Although the Ramblers had cruised on tidal rivers before, none had the peculiar attributes of the Garonne. For one thing, the river rose and fell with the tide as far inland as Bordeaux, and what surprised and disappointed us was the large amount of sediment in the Garonne. On our cruise to the seacoast and back, we never saw anything but murky chocolate brown water. In addition, the boats who were moored along the banks also sported a brownish “ring around the collar.”
No doubt the people who live along its bank, don’t mind. There must be a lot of fish in the Garonne as we spotted many fish camps along its banks, but it was not our favorite river. I learned later, despite claims to the contrary, that the Garonne was always full of sediment, due to its unique geological composition. Thus if you are looking to cruise along a river with mostly blue, relatively clear water, this cruise is not for you.
Today Uniworld offered two tour options, both in the afternoon. One could choose to visit a UNESCO site, the Vauban-designed, Fort Medoc. Then, after a brief tour of the fort which was a short walk from our ship, we would board the ubiquitous busses for a brief tour of the Margaux appellation, and then a wine tasting. Uniworld’s busses are mostly new and spacious and usually having the Uniworld logo. Our drive would take us through many acres of vineyards with their chateaus visible in the distance, as well as small villages, each with their ancient parish church. Our three groups would each visit a different Chateau for the tasting.
If you preferred a more energetic tour of the Aquitaine countryside you could travel about 14 K on a bicycle through the countryside, and enjoy a wine tasting along the way. All the Uniworld ships are equipped with very good bikes, and if I were not equipped with artificial hips, and had a few less years, I would sign up for the cycle tours…if it wasn’t raining as it is a great way to see the countryside. However, this part of France does have a maritime climate. it usually doesn’t get too hot, but sometimes it is a little damp. Fortunately for the cyclists, the afternoon was sunny and not too warm, ideal for their expedition.
Since the River Royale had remained in Bordeaux overnight, it left for Fort Medoc at 8 AM, and we arrived at our destination at 1:30 PM. After the tour groups disembarked, the River Royale sailed on to Pauillac. Our groups would also end up at Pauillac at the end of our excursions. If you are thinking nothing is very far apart on this cruise, you would be correct, However, the Garonne, as do all rivers, does not travel in a straight line, which provides more time for cruising.
In Bordeaux, the River Royale nautical crew prepared for sailing that morning, after everyone was safely on board. The Bordeaux dock, Quqi de Chartrons was next to a wide promenade, and a scene of constant activity. Anyone could disembark and stroll along the river or visit some of the shops and restaurants as long as they were on board a half hour before departure.
One thing to keep in mind on river cruises, is that the ships almost always set sail on the time listed on the day’s activity sheet. This is mainly due to scheduling trips through locks or finding dock space. With so many ships on the river these days, the preferred docks close to a town are often at a premium. if you miss the ship, it is up to you to find a way to the next stop. Fortunately they have Uber in France, but not all drivers may want to leave their home base.
Pauillac our final stop has around 3000 acres (12 km) of vineyards located in Haut-Medoc (part of Bordeaux wine region). Here are produced 3 of Bordeaux wine region’s 5 first-growth wines – Chateau Latour, Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Chateau Lafitte Rothschild. On our way to our designated Chateau, we would get to see these great estates from a distance as our bus rumbled slowly by, which was fun. Tastings at the top of the line estates are very expensive and often have to be reserved months ahead of time.
From my observation of our tour group from the River Royale during yesterday’s tasting, most would not appreciated a tasting of really expensive wines. In fact, I am not sure that I would get the subtle nuances of very expensive pours. You may be surprised to know that they are not found in my wine cabinet. LOL The Ramblers are not a matched set when it comes to wine, the senior Ramblers does not imbibe at all, and I was a little sorry that I had bribed him into this cruise which interested me, with an opportunity for a second cruise to Eastern Europe, on the S.S. Beatrice, a ship we both remembered fondly from our first river cruise. Consequently, he spent a lot of time patiently waiting outside, enjoying a cigarette or two, while I enjoyed the tour and tasting. Although he was the only one who waited outside today, quite a few members of the tour group quite obviously didn’t enjoy the wines they tasted.
But first our visit to Fort Medoc. Medoc was one of three forts designed by Sebastian Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban (1633-1707) the most famous…and most imitated military engineer of his time. During his long career, Vauban designed the fortifications at over 300 sites and estimated he had conducted 40 defensive sieges. Today, 12 of his forts are designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. His designed were used long after his death, until rifled artillery shells made brick and mortar forts obsolete. Medoc and Blaye which we would visit tomorrow were constructed to protect the estuary from attack by sea.
It was a pleasant, sunny afternoon and we enjoyed our stroll through what remained of the fortifications, it was easy to see how sturdily they had been built. Unfortunately for us non-linguists, the information was in French, as one would expect, but i can read French better than I can speak it, so the Ramblers came away with some knowledge of the Fort and its purpose.
We then boarded our bus for the promised panorama tour of the Medoc countryside and our visit to a Premier Cru Chateau, tho not one of the top three. We learned that we would be stopping at the Chateau du Tertre; there are several with this name, since tertre means on a hillside. Although the extensive acreage around the Chateau has been cultivated for a thousand years, the current Chateau was built in 1858, and had its ups and downs. In 1997, it was bought by a Dutch businessman who was instrumental not only in beautifully restoring the Chateau but gradually making the cultivation of its 53 hectares of vineyards bio- dynamic or as we know them in the states, organic.
Our group was greeted at the Chateau’s entrance by our smiling guide, who wold first give us an interesting tour of the production area. It proved to be both up to date and extensive as the Chateau produces 150,000 bottles of good wine every year, mostly red. Our tour did not include the interior of the main building, which, I learned later includes a highly regarded and beautifully furnished B&B. For around $300 a night, you can stay in the heart of the Medoc wine country in a beautiful area that is, amazingly, only 16 miles from Bordeaux.
After our cellar tour, we headed for the tasting room, a separate building at the far end of the property, overlooking the vineyards.There we tasted three red wines, going from the newest vintage, to more mature ones, and tastes of both their first and second quality wines. This Rambler enjoyed them. If you are interested in what they might cost, it is all depending on the vintage year but the cheapest bottles go for about $40. and upwards from there.
After our tasting we headed back to the busses and I collected the senior Rambler from his perch on the porch of one of the outbuildings and we headed to Paullac. We wouldn’t stay there long as the River Royale was scheduled to set sail for Blaye at 7 PM. We had just enough time at Pauillac to check out the marina before it was time to board our ship for the brief voyage to Blaye.
