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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
