all named after him.  Here are a couple photos from this stop.

Cadillac Castle

One of the rooms inside the castle

The local cathedral, just outside the walls of the castle.

Day five, Thursday, April 3:

The ship leaves Libourne for Bordeaux this morning.  It is the first day of steady rain we have had on this trip.  The rain continues all day, although, since we are Seattlites, we didn’t let it deter us from taking a very long walk through Bordeaux once the ship docked.  We walked to the Jardin de Bordeaux (public garden) and then took in the Musee de Beaux Arts (Museum of Fine Art).  

Arne in the gardens.

The gardens

This building was in the gardens but we couldn't get in - I just liked the wisteria on the outside...

We returned to the ship and had a fantastic dinner with two nice couples we have met – and celebrated Arne’s birthday!  They even brought out a birthday cake and sang happy birthday to him! 

Before dinner

The presentation of the birthday cake!

Our dinner mates - all four of them are from the New Orleans area.  Fun time!

Day six, Friday, April 4:

Our last day on the ship…One last excursion, this one via bus to the beautiful Arcachon Bay out near the Atlantic Ocean.  This was a fun trip and the weather cleared for our excursion through the seaside town of Arcachon and a boat trip across the bay.  When we arrived at the other side of the bay, we were met by a local oyster farmer and his wife who welcomed us onto their deck for oysters, bread, and wine (I just had wine…).  The farmer explained the process of growing and harvesting oysters in the area.  It was really interesting the way they gather the baby oysters on stacks of plastic disks, then when they are big enough, they transfer them to ‘tables’ that are anchored just below the tide water.  After one year, they are transferred to different tables until they reach maturity (3 years).  We were able to see the ‘tables’ after lunch, because when the tide goes out, they are exposed and the farmers go out and turn each table – DAILY!  Lots of work!

This is the little village we visited to tour the oyster farm.

The street leading to the oyster tasting.

I thought 'Degustation' was appropriate, since I don't care for oysters....but it really means 'tasting'.  :-)

The farmer explaining oyster farming to us (via a translator).

The oyster beds at low tide.  Those guys are flipping the oyster tables.

This is a baby oyster nursery  :-)

When the tide goes out, the boats just sit on the sand until it comes back in.

Day seven, Saturday, April 5:

Debarkation day.  We left the ship at 9:30AM and boarded a train to Toulouse and then on to Barcelona.  We arrived in Barcelona this evening at 6:45PM and are settling into our lovely apartment in the Gothic District. 

Impressions about France and the French, so far…

1.     There sure are a lot of smokers here.

2.     The majority of French people we have met have been very nice.

3.     I am amazed at the acres and acres of vineyards and the passion the French have for their wine.

4.     The French have very strict rules/laws (35 hour work weeks, mandatory vacation time, seat belt law) – I just wish they had a leash law that required people to pick up after their dogs….

5.     Our French sucks.