Every region of France I've seen has been unique and beautiful in its own way. Sunny Provence is breathtaking and picturesque with its Mediterranean influence and fields of lavender; the Loire Valley is scattered with imposing, decorative, and historic chateaux; Paris fulfills its role as the romantic, historical, and iconic city; the countryside of Bordeaux is charming, beautiful, and filled with vineyards and smaller wine chateaux.
 |
| Old arch in the pedestrian shopping area, Bordeaux |
The city of Bordeaux may be the prettiest large city I've seen in France. The center has been very well preserved, with much evidence of old Roman influence and stone ruins. There are several pedestrian streets, such as Rue St Catherine, bustling with shoppers and outdoor café goers. It packed quite a punch in a condensed area of space, offering everything you'd expect from a big city, with extra charm included. Adeline and I spent a day in the city, driving halfway from Libourne and taking the tram the rest of the way. We ate lunch at Café Crème, saw the main attractions (the river, cathedral, grand theatre, etc.) and then headed straight for shopping. There was also a huge fair set up in the center It smelled just the same as fairs in the US, like funnel cakes, but was a little bit different. There were a surprising number of rides and attractions targeting older teenagers- with cheesy airbrushed backgrounds of busty women and popular music (Lady Gaga for example) playing loudly. The problem was, every ride was blasting music to attract a certain age-group, so the effect was an overwhelming clash of sounds mixed in with people screaming from the rollercoaster rides. It was fun to walk around though!
 |
Canelés, pastry specialty of the Bordeaux region.
Caramelized outer layer with a spongey, custard center.
Not bad at all! |
 |
Tarte aux légumes, lunch at Café Crème in Bordeaux. Delicious, and
beautiful presentation for a decent price ;) |
 |
| Cathédral St André |
 |
| Rue Saint Catherine |
 |
| Fair! |
About a 10 minute drive from Libourne is St. Emilion, every tourist's dream of a French village on a rocky hillside, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. As it's in the middle of Bordeaux wine country, every other storefront is for a local vineyard, selling collectable wines into the thousands of euros. The old, winding cobblestone streets made it hard to look up and take in the sights for fear of tripping over a protruding stone. The village is quite hilly and boasts some great panoramic views, showing off the typical tile roofs and old stone ruins. There are several old rectangular washing pools, which if located in the US would no doubt be filled with coins. Wooden benches outline the pools, allowing anyone to sit and relax by the water. A few stores were carved out of rock on the hillsides or were underneath large outdoor stone shelters. St Emilion really is a must see; apparently the village, with a winter population of only a couple thousand, sees tens of thousands of tourists in the summer.
 |
| St Emilion |
 |
| St Emilion |
 |
| Old washing fountain |
 |
| Wine prices, 1947 must have been a good year: 9,200 Euros for a bottle! |
 |
| St Emilion |
 |
| Countryside outside St Emilion |
 |
| Remaining wall of an ancient cathedral, St Emilion |
As for Libourne- it was a week well spent, relaxing. It was so nice to be in a home environment- sharing family dinners and enjoying each other's company. Adeline's parents, Catherine and Bernard, were warm and welcoming. Catherine has been a nanny for over 20 years for babies and toddlers during the day. Every weekday she watches Chloe, an adorable little girl who is nearly 2. As this past week was school vacation, she also was caring for Juliette, a 5 year old who she previously cared for on a regular basis. One morning a mother dropped off her baby boy, who Catherine will begin taking care of during the days within a few months, for a couple of hours to help him get used to it. It was fun to be around little kids, but Juliette, who likes to test the limits, was insistent on sheepishly pretending she didn't understand me. (When the baby boy was dropped off, she said to his mother that his blue eyes and blonde hair were ugly! At least she wasn't outright mean to me…) She's one feisty girl.
Adeline's mother was a great cook, making delicious French meals every day for lunch and dinner. Sunday they invited 5 of their neighbors over for a big lunch and to celebrate Adeline's birthday. The aperitif consisted of little pastries filled with Roquefort and prunes (delicious!), bacon- wrapped prunes, peanuts, and champagne. For the entrée, Catherine prepared a green salad with bacon, jambon cru, walnuts, and apple slices, paired with white wine. The main course was pintade aux raisins (chicken in a raisin sauce) and baked apple halves, with red wine of course. We then had the traditional salad, bread, and cheese course, followed by a chocolate-pear cake and then coffee. WOW! Everything tasted so good and we spent nearly 6 hours together at the table.
The French really have a different style of big meals and get-togethers. While the quality and presentation of the food is so important and well-prepared, taking the time to enjoy conversation and not rush through the courses is just as important. While I enjoyed the delicious dinner and the company, I don't know how often I could sit down for a 6 hour meal! After the second hour I was already growing fidgety, wanting to stretch my legs and walk around.
I'm so grateful to Adeline and her family for inviting me for the week. I think they all feared I was bored in small town Libourne, but it was pleasant and relaxing to just kick-back and spend time with such a nice family.
