Bordeaux!
Elaine's Viking River Cruise Experience 

My first trip to Bordeaux was a memorable one, I was amazed by the mix of old and new with the incredible historical buildings such as Place de la Bourse with the Miroir d’Eeau water reflecting pool and the modern and very efficient transportation system.  The markets on the promenade had everything you could imagine from ready made meals such as paella to fresh produce and seafood to artisan breads and pastries.  The promenade itself is bustling with electric scooters, bicycles, joggers and lovers walking slowly hand in hand.  It is both invigorating and soothing at the same time, everyone is out enjoying life.

Bordeaux promenade

Place des Quinconces

Place de la Bourse

Modern transportation throughout Bordeaux

Public and private spaces are filled with flowers and gardens, every available space is vibrant with flowers and art which will instantly bring a smile to your face.  Not far down the promenade is the new La Cite du Vin, a wine museum devoted to the history of wine through the ages and modern techniques used today.  For a small fee,  there is an extensive all you can drink wine tasting on the top level of the museum.

The wine museum La Cite du Vin

If you have the time a must see is the Dunes of Pilat located an hour away on the Atlantic Coast on Arcachon Bay .  The Dunes are massive measuring 3 kms long and are slowing engulfing the nearby pine forests and some small towns, with no stopping in sight.  You can climb the dunes either by the stairs or up the dune itself, both are cardio workouts!  From the top you can see sand bars on the Atlantic coast and after all that venture to the sample the best oysters and wine in Europe.  Europe’s oyster farms are located a couple of miles away.

Dunes of Pilat creeping onto a nearby forest.

A French Chateau with Wine tasting

Our Viking ship docked right on the promenade which made it very easy to board and then wander off if you wanted to.  The actual distance covered by the ship is very small, but your floating hotel does give you a great access to the best wineries in Bordeaux.  In the very small region there are dozens of chateau with very different wines depending on the soil content.  We sampled sweet dessert wines, delicate white wines and full bodied red wines.  We ventured into tiny towns and dined at a working chateau sampling 4 wines with our meal, it was spectacular.  We cruised back into Bordeaux and I certainly want to visit this region again!

Bordeaux is filled with quaint French villages like this one.

A quiet, romantic street in Bordeaux

Wine barrels in the wine cellars