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Published: April 29th 2011
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After several train rides we made it to Saint Emilion, our long awaited French wine country stop, in the late morning. We hoped off the train and were immediately in awe of the landscape. Rolling hills with vineyards surrounded us in all directions and the small town of Saint Emilion stood atop of them all. The train station itself was picturesque –a small free standing building with a single sign reading Saint Emilion. As we discussed what to do next (where to begin the two and a half mile walk through the vineyards to the Cabadentra Bed and Breakfast we had no idea), we barely noticed that there was only one other person in our presence at the station—an older man reading the paper. As we crossed the tracks in search of a map we were startled to hear, “Jake?” in a very pleasant French accent. Roland, the owner of the B & B, had come to pick us up so we did not have to make the walk with our large packs. We immediately realized our stay with Roland and his wife Agnes would be a special one. The charming and beautiful B & B was located in the rear
of their home and consisted of two rooms and a small breakfast area. After putting down our bags we were again greeted by Roland, this time with a small map that he had written on with all his favorite spots in Saint Emilion and the historical points of interest we should not miss.
We set out to explore… we started with a search for something to eat and were confronted with a swarm of ritzy cafes serving gourmet food in the beaming sunshine. We decided to pop for an expensive meal after a long night of traveling and then later do some research on where to find a store for picnic supplies. I enjoyed a French Nicoise Salad (a personal favorite that I always dreamed of consuming in a French café... Grandpa we need to make these!) while Jake devoured a scrumptious bowl of seafood pasta. After lunch we headed out to explore the treasure map that Roland created for us. First a Romanesque/Gothic architecture cathedral… then a look at a few historical sites followed by a stop at a breathtaking view of French wine country… next champagne tasting in a hidden garden (white soft was my favorite!)… then on
to a “cave-like” underground wine cellar… and finally a quick stop at the famous macaroon shop (same recipe since 1620!) rounded out our day. Our walk home was an experience in itself… walking through the vineyards under a red-orange sky as the sun was setting was definitely a highlight of our stay.
We woke up Friday morning with the intention to bike ride, picnic, and wine taste. Check, check, check… we completed them all by sunset. We decided that since we hit an unexpected but enjoyable Spring heat wave we would save bike riding for the afternoon and start with a picnic in the park near the cathedral. Skip-Bo (the card game that Jake and I have grown extremely fond of and has added a very competitive element to our adventure) was out and taking in the ambiance of it all with us. In the afternoon we rented the bikes and began the “Chateaux Bike Loop” in hopes of finding a place to wine taste. (Side note the English translation mixed up the rights and lefts so we sort of took our own path… very funny.) Departing the touristy but ever so charming Saint Emilion proper and riding into the
countryside allowed us to get a true feel for the area. As we rode along our eyes were met with classic French chateaus surrounded by vineyards everywhere we looked. After riding for awhile we took a quick break on a hill under some trees to enjoy the sights and sounds of such a peaceful place. We continued our ride hoping that the next chateaux would allow us to taste. Chateau de Ferrand was next up on the list and after parking our bikes we were met with the friendly but sophisticated smile of the wine waiter, Andreas. For six euros we were able to tour the chateau with Andreas and taste three exquisite wines! He filled us in on all of the details that go in to making the perfect vintage as well as the procedures behind the operation of the vineyard. The tour ended with a wine tasting in their brand new state of the art wine tasting room. (The vineyard was owned by Baron Bich… Bic razors ring a bell?) Since ity was our first time, he placed a sheet of paper on the table in front of us. It had a spot for each wine glass followed
by comment areas for vintage, color, body, olfact, taste, and notes. It was a terrific learning experience and we could not have picked a more relaxed place to stop. After saying our good-byes to our new friend we realized we only had fifteen minutes to ride back to Saint Emilion… oops we had to book it! When we arrived back in Saint Emilion we decided to enjoy another picnic while the sun set before walking home. After a long day of biking, picnicking, and wine tasting (remember.. check, check, check!) we made it back to the B&B. Saturday morning was spent enjoying another lovely breakfast with Roland and Agnes before heading to the train station to make our way to Paris.
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