SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2012 - LE VERDON (port for BORDEAUX), FRANCE -We arrived at this port, Verdon-sur-Mer, a container port that is absolutely in the middle of nowhere even though it is the port for the beautiful French city of Bordeaux.  Our scheduled arrival was at 8:00 a.m. with the departure on the following day, Sunday, at 6 p.m.  Using any mode of transportation (rental car, bus, train) that I investigated the travel time to Bordeaux was a minimum of "2 hours, one way".  I chose to book a day-long trip with a local tour company, Best Private Tours (Luca Renzini).  We were joined by six couples--all members of Cruise Critic--all traveled together for this excursion in two mini-vans, both with a driver/guide.  The group met briefly on the ship on the morning of the tour and then proceeded off together at 9 a.m. for the tour that was scheduled to end at 7 p.m.

In Bordeaux, you can raise your glass many times because the city is renowned for its wines, considered among the best in the world. (However, it was before noon when we arrived and our plans were for a tasting later in the day at a chateau in the Medoc area.)  As the capital of the department Gironde in the region Aquitaine, Bordeaux has one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area (according to a 2008 estimate). After years of neglect, the former wet docks are the country's new hot spot, with a number of cafés, gardens, and museums springing up all the time. A lively university community of over 60,000, (Bordeaux Campus is the largest in France) establishes that Bordeaux is about more than just wine.

We stopped at a bakery to see the beautiful food displays.

 

Bordeaux is considered a very tolerant and relaxed place - no one will bother you about your political beliefs, religion, or sexual orientation. The cultural, artistic, and music scenes are very vibrant. The city was ruled by the English for a long time, which is why Bordeaux seems to have an "English flair". Bordeaux is often referred to as "Little Paris" and the rivalry between the "Bordelais" (people from Bordeaux) and "Parisiens" can be the subject of some heated arguments.

Bordeaux is a flat city, built on the banks of the Garonne River.  It is also the largest French city by area and geographically one of the largest in Europe.  The Garonne river merges about 20 miles south of the city with another river, the  Dordogne, to form the Gironde Estuary, which is biggest estuary in France.  Because it is a flat city, bicycles make excellent modes of transport, especially as the city has more than 350 miles of cycle tracks. Bordeaux is among the most economically dynamic cities in France.  Due to the weakness of the subsoil, there are no skyscrapers in Bordeaux, which explains its sprawl. The center of the town has retained its traditional stone mansions and smart terraces, hence the reason behind the city being called "Little Paris".

 

 

 

And then the rain began...

 

 

 

Below, are some of our group:  in green coat, Jessica Brisbois; blonde in dark pants, our driver/guide; to her right, Marie Herrmann; & to the right away from the group, Paul Melton.

 

I thought this was an interesting way to let your customers that you didn't have a/c.

Here, you see some of the above mentioned "wet docks".

 

In the background of this picture (below) you see the Pont de Pierre bridge which  connects Bordeaux's right bank to the left .  Construction on this famous bridge, commissioned by Napoleon I, ended in 1822.

This picture was snapped from the front seat of the minivan as we arrived nearer the bridge.

 

 

Below,  you see the miroir d'eau  (water mirror) at the border of the river. Every now and then it is filled with about 3/4 inch of water, alternated with a cloud of mist.  In this instance there was no cloud of mist but a very pretty mirror. 

We departed from Bordeaux headed for the countryside of Medoc.  (I fell asleep; actually I wasn't feeling very well and the sleep helped a great deal).

 

I next awakened in a small village and once through it and some more driving we arrived.!

 

 

 And arrive, we did!!!...at Chateau Dauzac!  Chateau Dauzac's vineyard covers 111 acres of deep gravel in the Margaux appellation area.  Vines were first grown at Dauzac in the 12th century and the excellent quality of the wines made here was recognized in the 1855 classification.  Owned by the MAIF insurance company since 1988,  this estate is managed today by the Andre Lurton group.  In 2004, his daughter, Christine Lurton-Bazin de Calix, took charge of the property..  Chateau Dauzac wines are a blend of 48% Merlot and 52% Cabernet Sauvignon and are aged in oak barrels.  They are both supple and concentrated and express all the elegance of this truly exceptional terroir.

 

Entry to the winery of Chateau Dauzac.

 

 

 

 

We participated in a wine tasting of both the Chateau Dauzac and La Bastide Dauzac.

 

 

 

 

It was a happy group who departed from this wonderful place.

We traveled through the Medoc region as the day began to end.  Below, a chateau with the beautiful lights.

 

 

I'm sorry that the coverage for this day was not "up to par".  As I mentioned earlier, I was not feeling very well and my energy level was very low.