After a quick breakfast on the Catherine, the Ramblers boarded the bus for our trip to Beaune, a distance of 50 miles or so. Since we hadn’t got up extra early, all we saw of the Quai des Marans and Macon was either from our ship or the bus window. The town itself looked interesting with a tall church spire visible in the distance. However, before long we had left Macon behind on our way to Beaune.
A view of Macon from the Catherine, we would cross the imposing bridge when we headed to Beaune.
I had coaxed the senior Rambler in coming along on the trip to Beaune. There wouldn’t be much walking involved as we had seen the famous Hospice on our last trip. The plan was to find a cafe on the square next to the hospice and people watch while the others took in the Hospice.
The entrance to the Hospice, from the interior courtyard, you can see the amazing tiled roof.
Since we had visited Beaune and the very famous late medieval Hospice two years ago, I’m not going to include any information about it today. I wrote at length about its history and included several photos in an earlier blog.
After we reached the historic area of the town which was a fair walk from our bus stop, the Ramblers sought out a table at one of the cafes facing the historic center of Beaune. Because of the narrow streets in the historic area the buses can only stop outside the tour destination. In some of these towns, this involves a fairly lengthy walk, but this time our stop wasn’t so far from our destination.
In fact, the walk to the square was a pleasant one, In the distance is the waterway that flows through the town.
Although I usually don’t take pictures of local people when we travel as it seems to me an invasion of privacy, I couldn’t resist a photo of this French family obviously embarking on day’s tour of Beaune. They were a very attractive group and they stopped almost directly in front of us while maman sorted out the baby. Hope they had an enjoyable day.
They were so cute, all well dressed with father and children patiently waiting while mother took care of the baby in the carriage. They were also an unusually large family for France where the birth rate is declining steadily..
In the right hand corner, you can see some shops and directly across is the Hospice tour exit. Leaving the senior Rambler to enjoy his Orangina, I headed there to buy some souvenirs. The shops in Bearne are noted for their fine wines (too bulky for me), their black currant liquor, and mustard. The story goes that dijon mustard was actually developed in Beaune but Dijon gets all the credit.
Beaune is right in the middle of the Burgundy wine district and hosts the largest wine auction in France every year. Wine has been produced in Burgundy since Roman times. When you ride through the surrounding area, the most prominent crop you see is grapes. Of course they will produce delicious wines at the many wineries of the area. Thus Beaune gets a significant amount of tourists however its shops sell more upscale items besides high quality and expensive wine.
One of the many attractive wine shops near the historic center of BEaune.
Yes, I did buy mustard and some black currant liquor in Beaune. This Rambler tends to buy tasty edible gifts. Unfortunately the last time I forgot to pack the mustard and honey in the check bag. Mustard and honey are considered liquids by the customs police, who knew?? All were confiscated because they are not permitted in a carry-on. So if you want to bring back mustard or honey from Provence, please put it in your checked bag.
After a pleasant morning in Beaune, our next stop for lunch and wine tasting would be at the Chateau de Chamirey on our way back to Macon, Our bus route took us through the center of the ancient town of Mercurey which has been settled since the Romans ruled here. It was probably named for the Roman god Mercury 2,000 years ago. Grapes have been raised here for even longer. After the Romans left, the area became a hub of Christianity and Mercurey still has an ancient church which was probably built in the 11th century. It is named after a young Roman nobleman who was martyred for his beliefs in 178 AD.
Here is Saint Symphorien des Touches in Mercurey, boasting one very solid bell tower and the small windows and thick walls of Romanesque churches which were often defensive strongholds in a dangerous time.
Many Grand Cru estates can be found around Mercurey; our bus went to Chamiray, but the other two busses visited different Grand Cru estates in the area. The Chateau itself is a very impressive 18th century building and the owners have remodeled the original 18th century winery, adding a beautiful tasting and lunch facility close by the Chateau. It was here that we would enjoy a tasting of their wine as well as a typical French country style lunch.
The Devillard family has owned the Chateau de Chamirey for 5 generations, producing its first bottle in 1934. Since then the family has expanded operations in the area and now holds 37 hectares almost half of which are designated Premier Cru, producing both white and red wines of excellent quality.
Our bus pulled up in front of the imposing Chateau de Chamirey which was surrounded by vineyards.
Our bus pulled up before the impressive gates and we got off the bus, fortunately only a short walk from the Chateau. There we were met by a smiling guide. Although most of the passengers on the cruises we have taken hailed from English-speaking countries like Australia , South Africa and Canada, not to forget Great Britain, this time there was a large family group of Brazilians on board. Since their command of English was limited, most times they had a guide who spoke Portuguese, which no doubt made things much more enjoyable for them.
Off to the side was a formal 18th century garden to match the 18th century chateau. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to tour the garden and maze in the center
Our guides took us first to the expansive vineyards which surrounded the Chateau and winery on all sides. As it was the middle of August, the vines held heavy clusters of grapes. We never have been offered a taste of the grapes, probably because they are varieties more suited to wine than the table.
The Chateau itself was not open to tourists, as I expect it is the family home. Our next stop was the tasting room and then lunch with paired wines. Incidentally, the Chateau also offers lunch among the grape vines however this seems to be done with smaller groups, not 30 plus river cruisers. All in all, a very delightful day in the beautiful Burgundian countryside.
The modern extension of the ancient winery which housed the tasting and casual dining room where we had lunch.
AT 4:30, shortly after we returned to Macon, the Catherine set sail for Lyon, heading back on the Saone to its confluence with the Rhone. The Catherine would spend the rest of the cruise on the Rhone ending at the historic city of Avignon.
After locating our joy-riding bag in yet another low budget terminal in Lyon, we headed outside into the warm sunshine. To our surprise, there were several other couples already on board the Uniworld bus. However, none had been on our EasyJet flight. It was already warm enough that we appreciated it when the driver turned on the air conditioning while we waited for a few other people from other flights to arrive. We were happy to sit on the comfortable bus and get acquainted with a new group of cruisers. Before too long, the bus pulled out for the short ride to the dock, the Quai Claude Bernard. The SS Catherine, sleek and shining as ever, was waiting for us. The ship was docked on the Rhone although the Saone river also runs through Lyon. This evening the Catherine would sail to the junction with the Saone, traveling north towards Alsace-Lorraine to dock in Macon around 11:30 PM.
The SS Catherine, sparkling white as always.
The crew was waiting to greet us and placed our bags in the reception area to be taken to our cabins. We then checked in and had our photo ID’s made. These days, Uniworld like many other cruise lines has tightened security measures. You upload your photo ID when you leave the ship and scan yourself off when you return. This is a petty good system as the staff at the desks can not only check to make sure everyone is on board but also have a photo of anyone who might be missing. However, once in a while a passenger will forget to scan out; they are usually reminded to do so by the staff at the desk.
Our docking spot along the Quai Claude Bernard, with the Rhone sparkling in the sun.
The Catherine is one of Uniworld’s super ships, over 400 ft long, with sleek modern lines. Inside, the decor is unique to the ship;. Unlike some lines, every Uniworld ship has been decorated with unusual artwork and sometimes an over-the-top and always vibrant color scheme. Either you like the decor or you don’t, we do. It is very hard to remain indifferent.
The Super Ships all have a spectacular staircase, this one featuring a fantastic chandelier and a Tang dynasty horse. Of course there is also an elevator.
As we were really early, neither of our cabins was ready, so we headed for the dining room. There a light lunch was available for both new arrivals and those waiting for a later flight. Since there were no suites available on the Catherine and we had booked one the cancelled cruise, Uniworld had offered the Ramblers their own cabins, next to each other but without a connecting door. The Ramblers accepted their offer and it was mostly a good thing. We were close yet had a whole bed and bathroom to ourselves. We would take some ribbing again for going back and forth between cabins, some clandestine romance!!! On the positive side, we didn’t have to worry about what to do with the butler.
One of our cabins, Green is a prominent color on the Catherine, the white university buildings are visible on the opposite bank.
The Catherine was mostly empty except for the crew when we arrived, around 11 AM. Housekeeping was busily cleaning the recently vacated cabins, as there were still a few folks from last week’s cruise on board, who had late afternoon flights. Although everyone was supposed to be out of their cabins by 8:30 AM at the latest, but some folks always bent the rules a little.
No activities were scheduled for today but we decided to get off the ship and walk around the broad walkway facing the Rhone. Above a series of steps, there was an avenue lined with the buildings of the University. Although the prominent building color in Bordeaux was gray, in Lyon, the buildings were a much lighter color and seemed very cheerful in the bright sunshine.
The Catherine even had a swimming pool. It’s indoor setting was beautiful but few people used the pool as anyone who wanted to go to the lounge passed right by. One stalwart lady did water aerobics almost every day, though she was one of very few who used it.
An Emerald cruise ship was docked in back of us and we took the opportunity to look it over. Although quite a new ship with rakish lines, it had several serious scrapes along its side. This isn’t so hard to do because some of the locks are barely wider than the ships. On a Uniworld ship, any scrapes are fixed the next day if possible. The sailors launch their small inflatable boat, and get to it. Perhaps we are prejudiced but we have never seen a Uniworld ship that isn’t sparkling inside and out.
After a leisurely afternoon in Lyon, we watched the sailors fold up the gangplank and cast off the lines; the Catherine was on her way to Macon. Shortly afterwards, all the passengers were called to the lounge where the Captain discussed shipboard safety and then all the passengers found our stations in case of some kind of nautical mishap. although in some places the rivers are so shallow that you could wade ashore, others are considerable deeper and have a strong currant. Thus this talk is important though some passengers are bored by it.
Finally, Emmanuelle, our cruise director, talked briefly about what to expect on board and just a little about what we would be doing tomorrow. One thing we did need to know was that the bus for Beaune would leave at 8:30 AM.
The dining room with tables set for dinner.
Around 6, the stewards began pouring cocktails in the lounge before dinner. in the Cezanne restaurant at 7. The dining room on the Catherine is attractive and seating is comfortable. There is never assigned seating on a river cruise,and on the first day, the Ramblers chose a likely looking spot with a window view so we could watch the countryside roll by as we ate. Although some people travel with a group, the Ramblers have always been 2 against the world; we get to meet a lot of people that way. Most are very pleasant company. We didn’t stay up late as it had been a long day and we would have an early start tomorrow. On to Beaune!
We woke up to sunshine our last day on the River Royale. Early next morning we would be on our way to our replacement cruise which started in Lyon, not Budapest this time. Today’s Bordeaux excursion was to be a walking tour of the city, but even the Rambler had little desire to stroll around the city of Bordeaux, despite the nice weather.
Docked in Bordeaux. The promenade was a scene of constant activity, they even had a skate park. At this time, the tide was in as the brown water of the Garonne reached high on the wall. another ship is docked in front of the River Royale.
We would take time to carefully pack our cases and then lounge about on the sun deck people watching on the promenade alongside the Quai des Chartrons.
We were content to observe the historic houses of the Chartrons district from the River Royale. For some reason, Bordeaux, compared to other places we visited, seemed like a gray city, tho no doubt it has many charms.
The Ramblers were disappointed that there weren’t any tours of the WWII sites in and around the city. Indeed the famous German submarine pens, I learned later, were not that far from where the River Royale was docked and it would have been an easy walk to at least see that grim concrete structure. Unfortunately I didn’t realize this until we were back in Georgia.
A WWII photo of submarines entering and leaving the pens.
Actually there was a lot of information about the submarine pens online, and many photos The Bordeaux sub base was one of a dozen facilities the Germans built on the French coast between 1941 and 1943. Made of concrete and steel to withstand allied bombing, according to local legend the concrete walls hold the bodies of 20 French workmen who had protested working on the base for the Germans. It is an absolutely huge facility, of 43,000 sq. meters which translates to 462,848 sq. ft. In a way, I am glad we didn’t try to find it as we would have been exhausted from such a long walk. Today the city of Bordeaux uses it as a multidisciplinary event space for art, concerts, opera, theater and dance. It is a very successful use of a somewhat grim and forbidding space, although I expect when you are inside, you can never quite forget what it once was.
As you can see the lighting is striking as it is reflects off the water in the pens…
On this last day, Uniworld had scheduled another Masterpiece event. This was titled an 1890’s sidecar tour of the city. The Ramblers were about the most retro folks on the cruise but the thought of getting into those sidecar seats and bouncing over the bumpy streets of Bordeaux was not a pleasant one, I think only one or two couples went on this tour from our ship, yet it gets good reviews on Tripadvisor. I think by the afternoon of the last day, most of the people on the cruise were ready to move on, and it was quite expensive, 69 Euros per person for an hour tour. Yet again, in checking online reviews, the response was overwhelmingly positive, so I thing many would enjoy the ride.
The Sidecar Tour en route. They do hold two passengers and the driver, but I would expect that most were relatively young., and the cobblestones and construction make it a bumpy ride.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the final excursion that was available to us; a visit to the Cite du Vin. Anyone who wanted to tour this unusual building which celebrates wine in many ways could pick up a complementary ticket at the reservation desk. The Ramblers were not sure how many people actually visited the unusual building but somehow it didn’t even intrigue wine loving me, perhaps I was tapped out on wine just for the moment. Checked the reviews recently and most visitors seemed to have enjoyed it, although one called it a giant tourist trap. Perhaps it might have been better to visit the Cite on our first day in Bordeaux, to set the scene for the cruise.
It is hard to mis the unusual architecture of the Cite du Vin which glows with light after dark. We were content to view it from our ship.
Our cases packed, Sharon helped me print out our EasyJet tickets, and now everything was in order for our early departure. We then spent time talking to friends we had made on the cruise, either on the sun deck or in the lounge until it was time for the Farewell Cocktail Reception. This always precedes the Farewell Dinner on every Uniworld cruise and the Captain and crew don their best uniforms for the event. This time the Farewell Dinner was on our last night aboard; quite often it is on the next to last night because of activities scheduled for the last full day of cruising. the food is always special and this time the Rambler really enjoyed her appetizer, fresh oysters Rockefeller from nearby Arcachon, supposedly the best in France. The senior Rambler gladly gave me his as he is no oyster fan. They were delicious!
Before!
After!
After an excellent meal, completed with equally tasty wines, we adjourned to the lounge. Nathalie’s playing was as enjoyable as ever but we would have a very early morning the next day. After saying goodbye to many shipboard friends, we headed back to our suite for our last night aboard. Can’t leave the River Royale, without mentioning a little about our suite. We got a good bit of razzing from our travel agent friends about staying in a suite with a butler. In truth, our butler was wonderful but we didn’t eat many of the apps he served us and I certainly didn’t do justice to the carafes of liquor in the room. Neither did we want breakfast in bed. I think he was actually disappointed in the Ramblers because we didn’t take full advantage of his many services. Guess the suite life just isn’t for us!
Four AM came before we knew it, as we expected it would. We hastily got up, dressed, washed up and put our toiletries and PJ’s in our bags. Uniworld has a pretty good system for disembarkation but it is hard on those poor souls who had early flights. One gets colored plastic ribbons to attach on all one’s bags. The color denotes the time the bags have to be outside the cabin door. This is usually about an hour before your bus leaves for the air port. The crew then schleps them onboard the bus for you. After checking our cabin to make sure we hadn’t left anything behind, the Ramblers headed for the coffee bar to wait until it was time to board our bus.
As soon as we left our cabin, the housekeeping staff would be stripping and cleaning our suite, actually a very small suite, but bigger than the cabins, and then making it up for the next group of guests. I didn’t envy them their task, but every crew member we met was friendly and smiling on duty despite the hard work and sometimes demanding guests. The service is always wonderful on a Uniworld boat,
The bus arrived on time, The Ramblers boarded along with one of the travel agents who was worried about her friend who was having a hard time waking up. She finally made it, looking very bleary eyed, just before the bus left. It would not have been a good thing if she had missed the first leg of her connector for the long flight to South Africa. Before long we arrived at our destination, Billi, the economy terminal. It didn’t look so bad at night.
Billi from the exterior in the daylight, with an EasyJet unloading on the tarmac.
One thing about flying economy in Bordeaux and a few other mid-sized French towns, they have built special economy terminals for economy service. Sharon, our wonderful cruise manager, told us to be sure to get off at the Billi terminal, as that was where we would find the EasyJet counter. We have been in quite a few airports, large and small; usually they are build to show off the city to travelers. This was not the case with Billi; it looked like a large unfinished hanger, nothing glitzy about it. Later I found that the French have been complaining about the furnishings of Bilii and lack of necessary facilities like adequate bathrooms and seating. However the Ramblers were happy to see the EasyJet counter ahead of us, with a few people already waiting.
passengers patiently waiting to board in the spartan interior of terminal Billi.
At 6AM, two smiling EasyJet employees started checking people in. The process went smoothly and our checked bag disappeared, hopefully onto our plane. We then waited in the boarding area until it was boarding time; being seniors we were the first to board and also had a place to sit while waiting. It looked to be a full plane, as a number of family groups waited with us. Everyone was very quiet and I suspect not quite awake. While we waited we could watch the sometimes very funny attempts of passengers to stuff all their belongings into just one of their bags beause of EasyJet’s one bag rule. For some it was an impossible task and they had no choice but to pay the extra bag fee.
Boarding was quick and soon we found ourselves somewhat cramped in the fairly narrow seats. .As we booked late, we were in the back although we managed to get seats across the aisle from each other.
Although EasyJet planes are not noted for their comfort, no cushy upholstery here, they were clean and the flight attendants were very pleasant and helpful. However, I admit there were moments when I thought longingly of the first class flight to Budapest we had to give up. However, the Ramblers decided that we would fly EasyJet again if we ever needed a short connecting flight in Europe. Believe me there are lots of those orange and silver planes carrying travelers around Europe. Just a note here. During the Pandemic, EasyJet has grounded all its planes for commercial flights but carried over 40,000 stranded travelers back to their home destinations.
As the flight was only an hour in length, before long we had touched down in Lyon to bright sunshine. Now we had to get off the plane and of course, there was no Jetway for us in Lyon’s economy terminal. The Ramblers no longer scamper up and down steps, and we had no idea how we were going to manage the stairs with our carry ons. However, the flight attendants solved this problem by taking our bags off the plane for us and which allowed us to grip the railing with two hands. They also provided us with transport to the terminal. While this was very nice, they dropped us off at the main terminal instead of economy. Although this was where Uniworld would pick up us, our checked bag was happily riding the carousel in the economy terminal.
The Rambler finally got directions to economy baggage, and leaving the senior Rambler to wait for Uniworld, trudged over to the EasyJet Bordeaux carousel. By the time I got there, our bag was the only one left. I breathed a sigh of relief as the exit was right next to the carousel and anyone could easily have taken it, or even worse, airport staff might have removed it and taken it to unclaimed baggage. You will know what I mean if you have ever lost a bag at a French airport.
Now that you know the ins and outs of flying Easyjet , don’t be afraid to try it. You can’t miss these orange and white planes.
Finally, hot and somewhat flustered, I found the senior Rambler patiently waiting, and together we headed out the door to look for the Uniworld bus. Fortunately, the Lyon airport is also a small one and it was relatively easy to locate our ride. Hopefully despite, all the problems so far, the Provence cruise would be a good one!
It is not surprising that since Bordeaux is the premier center of the wine industry in France, our cruise would end with two nights in that city. It was hard to ignore vineyards, wine stores and wine history on this trip.
A note to those who haven’t taken this cruise, you won’t spend too much time on the river because the distances between the stops are not far. You will however, experience some rough water when the River Royale changes course close to the mouth of the Garonne estuary. The Ramblers were surprised at the waves and chop in the water as normally river travel is smooth as silk. Generally the only turbulence you will experience is when water pours into a lock. That said, the rough water was behind us when we docked in Libourne. Of course, since the Garonne is a tidal river, the gangplank would rise and fall depending on the tide, even in Bordeaux. This can be a hazard when you have to exit the ship at a fairly steep angle. We have actually seen several people trip and fall on exiting, and they were not all geezers, so be careful.
These vines were loaded with grapes… with church spire in background.
On our last morning in Libourne, there were two options, a trip to the Chateau Abzac, or a bike ride along the Dordogne river and a stop at the farmer’s market in Libourne on the way back. Before we head to the chateau, Libourne is worth a mention. The town was founded as a walled city in the 12th century and some of these walls are still standing. Libourne has a love/hate relationship with Bordeaux because of its position as the second city in the Gironde, but has grown recently as an economic and commercial hub in the Northern Gironde. It currently has a population of 24,000.
A view of Libourne in the evening, lots of activity along the promenade and a short walk to the square.
Beside architecturally interesting buildings, Libourne boasts a central square that has hosted a farmer’s market 3 days a week for 600 years, while the town hall was built in 1467. The Grand Port Tower or Sea Gate is the only reminder of the 9 gateways that protected the city during medieval times. Several towers were constructed by the English who controlled this part of France until they were driven out by French forces inspired by Joan of Arc.
However, this Rambler decided against walking to the farmer’s market and instead boarded the bus to visit the Chateau d’Abzac. One of the best things about riding the bus is an opportunity to see the countryside. This is the only option the Ramblers now, since we no longer feel comfortable driving around in France for two reasons. It has become increasingly difficult to get in and out of the small cars that have a relatively affordable rental and the high cost of fuel. While some do drive large cars, we have seen Range Rovers and big SUV’s on the roads, not only are they gas guzzlers but in France, parking places are TINY!
An aerial view of the Chateau d’Abzac with a good view of bus parking and the courtyard. At the top right is the river Ill and close to the shore the dam that powers the interior watermill. The large building at the center top is the old flour mill, not the corporate headquarters of the Groupe Abzac. Of course, its vineyards are on display along the entrance road.
On our way to Abzac, we glimpsed some wooded areas, small villages and many hectares of vineyards. Our guide pointed out what looked like a small factory but what was instead, a woodworking shop where they made wine barrels of French oak from the nearby woods. Evidently there is a constant demand for barrels as most are used only once for wine. The used barrels will be sold to whiskey distillers or for other uses.
Then we pulled through the gates of the Chateau and parked. We were the only guests that morning, and were greeted by the owner, the Baron d’Anglade. He started with a brief history of the Chateau saying that it had been in his family since 1796. Of course, that seems a long time to most Americans, but as an historian, I was aware that there must be more to the story. And there was.
As we walked up, we got a closer view of the Chateau, with its pointed Perigord style roof caps. No photography was allowed inside, as it was the d’Anglades’ home after all.
Some kind of fortified chateau was built on this property in the 14th century. It was a strategic location on the Ill river, but the family who was given the land, got caught up in the struggle between England and France called the 100 Years War and made some wrong choices. Thus the property changed hands several times until in 1663, the owner at that time, demolished the existing building and built the current chateau. However, the chateau changed hands several times through the years. The owner in 1776 cleverly sold the property along with its prosperous flour mill shortly before the French Revolution in 1789. After the Revolution, the local radicals attempted to burn the building. Although they were thwarted in this goal, the then owners fled for their lives in in 1789 and settled in Germany where they would remain.
Even before Napoleon became Emperor, confiscated properties like the Chateau d’Abzac were sold to citizens with money who accepted the new regime. At this point, the Chateau was purchased by ancestors of the d’Anglades. The current baron is a good businessman who has utilized the old mill, now an historic monument for his company, the Groupe d’Abzac. No doubt he has to be, to maintain the Chateau.
As we walked towards the mill building cellar, we got a good view of the river Ill.
Our group was given a tour of the home, only one room wide, but very long with two tower wings on each side. The rooms we saw were obviously lived in, as they were furnished with well loved antiques. We also got a tour of the cellars and the ancient water mill by the river. To see it, we walked to the entrance of the lower level of the mill. We then had to walk down a series of slippery stone steps, and of course they had no railing. The Rambler had decided she didn’t want to attempt the descent, but the Baron gallantly offered his arm and guided me down the steps. Thus the photos of the water mill are my own.
Roaring river water flows towards the the mill wheel, I was glad I got to see the relic of the past, thanks to the Baron’s help.
Afterwards we enjoyed a tasting of the baron’s wines. Unlike some of the places we visited, the Chateau d’Abzac wines are not Grand Cru but Bordeaux Superior, although the gravelly terrain is very similar to that of Pomerol. In fact the Baron’s motto is to produce good wines at sensible prices and so he does. The Chateau’s wines are very drinkable.
After our tour, we enjoyed a tasting of the d’Abzac wines, the Baron is wearing the blue shirt in this photo.
AT 3 PM, the River Royale sailed back to Bordeaux and we docked again at the Quai de Chartrons. Those who felt ambitious could take an guided stroll around the area at 9:15, but we preferred to enjoy a relaxing dinner and later Natalya’s evening performance.
This was also the day when Sharon, our Cruise Manager, gave everyone their disembarkation instructions. The Ramblers got special instructions this time because we were the only ones who would be taking EasyJet to Lyon instead of flying Delta to Budapest as originally planned.
Wouldn’t you know it, our flight left at 7 AM, so we had to board the bus for the Bordeaux Airport at 5 AM. These early departures are to be avoided whenever possible but this time it was our only option as the SS Catherine would sail from Lyon in the afternoon instead in the evening. EasyJet was the only airline with a flight that would get us there in time, so we really had no choice. A few of our South African friends would also be on that early bus for first leg of their long flight home. At least we wouldn’t be the only ones on the bus. LOL
As we walked back to our cabin after an enjoyable evening in the lounge, our cruise manager Sharon, asked us stop by her desk as she had some news for us. As it turned out, her news was something we thought would never happen. Our second cruise through Eastern Europe on the Danube, which started the following Tuesday, had been cancelled due to low water that day. .
We were
taken aback to learn that this particular cruise had been cancelled. Although there had been many cancellations due to low water on the Danube west of Budapest this summer (2018), the Eastern stretch seemed to be a good choice when we booked in the spring. Low water had not yet been a problem on that stretch of the Danube.
We had booked two back to back cruises which were to be our Swan Song on the European rivers. The senior Rambler didn’t want to take anymore long flights, even in business class. and he really didn’t want to take any more cruises. However, this Rambler wasn’t ready to give up travel and she didn’t want to travel with anyone else so… Eventually he reluctantly agreed to the Bordeaux cruise., This was my choice because I enjoy traveling in France and drinking wine and because the Seine and the Garonne seemed to have plenty of water. Plus our Normandy cruise had been our favorite so far. The senior Rambler was more enthusiastic about the second cruise. From Bordeaux we would fly to Budapest and enjoy several days in that charming city as our second cruise didn’t start until Tuesday. We would then board the SS Beatrice for our journey towards Romania. We taken our first river cruise on the Beatrice and had really loved the ship. It had recently been remodeled and we were looking forward to seeing her again.
Michelle, our travel agent had booked our overseas flights and connectors, all business class, through Delta Travel and AAA, at a really good price. As the two cruises didn’t quite match up, we would have 3 nights at the excellent Corinthia Hotel in Budapest, before we would board the SS Beatrice for our cruise on the eastern Danube. Since Budapest had become one of my favorite cities, I was eagerly awaiting our stay there between cruises. At the end of our second cruise, we would stay one night in Romania before our flight back to Amsterdam, and our flight home.
The first part of the trip went right according to plan. We enjoyed our Delta One flight to Amsterdam and easily made our connecting flight to Bordeaux on a very small airplane. Our first class seats were right in the front on the KLM plane and we enjoyed a nice breakfast on our brief flight to Bordeaux. Little did we know that we would we would not be able to use two of our three remaining booked and paid for business class flights.
Hindsight is always 20/20 and if I had known what I know now, I probably would have gotten the airfare through Uniworld, as if they book the flight, and there is a problem, they will make the changes for you. When faced with a cancellation, instead of picking another Uniworld cruise, we should have taken the full refund for the second cruise Uniworld offered, and flown to Budapest anyway. We could have spent the time in Budapest, booking local tours and getting to visit my relatives in Bratislave. We couldn’t have made our flight to Amsterdam from Romania since we ended up in Budapest, but there may have been time to change the flight. At least we wouldn’t have had to pay for an expensive last minute fare.
However, we didn’t make either of these choices. Unworld had also offered us an option of taking one of three other cruises. I might interject that several other couples had also booked back to back cruises and had to make the same choice we did. Working with Sharon on the River Royale and Michelle back in Georgia, we weighed the options. The cost had been substantial as we had booked a suite for this supposedly last cruise, but I didn’t really consider the Budapest option at this time. C,ruising is what I was looking forward to, not staying at a hotel, however nice. That’s what happens when you have to make a decision at the last minute. You are actually forced to make a choice at the last minute. Not being an impulsive person, by nature, I usually take time to weigh all my options. This time, there wasn’t any time. We had to decide by the next morning at the latest.
None of the cruises that were available had a suite available, unfortunately, but Uniworld offered us two cabins for the Provence cruise on the SS Catherine. Since our cabins on the River Royale were on the small side, this had some appeal and the Cruise Director was Emmanuelle Bonneau who we knew and liked from past cruises. In the end, we chose the Provence cruise, with two cabins. However, our choice meant that we had to get to Lyon from Bordeaux before the Catherine sailed at 5 PM. This would be tricky since not only did we have to book at the last minute but there weren’t many flight choices. As it turned out, our only option was to fly EasyJet on a very early morning flight. One of our daughters was horrified, exclaiming that EasyJet was the Greyhound of the sky, another just wanted us to come home.
Fortunately, we took Sharon’s advice not our daughters’ as EasyJet turned out to be a good choice. Sharon reassured us that most of the crew flew EasyJet and had no problems, but one thing we needed to know was that they were very strict about having one carry-on. Otherwise you would be assessed a fee before you could board. This didn’t seem to be a problem for us as my purse would easily fit into my carry-on and the senior Rambler didn’t have an extra bag. So that was set, Uniworld would take to the Bordeaux Airport at 5 AM for our flight to Lyon where we would again be met by a Uniworld representative.
The flight back to Amsterdam at the end of the cruise was more problematic. Hindsight being 20/20 again, we should have booked our flight home from Avignon to Amsterdam on EasyJet, but we stuck with Delta, hoping we could get a credit four the two flights we missed, but unfortunately we didn’t. The flight from Marseilles, the closest airport to Avignon with flights to Amsterdam, cost us over $1,000. Ouch. EasyJet would have been much cheaper. When our daughter who didn’t want us to fly Easy Jet heard we were going to fly our of Marseilles, she again was annoyed with us. She cited the high crime rate in Marseilles and when we meekly said, we were only going to the airport, and would spend no time in the city, she still wasn’t happy.
The final problem was what we would do in Amsterdam, for the six days before our scheduled business class flight home to Atlanta. That didn’t seem to be much of an issue, as there are many things to see and do in Amsterdam. However, we did need a hotel room for our stay and I booked at the Hyatt near Schipol, as they had an excellent free airport shuttle. Little did I know how much we would appreciate that shuttle during our time in Amsterdam. The Hyatt wasn’t the fanciest hotel we every stayed at but all the staff were friendly and welcoming so it turned out to be a good choice.
With our new schedule in place, we had one more day cruising and another in Bordeaux before we would head off to Lyon via EasyJet and an entirely different cruise than we had expected.
No photos for this blog entry as you might expect.
On days 5 and 6 of our cruise, the River Royale remained docked it Libourne. as St. Emilion, our primary destination for those days, is not on the river. We had an early breakfast for two reasons; our busses left for the 8 mile drive to St. Emilion at 8:30.
A view of the Esplanade de la Republique not far from where the River Royale was docked.
Shortly afterwards, the River Royale was scheduled to leave the dock for an hour as the mascaret was expected between 8:40 and 9:40. What is the mascaret, you ask? The Bordeaux region is very famous for wine but it also boasts a a natural curiosity: the mascaret or the river tide. The word mascaret comes from the ancient Gascon language and it means “spotted bull” perhaps referring to the unusual height of the waves during the tidal bore. The mascaret occurs near the mouth of rivers and estuaries during high tide and causes a sudden elevation of the water, as the strong ocean tide overpowers the natural flow of the river or estuary. This phenomenon, called a tidal bore, takes place in France in the Gironde estuary and the inward flowing Garonne and Dordogne Rivers. Similar tidal bores occur on rivers in China, England and Brazil. The bore often causes unusually high waves – the highest usually occur at the Equinox especially after a dry spell , when the river water is low. The waves comer in about 10 meters apart and travel at a speed between 15 km/h to 30km, depending of the location They travel up to 200 km inland and the water can be very turbulent in its wake. Supposedly one of the best places to experience the mascaret is not far from our dock in Libourne so our Captain would take no chances with the safety of his ship and was expected to move out into the river before high tide that morning at 8:40.
Surfing on the Garonne mascaret during the equinox as a series of waves come rolling in on the normally calm river. We didn’t see any surfers.
The senior Rambler who didn’t plan to go on the morning’s walking tour expected to experience the phenomenon onboard the River Royale. He was disappointed however, this time the mascaret waves were not very high, not was the water very turbulent. On the other hand, river cruise ships are not made for rough water, so it was necessary for them to be prepared. Local surfers look forward to the peak times of the mascaret and take full advantage of the high waves as long as they last.
Luckily, there was a gentle walker tour for St. Emilion, so I happily boarded bus 3 with our group. One of the attractions of this tour was a visit to the Monolithic Church, an underground building carved out of limestone by the stone masons of the area in the 12th century. This was a place that I really wanted to see,as there are very few like it however Sharon, our cruise director and today’s guide, talked me out of it.
Not only were the cobblestones very lumpy, but they went down a fairly steep slope. The handrails in the middle also had gaps between them.
Unfortunately in order to get to the church entrance, you have to walk down a steep path called a tertre (hill) paved with large, very irregular cobblestones. Sharon was concerned that I would trip and hurt myself trying to keep up with the regular group, as the gentle walkers were going to another ancient church. When later I saw the cobblestones in question, it was obvious she was right. They were so lumpy that the city had installed a railing partway. Railing or not, I knew the senior Rambler would not be happy with me if I tried it. At least I got to see the exterior of the church, the bell tower and later, its exit on the plaza below. Sharon told me later that a couple who did not walk well had insisted on going to see the church. Unfortunately because they had difficulties, they held up the whole group which then had little time to explore the church interior. I was glad that I had taken her advice and not spoiled the tour for the others.
The bell tower stands tall over the entrance to the Monolithic Church
Before we move on, a little information about the monolithic church of St. Emilion. History relates that a Breton monk named Emilion arrived in the 8th century and established a monastery in what is now St. Emilion. He became a hermit and lived in a cave. Emilion was said to perform many miracles and thus people came to visit him there through the years. As a result, the town which sprang up around the hermitage became known as St. Emilion, although Emilion was never formally canonized. In the 12th century, the cave was enlarged by local stone masons into a church with three naves, and a small catacomb beneath.
Ancient frescoes on the roof of the Monolithic Church , photography is not allowed in the interior and I had to really look for photos on the web.
Over time, the town of St. Emilion became wealthy due to its successful wine production and its strategic position along a pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. By the end of the middle ages, this small town had a number of churches including the monolithic church and the Collegiate Church which was part of the gentle walkers tour.
Not all of the monolithic church is underground. It has a 53-meter-high bell-tower which still stands today. Unfortunately in the late twentieth century the 3,000 ton weight of the tower shifted, making it likely to collapse. as constant water infiltration had threatened its foundation. Cement columns were erected to supplement the church’s pillars and reinforce the bell tower, but this solution was was only a temporary and unsightly fix. The dangerously unstable the bell tower was placed on the endangered building list in the 1990s.
This photo was taken by an unknown photographer twenty years ago, before interior photos were prohibited.
Fortunately the World Monument Foundation was able to identify and analyze the problems of the monolithic church. In 1998. geologists, architects, and engineers from universities across Europe produced recommendations for conservation strategies to save the tower which were then implemented, with funding from the local and national governments.
As locals say about the monolithic church: it was carved in the 12th century, painted in the 14th century, devastated in the 16th century wars of religion, battered during the French Revolution but restored in the 20th century.
Interior detail on the wall of the church, again photo was taken by an unknown photographer. Wish I could have toured the interior of the church myself. Some people who visited the church thought it was “creepy,” and no doubt it had a closed in feeling.
The church’s foundations were also strengthened through the insertion of tensile bands into its pillars. A decade after it was listed as an endangered building, the Saint-Emilion Monolithic Church was stabilized, restored, and opened to the public. It is but one reason the cultural landscape of Saint-Emilion, including its most famous church, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999.
The gentle walkers did get to look down on the exit from the Monolithic Church from an area called the balcony. The other group is just leaving.
Yes, the whole town of St. Emilion is considered a World Heritage site, for a variety of reason. As the gentle walkers headed towards their main destination, the Collegiate Church, Sharon reminded us to try the two famous sweet treats of St. Emilion, small cakes called caneles and macarons for which its many pastry shops are famous. The bakers of St. Emilion claim to have invented the macaron but since many others places claim this honor, the story is hard to prove. Nevertheless, the St. Emilion macarons are very good indeed.
One of the many enticing wine shops in St. Emilion. Many of the cruisers, but not the Ramblers, bought cases to ship home or bottles to drink onboard. Since the senior Rambler doesn’t drink, this wasn’t an option for me. Although some cruisers complained about the wine and food on the River Royale, I thought both were quite good, guess I am not a true gourmet. LOL
Our destination, the early Gothic/Romanesques Collegiate Church is in the center of the town, not far from the river; its entrance is right off a busy street. The church is very large but its interior exudes a sense of peace and tranquility. The nave is in a cruciform shape with altars on each side as well as the main altar. If you look carefully, you will see a statue of St. Valery, the patron of winegrowers. Valery is a local saint whose statue, clad in the tradition garb of a vineyard worker, dates to the 16th century.
Somehow I missed poor St. Valery’s statue tho I spend quite a bit of time in the Collegiate Church, and was forced to upload this photo from the web. St. Valery holds a billhook in his right hand, this is the traditional pruning tool of vineyard workers.
Still an active parish church, the Collegiate Church hosts both art exhibits and concerts as well as traditional religious services. On the side there is an extensive cloister where the Augustinian monks who built the church walked in rainy weather.
Our guide discussing the meaning of the frescoes inside the Collegiate Church…
The Ramblers were intrigued by the many frescoes which covered the brick walls; tho faded now, they must have been brilliant when they were painted in the middle ages. We returned later during free time after lunch so the senior Rambler could see a little of the town, and the church was a good place to sit and take a break.
The cloister provided welcome shade on a hot day and shelter from rain or snow.
The ruins of the Cardinal’s palace which dates from the 12th century and made up part of the town wall.
As we walked thru St. Emilion towards our bus stop, we noticed the many ruins along the path, all built long ago of crumbling limestone blocks. One of the largest was the ruin of the Cardinal’s Palace, built in the 13th century for the Cardinal nephew of Pope Clement V. It was Clement, the former Bishop of Bordeaux, A Frenchman, he was responsible for moving the seat of the Papacy from Rome to Avignon, where it remained for over a century.
Clement was also responsible for the dissolution of the Knights Templar with the encouragement of the French King, Philip IV who wanted the Templar Order’s money as these warrior priests had been the Papal Bankers. Jacques De Molay, the last Grand Master of the Templars was tortured and burned at the stake after he retracted his confession. As he was dying he laid a curse on those who had condemned him and the other Templars…
Pope Clement V’s effigy, his remains (literally) can be found in another church not far from the Garonne.
Not a Pope known for his sanctity, after his death, Clement’s body lay in state at a local church when a fierce thunderstorm blew up. A bolt of lightning set the church on fire and Clemen’t body was burned to a crisp. Afterwards, the remnants were gathered up an buried under his effigy.
Not all river cruising is about touring historic sites and UNESCO villages. Every ship also offers entertainment every night. The River Royale’s in house entertainer was a talented vocalist with a pleasant manner. Nathalie had the ability to play almost any song you requested and as you might expect, she was very popular. The River Royale besides a grand piano, boasted a small dance floor in the middle of the lounge. Quite a large number of passengers gravitated to the lounge after dinner because of Nathalie. The Ramblers, by no means party animals, did wander into the lounge one night and were drawn into the very congenial group of South African travel agents whose company we enjoyed. During the course of the evening they actually got us to dance to Embraceable You, which was “our song” back in the 50s. I know they videoed our dance but thankfully, we never got a copy or I might have had to upload it to the blog. LOL
Today would be another busy day of touring in Aquitaine as we were scheduled to visit another Vauban Fortress almost directly across the wide estuary from Blaye. From there, we would take a scenic drive along the famous Route de la Corniche Fleurie. After lunch on the ship, we would enjoy a leisurely afternoon touring the ancient town of Bourg mostly on our own.
A large scale map of the area, where you can see how the two rivers split ad tho we were sailing back and forth along both rivers but would also spend some time in the estuary. Bourg is perhaps 10 miles on the river from Liborne.
There was yet another option. Almost all Uniworld tours and excursions are included in the cost of the cruise, but they do offer a few special outings from their Masterpiece Collection, which are not included. They are usually not designed for large groups but rather for those who have a special interest or want to go a little farther. Today Uniworld offered a Masterpiece Collection Tour to Chez Remy Martin in Cognac, to, well, learn more cognac of course! The Rambler didn’t sign up as her knowledge and interest in cognac is almost nil. In addition, the tour involved 4 hours in the bus, and cost 65 Euros and the senior Rambler certainly wouldn’t have wanted to go. The small group of cruisers who did reported that they enjoyed it very much, however the Ramblers also enjoyed their afternoon in Bourg and it did not cost extra.
From what I could tell, the old town of Cognac looks like something out of a fairy tale.
I did look up the Remy Martin tours in the town of Cognac before writing this blog, and I must say they were intriguing. The town itself has many well preserved historic buildings I imagine the drive was very scenic. I was surprised to learn how expensive the Remy Martin tours were, the cheapest over$20, and going up to a thousand dollars for the most expensive and extensive. Since I didn’t know about this tiered structure that day, I didn’t ask any of the participants what kind of tour they enjoyed. Now I am sorry I didn’t, tho can’t imagine it was the thousand dollar one.LOL
The senior Rambler decided he didn’t want to ride the bus to Blaye but would stay on the River Royale while it sailed to Bourg. He happily saw me off as I boarded with the other gentle walkers for a tour of the fortress and the scenic drive that followed.
As you can see, we would be surrounded by vineyards along the way.
Sometimes the day’s guide will provide some local information during our travels to the site. We all had our quiet vox listening devices in place so it was easy to hear what was said. Today the information was on the Gironde estuary which we had been sailing on since we left Bordeaux. It is the largest estuary in France, formed by the meeting of the Garonne and the Dordogne rivers, as well as several smaller tributaries. It was already very wide in spots. On this cruise we would be crossing it several times docking either on the Garonne or the Dordogne side.
The much smaller Fort Pate still stands on an island in the river.
Our first stop was the Fortress of Blaye, designed by Vauban to protect the opposite side of the estuary from Medoc.There was also another smaller fort between them in the middle of the river which in conjunction with Medoc and Blaye defended Bordeaux. The small one was called Fort Pate; the three together were called Vauban’s bolt, which he had designed to protect Bordeaux from sea-based attacks by the English and the Dutch, the major sea powers at the time.
Blaye is a much larger fortification than Medoc; it is so large that it holds a small village of artisans inside. The town was wracked by fighting during the Wars of Religion which took place after the Protestant Reformation in largely Catholic France. As a result, King Louis XIII and his ministers decide that the town needed both restoration and improved defenses. Thus the current citadel was designed and built between 1685-1689 and eventually covered 38 hectares (1 hectare = 2.47105 acres) so this is a very large fort.
The Blaye Citadel is open 365 days a year, and for a change, informative signs in English and French, of course, are found throughout the Fort. Guided tours are also available for a modest fee.. If you enter the Citadel by Porte Dauphin, you can climb the stairs to the clocktower and walk around the top of the Fortress walls. From there you will get a marvelous view of the estuary and the area surrounding the Citadel.
Wish I had gotten to spend more time in these little shops,…
However, our group did not climb the stairs to the clocktower but instead were led straight through the Fort and out the other gate. This left me little time for photo ops, particularly as this Rambler has become paranoid about tripping on the aggressive cobblestones found in around historic places in France. This time, the gentle walkers were part of a larger group, and we had to work to keep up. It was interesting to walk past the small houses and shops where people still live and practise their crafts inside the fort. Our group would have enjoying learning more about their work but today there was no time for browsing.
The main entrance to the Citadel, across a dry moat. The clocktower is in the background.
Once outside the Fort, we got to walk through the extensive market that was set up along the avenue next to the Citadel. There you could find anything from food to produce to clothing and souvenirs. Again we didn’t have much time to enjoy the market as we were encouraged to board our busses for the drive to Bourg along the scenic route la Corniche de Fleurie. The word “corniche” simply means “ledge” or “cliff” however this particular cliff road took us along a ledge that faced the Gironde estuary. La fleurie was added because some unusual flowers grow along this route.
Fishing platform and shelter, some platforms were equipped with more elaborate week-end cabins.
In past times, sea captains headquartered in the port of Bordeaux built stone houses along this road and landscaped them with the many exotic plants they brought home from their voyages. If you have a keen eye for identifying plants, you will spot various palm and banana plants and many others that would be at home in Southern California. We also spied several fishing net platforms. They lower the nets when the tide is high to catch some of the variety of fish who live in the chocolate estuary. We were told that there are some 300 species in the river.
The view along the hilly Route de Corniche de Fleurie. I didnt get any photos of flowers tho as we were moving too quickly.
Although the Bordeaux cruise is a good one, the Ramblers feel that Uniworld and the other companies who sail this route, have missed a golden opportunity to spend more time on the WWII events that occurred both in and along the estuary. We were actually sailing along the route British Commandos took in December 1942 on the Frankton Raid. A group of twelve daring men paddled up the Gironde estuary to German occupied Bordeaux in frail two man collapsible canoes. Their purpose was to attach limpet mines to the hulls of German occupied ships in Bordeaux harbor. In some ways, the raid was a success as they did attach mines to five ships which suffered varying amounts of damage. However, all but two of them died in the attempt. Although they were supposed to find their way to Spain afterwards, with help from Resistance, only two reached safety in neutral Spain. Two died from hypothermia in the icy waters and the rest were executed by the Germans. A British film, The Cocleshell Heroes, provides a somewhat accurate tale of what many call the most daring commando raid of WWII.
One of several monuments commemorating the Franckton Raid, the HMS Tuna was the submarine that ferried the commandos and their frail boats to the estuary.
We saw another WWII memorial on the way to Bourg. The British and French had sunk several ships in the Gironde estuary channel to cause problems for German ships. The rusting superstructure of several ships is still visible in the river at low tide, as the French Government decided not to remove the hulks but to leave them as a remembrance of the dark days of the German occupation.
The superstructure of one of the sunken ships that was left as a memorial, a fishing hut is in the background.
The Route La Cornice de Fleurie did not disappoint. It was a beautiful drive. The Rambler was glad that an experienced driver was piloting our bus as the narrow road took many twists and turns. We were free to enjoy the scenery while our bus driver did all the work. But like all good things, we eventually reached Bourg, to see the River Royale waiting for us. Of course the senior Rambler was also waiting for me to come aboard. As usual, the staff had hot towels and refreshing drinks waiting for us in the lobby. We would stay at Bourg until 7 PM when our ship sailed to Libourne.
After lunch we had a chance to explore the small town of Bourg, population around 2,000 as it was just a short stroll to the lower town from the marina where the River Royale was docked. For a time we watched a group of five or so boys who took turns jumping from the railing of the launching ramp into the mud and water below. It was about 10 or 12 feet down, and they must have enjoyed daring each other to take the plunge. Not much to do on a warm summer afternoon in August in this sleepy town.
If you look really hard, you can see two tiny figures on the walkway extending into the water. If you enlarge the photo, you can see one about to hit the muddy water.
Bourg had once been an important port and has been settled for 2000 years but today it is largely forgotten, except as a stop for some of the river cruise lines. The Ramblers were glad Uniworld did stop in Bourg, as it was not crowded with tourists as were most of the more popular stops along the Gironde estuary. The town had two levels, the lower part was easily accessible from the river but to access the upper town from below, it was necessary to climb the 500 steps of the King’s Staircase to the Citadel de Bourg at the top. The Ramblers did not attempt the climb nor did most of our fellow passengers.
The King’s staircase is visible in the upper-middle of the photo.
We took a leisurely stroll around the lower town, visited the Roman spring and the communal wash-house for which it supplied water. Almost all the buildings in Bourg were constructed of the golden limestone which you see everywhere in this part of France. This is not surprising because it is quarried nearby. Bourg was once a very busy port for barges which carried barrels of wine, salt and the honey colored stones which were used to build the historic buildings of Bordeaux.
The Roman spring which fed the communal wash house where the women of the village gathered to wash their clothing. The wash house which boasted a large shallow pool inside, don’t imagine the water was heated and you had to get down on your knees and lean over to wash your clothes. Not fun.
Although we couldn’t see them, Bourg is surrounded by vineyards which produce excellent wines and have enjoyed a renaissance in popularity during recent years. The Citadel is easily accessible if you have a car, as a road leads directly to its entrance at the top of the cliff. If you get a chance to visit, the interior is somewhat restored and hosts a museum of 18th and 19th century carriages. It seems that most of the action is in the upper town, and most of the people as well. The map I picked up showed that had one of those ubiquitous little white tourist trains that are found in many towns and cities, but it was nowhere in sight. It would have been fun to get a ride to the top, but we didn’t really miss it.
All to soon it was time to head on board for the nightly talk about next days activities, a soft drink or cocktail and then a leisurely dinner as the River Royale leftfor Libourne at 7:PM for an evening sail to Libourne. After dinner we went to the sundeck and enjoyed a pleasant evening with our South African friends.
Approaching Libourne at sunset ona beautiful evening.
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.
We saw many substantial homes built of yellow stone along the river. Here you can see the chocolate color of the sedimentary mud with the tide going out.
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.
The approach to Fort Medoc from the river, its companion fortress of Blaye is on the other side of the wide Gironde estuary.
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.
The River Royale docked along the river side promenade in Bordeaux
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.
Another up-scale wine estate, which could have served as a model for Sleeping Beauty’s castle, seen from our bus.
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.
The entrance to Fort Medoc
Sebastian Le Prestre, Siegneur de Vauban, later a Field Marshal, This life portrait depicts Vauban with a healing scar o his face, one of the many wounds he suffered during his long career.
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.
In this formal portrait, Vauban is dressed in all the finery of a 17th century Field Marshall.
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.
Steel tanks on both sides and a strange egg-shaped concrete tank in the middle which glowed with an unearthly light.
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.
Our guide, busily opening bottles for the tasting as we enjoyed the view.
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.
The marina at Pauillac, the brown ring from the river is visible on the sailboat on the left.
After a relaxing Sunday, the activity level on Monday increased mightily. The senior Rambler remained on board, because he thought, rightly, that almost all today’s touring would be wine related. I however, joined up with our South African friends for what would turn out to be a very interesting day. We boarded our busses at 9 AM and were not scheduled to return until 3 PM. Meanwhile the River Royale was docked in the small town of Cadillac for those who didn’t want to join the day’s excursion. Oddly enough, although every cruise line which has a Bordeaux itinerary(and most do) touts it as being a wine cruise, many on board didn’t seem to enjoy wine. I guess they just wanted to tour this part of France from the river. I noticed that many either didn’t take a glass, poured out their sample or left it mostly untouched, after a sip. Perhaps this was a good thing,
Our first tasting at La Tour Blanche, our group wasn’t too sure what to make of the sweet , golden Sauternes. I think they were expecting a red Bordeaux.
While discussing our experiences in Bordeaux with our travel agent, Michelle, she told me of a Bordeaux cruise she had taken with a different company in her capacity as a travel agent. On this cruise, a number of senior citizen passengers who were part of a tasting group really took advantage of free pours. At one stop, they kept asking for more, and the sommelier continued to pour until several got very drunk and started to argue with each other. She and the other travel agents managed to pry the combatants away from the winery and hustle them back on the bus. How embarrassing it must have been the others. Fortunately, no one in our group ever asked for more, and all behaved in a civilized manner. Obviously you don’t have control over the assortment of people on your cruise, but most times they are a civilized group.
Everywhere you travel through the countryside, you will see rows and rows of grapevines, often with a large chateau in the background.
Today, we would not travel a great distance from Cadillac by bus. Most of our journey was on narrow country roads that wound through small villages and the vineyards of many grand chateaus. Thus our bus did not travel very fast. Our first stop was alongside rows of grapevines with an impressive chateau in the background. There, those who wanted, could disembark and wander through the rows of vines and admire the beautiful clusters of grapes, not quite ready for the harvest. It was a beautiful morning and the dew was still on the vines so almost everyone took advantage of this opportunity.
The logo of the Chateau.
Our first official stop, however, was the Chateau La Tour Blanche, both a wine producing estate and a wine school. The Chateau of the White Tower vineyards were planted in the 18th century and were ranked Premier Cru or first growth, in the Official Classification of Bordeaux wines in 1855. When the last owner, Daniel Iffla, died without heirs in 1907, he left the Chateau to the French State with one condition, a practical, free wine school must be created on the site. By 1911, an agricultural college for the training of future vintners had been established and is still in operation today. We got to meet many of the students on our tour of the winery and learned about how the Premier Cru Sauternes was changed from grapes to a delicious wine. La Tour Blanche is more a wine school than an historic site, only the Tower (Tour) remains of the Chateau.
Then we moved to the tasting room where we got to taste the four varieties they produce, including the Premier Cru which in 2018 sold for 49 Euros a bottle at the winery. This Rambler enjoyed the Sauternes with its floral and fruity aroma and sweet but not cloying taste. I am not sure everyone else did. Obviously the tasting was not free, but all these charges were taken care of by Uniworld as part of our cruise.
Our sommelier certainly enjoyed her work, handing out tasty samples of La Tour Blanche wine, however some of our group seemed a little doubtful about the experience.
We then boarded our bus, traveling through the Gironde , justly famous for its Sauternes, back towards our ship docked on the Garonne. Our second destination was the Royal Castle of Cazeneuve which was first built in the 11th century, although there is little showing of the original structure as it was much expanded during the last 500 plus years. The castle eventually became the residence of Henri IV of France and his Queen Margot in 1572. Today it is owned by their descendants, the Ducal family of de Sabran-Ponteves who still live there.That is probably why it is open everyday only during the summer months, and closed during the winter. We were to have a guided tour of the castle first and then a “rustic lunch” in one of the castle rooms.
The approach to the castle was impressive, of course, in ancient times it would have had no trees around which would have provided cover for an advancing enemy.
These historic buildings are expensive to keep up, but the ducal family obviously has some business skills. The castle looks in good shape for a building over 500 years old. They also have a winery somewhere nearby, although Cazeneuve wines were not served at our lunch. I later learned that photos were forbidden inside the castle but no one said anything about this on the tour so the interior photos are mine. Oops! If I had known, I would only have photographed the exterior.
This Rambler is not a fan of touring castles because of her fear of falling, but Cazeneuve was a fairly easy one. Most of the rooms we toured were on one level and the stairs were do-able tho without railings. The chateau is not fully restored and on our tour we glimpsed somewhat hidden passages.
Here is the photo from the Cazeneuve website, which gives you a great view of the Chateau, and the surrounding moat. It is dry today but you still cross over it to enter the Chateau Courtyard. Here we waited for our tour and our lunch. The surrounding woods have been cultivated for centuries. It also provides portraits of Henri and Margot.
Cazeneuve was once owned by Henri IV, the King of Navarre, who was crowned King of France in 1572, when he agreed to convert to Catholicism, famously saying, “Paris is worth a Mass!” At the time, he was married to Marguerite of France, the daughter of King Henri II. Margot left her mark on the castle, as she was reported to have crept out of the castle through a secret passage to meet her admirers in a nearby woods, still known as Queen Margot’s woods. This passage has been closed off, and thus is off limits to tourists.
Although not exactly a secret passage, there are obviously halls within the wall of the Chateau which were off limits to tours.
The Sabran- Ponteves family were obviously savers, and each room contains furnishings from bygone periods along with many family portraits. It is an antique lover’s delight! As I am more interested in the history and the portraits I won’t include any description of the furniture. The portraits are small as the nobility carried their pictures with them when they changed residences but you can detect a family resemblance in some.
The picture on the right shows a hallway that intrigued me, our guide told us that it led to another passage between the rooms and walls. of course we visited the monarchs’ bedrooms, suitably ornate, the dining room , the armory, and the chapel. Surprisingly the Cazeneuve site doesn’t mention the chapel, as it was an important part of a castle in the 16th century, Of course they would have had a resident chaplain as well. The family may still have a chaplain though I doubt it in these secular times. It seemed to be well kept and probably is still used for baptisms and weddings.
The castle chapel was fairly large, and was probably in daily use before the French Revolution in 1789.
After our tour, we were sent out to the courtyard to wait until our lunch was ready to be served. It was a pleasantly warm afternoon, tho slightly overcast, so we wandered around until it was time for lunch. It was only the second day of our cruise so we didn’t know each other very well yet, however I enjoyed the company of the South African travel agents we had met yesterday as the Senior Rambler decided to stay on board the River Royale. He is not a huge fan of French cooking and doesn’t drink. So, you ask, why did you choose this cruise? Good question. We had never been to Bordeaux and afterwards we would travel to Budapest for a cruise through Eastern Europe which was more to his liking. This Rambler does enjoy wine and French cooking and the lunch was a treat. The table setting was beautiful, the windows open to a breeze from outside. The lack of screens and bugs in European rooms always has amazed us but no flies came to bother us. We enjoyed our three course lunch,and the three Sauternes that accompanied them. However, again we noticed that several tables refused the wine that was offered, almost a sacrilege in France. LOL
Awaiting our first course of smoked salmon and the accompanying Sauternes. I was not the only one who took pictures of the beautifully set table.
Pleasantly replete, we again boarded our Uniworld bus for a relatively short ride back to our boat. Since the Garonne is a tidal river, the River Royale had to leave promptly at 3:30 so that they could sail under the lowest bridge, impassable at high tide. On to Medoc the next day.
Although the senior Rambler was not too excited about taking another river cruise, with some pressure on my part, we booked two cruises for August, 2018. The first intrigued me but not the non-drinking senior Rambler. it was a cruise in the wine country of Bordeaux on the Garonne river. We had enjoyed our cruise in Normandy two years ago, and I thought, wrongly as it turned out, we would enjoy this one as well. Then we would fly from Bordeaux to Budapest and board a cruise to Eastern Europe on the SS Beatrice. We had taken the Beatrice on our first cruise, and loved the ship. This time we would have a chance to see how Uniworld had remodeled and transformed . We had never been East of Budapest so this cruise was the one we both wanted to take. Even the senior Rambler was on board for this one.
The wine regions of Bordeaux, many famous wines come from these areas. We would start out at the bottom in the Sauternes area and work our way to the top, as the Garonne widened on its way to the sea.
However, we first had to get to France, and the senior Rambler hoped we could book business class seats for the long flight overseas. Fortunately Michelle Shirley at AAA was able to get us a great deal through Delta Vacations. This trip all our flights would be business class, even the connectors. It was a first for the Ramblers; we had never traveled business class on any airline. One of the perks of Delta One is early boarding tho we already had priority boarding as we needed wheelchairs to get through the spread out and very busy Hartsfield Airport. Our Delta One seats were roomy but had a somewhat odd configuration as they were not in a row but staggered; this made it somewhat difficult for me to hold the senior Ramblers hand in my usual death grip during take-off and landing, but I managed. LOL
Vijay guided us to the entrance of the Centurion Lounge run by KLM, where we were greeted warmly even tho it was 6:30 AM. We would get to stay there until it was time for our connector. The senior Rambler was delighted to find out there was a smoking room not far away. For those who persists in smoking, it is often difficult to find a place to enjoy a cigarette or cigar in a public space.
The food was measurably better than premium ; Delta sends you an email menu a few days before your flight and you chose your meal. Fortunately the flight was uneventful and we arrived at Schiphol right on time. The mobility cart was waiting for us as we had a connector flight to Bordeaux and Schiphol is a huge airport. However since there was quite a bit of time between our flights, we were transported to the KLM Centurion lounge. This was also a first. It was much more pleasant waiting in the lounge with coffee and snacks available rather than sitting in the boarding area for several ours. Our wonderful wheelchair driver, Vijay, refused a tip. He was glad we appreciated his help but explained that it was his job to deliver passengers to their airport destination, and tipping was not part of the service.
The lounge was a comfortable and quiet place to wait for our next flight. The chairs were very comfortable and snacks were available if you wanted one.
Our connector flight was a KLM Sky-hopper, on the smallest plane I had ever been on, and the whole flight was very informal. From our up-front business class seats, we could see the pilots at the controls some of the time. This was a short flight and we soon landed in Bordeaux. We had to get off on the tarmac at the small airport. Fortunately they ferried us to the arrivals area and left us by the luggage carousel so we could get our checked bag. Not so fortunately, our checked bag wasn’t on that carousel. They had dropped us off at the wrong place. After asking around, I finally found the right carousel some distance away where our bag was still going round and round. This was fortunate as it was the only bag left and the carousel was very close to an exit. Luckily no one had grabbed it and I rolled it back to our exit. This was not a particularly good start to this cruise and it really didn’t improve much. Some things were good, but Bordeaux turned out to be our least favorite cruise.
It was a warm day but our Uniworld Bus was waiting with the air conditioning running and after our luggage was stowed aboard, our driver headed for the quay. A handful of cruise passengers had been on our flight, as it turned out.
We climbed the stairs to the sundeck and settled down to do some people watching as we relaxed.
We knew that the cabins on the River Royale were small, but we never seem to spend much time in the cabin, so that wasn’t an issue, and the beds were very comfortable as usual. Since it was a warm afternoon in August, we stowed our bags and headed for the sun deck to scope out the area. There was quite a bit of activity on shore, as many Bordelaise walked, cycled or jogged along the wide concrete promenade along the river. Not much happened on our first day on board, as passengers continued to board. We were OK with this, as it gave us a chance to relax and overcome our jet lag. After watching our fellow passengers arrive during the afternoon and early evening, we enjoyed a plesant dinner on board before turning in fairly early.
The wide and muddy Garonne at Bordeaux.
The River Royale was scheduled to motor to the town of Cadillac early the next morning and return to Bordeaux late in the afternoon. This schedule was a little different than we had experienced before. The senior Rambler had already decided that he would not go on the morning excursion to a wine estate and a lunch with wine pairings at an historic chateau. Luckily I had already met up with some friendly South African travel agents who very kindly included me in their party. By the end of the cruise, the Ramblers would become good friends with these pleasant and outgoing young women. We would learn much about South Africa in the process.
In case you are wondering who you might meet on a Uniworld Cruise, the majority of the passengers are English speaking; usually quite a few Americans, a handful of Canadians and British, along with Australians and New Zealanders, and a few South Africans. On this particular cruise, there was a group of Brazilians who generally stayed together and sometimes had their own guide. All of the crew and staff speak excellent English and come from a variety of European countries.
