Notes From The Travel Journal--Bordeaux!

We rather reluctantly left the Casa but were nonetheless excited to cross the border and settle into the Chateau Lavergne Dulong 20 minutes outside of Bordeaux, France. On our first full day, we headed to Saint Emilion, a tiny town known for its wine but also brimming with historic Romanesque churches and ruins along tiny (steep!) stone streets. On a winery tour we learned that many of the nearby caves that store wine were excavated in the second century to provide stone for construction of the surrounding towns--Saint Emilion among them.

We also spent some time exploring Bordeaux itself, although it happened to be a dreary day, so we popped into a few shops, climbed the bell tower of the Saint-Andre Cathedral then enjoyed a mid-afternoon cocktail as the most severe rain drenched the streets. While not quite as impressive as Barcelona, the city provided a nice blend of charm, history and a modern vibe as well as another round of delicious gelato from Amorino.

For the final full day of the trip, we took a drive about an hour west to Cap Ferret, a beach town on the Atlantic. After days inland, it was nice to catch a glimpse of the Atlantic and savor moulles frites (ew) dockside.  We seemed to enjoy climbing things on the trip, so hiked up Cap Ferret's lighthouse for views of both the bay and ocean. What a surprisingly cute seaside town--what seems to be the French version of Cape Cod. A highlight for sure!

Bon voyage, France and Spain!!!