12.30.2017 — Vin et plus de vin et plus de vin et plus de vin… From Bordeaux to Saint Emilion

Greetings from Bordeaux (and Saint Emilion).

Started today with a bit of an upset – Mike woke up with some kind of back pain, and initially felt he would just stay in bed. But after some Advil he seemed a bit better and we decided to stick to the plan to rent a car (at the train station in Bordeaux) and drive to Saint Emilion. I would drive so he could just relax – and then if he felt he couldn’t walk, he could find a nice bench in Saint Emilion. So, following the Yndo’s wonderful breakfast (where they basically create whatever you want and keep coming with freshly baked goods and jams that the owner has made – today’s jam was banana!), we took a taxi to the railroad station to pick up the car. Mike found a chair nearby and waited while I went onto the queue for the car. Never saw such a long line for a rental car, but everyone waited patiently (we are definitely not in the US). Eventually I got our car, and off we went to Saint Emilion (after scraping the car a bit on a bollard that was in my blind spot).

The drive – which is just about 30 miles – was less interesting than we had imagined (going through a lot of industry as you leave Bordeaux), although as you approach Saint Emilion the road is flanked by vineyards as far as the eye can see.

And Saint Emilion (a UNESCO Heritage Site – another program the US no longer participates in since #45 has taken us out of UNESCO) is charming – filled with numerous Romanesque churches and ruins and narrow cobblestone streets. The medieval town’s history goes back to the 2^nd Century when the Romans planted vineyards in the area. Supposedly, monks started up the commercial wine production in the area. We strolled the streets (fortunately no rain), and stopped into a little bistro for lunch (cassoulet and salad), and then strolled some more as Mike’s pain seemed to have subsided. At one point, when we were planning this part of our trip, we considered staying in Saint Emilion for two nights. While it is quite delightful, I’m very very glad we settled on Bordeaux. We would have been bored in Saint Emilion – too small.

As we ate lunch, we wondered a bit about how Bordeaux fared during WWII and how much destruction it experienced. Our quick Google research uncovered some interesting stories, including the fact that a lone German soldier defied Nazi orders to blow up the Bordeaux Port (toward the very end of the war). He had fallen in love with a French woman who was in the Resistance. Instead of blowing up the Port, he blew up the bunker where the munitions he was supposed to use were stored. He was deemed a traitor by Germans, but honored in France – where he died at the age of 92. He had become a French citizen, married, and had children in France (not sure if it was the same woman).

Drove back to our little haven at Yndo (now Mike thinks he can live forever at Yndo).

Tonight we eat across the river in a restaurant with a view to the center of Bordeaux. Not sure what to expect on the food side. We shall see. Will report tomorrow. We kept trying for reservations at Miles and at Dan (new young chefs getting a lot of attention – I guess too much attention), but no luck.

All the best –

Fern