In Vino Veritas

Bank holiday afforded us the opportunity to escape to beautiful Bordeaux for the extended weekend.  It was an easy hour and half flight, followed by a 50 minutes bus ride into the heart of the city and then a short walk to our apartment.

Bordeaux is a lovely city (the Queen described it as “the very essence of elegance”), with graceful cobble stone streets, Parisian style buildings and large, open squares and gardens.  Apparently it had grown very shabby and was referred to as “the sleeping beauty” until about a decade ago when facades were restored and cleaned, trams installed and city squares reclaimed from the car parks that they had become.  The results are stunning.

The Cathedrale Saint-Andre dates back to 1096 with most of the present day construction occurring in the 14^th and 15^th centuries.  This Gothic cathedral with its huge stain glass windows and flying buttresses dominates the skyline.  I had particularly wanted to see this cathedral, as when I visited the Cast Courts in London, I had seen a cast of the cathedral’s north transept portal.  It did not disappoint and is covered with detailed statues.  Another beautiful Gothic church is the Basilique Saint-Michel.   This basilica is known for the mummies, which were discovered in a Gallo-Roman cemetery under the tower.  They were exhibited in the crypt until 1979, and they were later interred in another cemetery.  The mummies attracted thousands of visitors including the famous authors Victor Hugo and Gustav Flaubert.  The interior is impressive with wide aisles and ornamental ironwork and the pulpit depicts St Michael slaying a dragon. 

 The main thing for which the Bordeaux region is known is its wine, and naturally the main attraction for Michael and I.  Michael organised two half-day tours to vineyards on the left and right riverbanks of the Garonne. 
 

 
 
A large van transported us along with 6 other people into the wine country that surrounds the city.  Our guides were very passionate, enthusiastic and informative as they regaled us with the history of the regions and the grape varieties and methods used in their cultivation.  We visited 2 chateaux each afternoon, one large and one small, and were treated to tours, tastings and samples of the local produce.  It was a lovely experience and the countryside and vineyards were stunning. 


We were also fortunate to visit the town of Saint-Emilion, home of the Grand-Cru wine and possibly the most picturesque village in France.  The tiny mediaeval town is charming and is named after a famed monk who performed miracles.  We climbed the winding streets to the top of the hill and took in the view of the perfect French village and it was not hard to see why the town and region have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 



It would be lovely to return and stay in the town as it would be terrific to explore every nook and cranny.  We would need to be pretty fit though, as the streets are pretty steep.

A major tourist attraction in Bordeaux is La Cite du Vin, a fabulous wine museum.  We decided to walk to the museum, as it was a lovely day and the walk would take us across the river and along the riverside. 


The shape of the museum building represents the action of swirling a glass of wine before tasting or a decanter and is very striking.  We entered and were issued with futuristic headsets and were immediately immersed in a sensory and interactive experience.  It was unlike any museum I have ever attended.  The visitor chooses their own path and which displays to interact with.  It was a fun way to learn about the history of wine in various cultures.  I wouldn’t have thought it possible to spend nearly 4 hours at any museum (especially as we had already learned so much about the wine making process in the previous two days), however I could have quite easily stayed longer. The tour finished with a visit to the Belvedere, a glass-walled tasting room at the top of the building and it was a lovely experience to sip the wine and take in the panoramic view.

The food and wine were exceptional in Bordeaux.  Every single meal that we had was a culinary delight.  I ate so many duck dishes that I began to waddle like one! Michael absolutely loved the seafood and for our final lunch we headed to the market where he treated himself to a seafood platter with the locals.  We also enjoyed the caneles which are small pastries flavoured with rum and vanilla with a custard centre and a caramelised crust.  Unfortunately for me, the local sparrows also enjoyed this treat.  I was eating a canele in the park when a sparrow started to hover in front of my face, just like a hummingbird.  I had never seen this behaviour in a sparrow before and I was a little unsettled by it and shooed it away.  The sparrow then turned all “thug life” on me and swooped on my canele from behind.  It was the first time that I have ever been scared of a sparrow!

Our trip to Bordeaux was a magical compilation of excellent food, and wine within an extraordinary city.  I seem to always say this, however I really hope that we can return and explore this stunning region further.