The medieval town of Saint Emilion is 35 kilometres from Bordeaux & is one of the principal red wine areas of Bordeaux. Saint-Émilion's history dates back to prehistoric times. Today we find fascinating ruins, some Roman stretching all along steep and narrow streets & like Bordeaux it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Romans planted vineyards in what was to become Saint-Émilion as early as the 2nd century. Today Saint-Émilion is a very popular tour...

Bordeaux We arrived in Bordeaux via train from Tours on Thursday 21st August for 6 nights after deciding to drop Sarlat from our itinerary deciding to spend more time on next trip. Our first impression of Bordeaux was not a good one due to the route our taxi driver took. The buildings looked black, apparently due to pollution. Once we checked into our hotel we headed into the city centre for dinner. Our hotel has a restaurant but is only open for breakfast for Au...

The Château de Cheverny has been in the same family for more than six centuries. Cheverny has always been lived in. Since 1922 Cheverny has been open to the public. Visitors can appreciate the splendor and delight of life in a chateau, as Cheverny although very grand, has a warm feel, with its silk lined walls & beautifully furnished rooms. The chateau is symmetrical & sits in beautifully kept grounds. At 5pm each day the hunting dogs are fed which at...

Château de Chambord is the most recognized chateau in the world. It was built to serve as a hunting lodge for Francis I, who only used it for 73 days. The Chateau was never finished & it is virtually empty so not as easy to imagine life within its walls. One of the architectural highlights is the spectacular double helix open staircase that is the centerpiece of the château. The two helices ascend the three floors without ever meeting. There are suggestions...

Château de Villandry We decided to visit Château Villandry because of its beautiful gardens and we weren't disappointed. We met a lovely Tassie couple at our hotel & decided to visit the chateau together. Fortunately it is accessible by bus which dropped us right out the front of the chateau for €3 return. A bargain as the trip is 19 kilometres each way. Luckily when we arrived we had the place to ourselves so decided to see the gardens before they were i...