Trip to France, Aug. 2014: Paris, Loire Chateaus, Bordeaux Region, p3

intro   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10 

<<   <prev   next>   >>  
 
 
intro   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10 

<<   <prev   next>   >>  
IMG_1661_7
IMG_1661_7.jpg
One of the descriptive signs in the Tours cathedral.
IMG_1687_7
IMG_1687_7.jpg
The Tours cathedral as seen from the adjacent Bishops Palace garden.  The huge tree to the left is a Cedar of Lebanon approx. 500 years old.
IMG_1694aa_7
IMG_1694aa_7.jpg
Cones on the Bishop's Cedar are huge, baseball-size.
IMG_1689_7
IMG_1689_7.jpg
The Bishop's garden.  I was looking for the Red Queen to come out for her croquet match.
IMG_1691_7
IMG_1691_7.jpg
Gorgeous English-garden-like section of the otherwise formal garden.
IMG_1699_7
IMG_1699_7.jpg
The plaza in the town of Poitiers.  This was our last stop before we headed for the boat at Bordeaux.  There was a market at which we foraged for a delicious picnic lunch. 
IMG_1700d_7
IMG_1700d_7.jpg
Detail over the door of the Poitiers church tells Bible stories starting with Genesis.
IMG_1703_7
IMG_1703_7.jpg
Adam & Eve on the left. 
IMG_1704_7
IMG_1704_7.jpg
The Annunciation, I think. 
IMG_1734_7
IMG_1734_7.jpg
Just walking down a side street in Poitiers, we saw this view of a palace and, of course, another Joan of Arc statue. 
IMG_1711a_7
IMG_1711a_7.jpg
All the columns in the Poitiers church were painted the colors of the various noble families in the area.
IMG_1731a_7
IMG_1731a_7.jpg
Modern commerce exists also.  This shop was in the ground floor of a very nice, new vertical shopping mall.
IMG_1732_7
IMG_1732_7.jpg
COLOR and more colorful bikinis for your vacation.
IMG_1741a_7
IMG_1741a_7.jpg
 Most of France was on vacation.  This was Saturday Aug 16 when those who had vacation the first two weeks of August were trading places with those who had off the second two weeks.  Rare is the person who has off the entire month.
IMG_1775a_7
IMG_1775a_7.jpg
The area grows four crops, apparently. First, we saw field after field of corn.  Rick was inspired to write a ridiculous lyric for the song "Bordeauxklahoma!"
IMG_1766a_7
IMG_1766a_7.jpg
Corn alternated with field after field of sunflowers.
IMG_1969a_7
IMG_1969a_7.jpg
The third crop is hay, many fields of hay already baled for silage.  There must e catle somewhere near.
IMG_1792a_7
IMG_1792a_7.jpg
And grapes.  The closer we got to Bordeaux, the more vineyards we saw.  Eventually, every backyard garden is grapes. 
IMG_2212_7
IMG_2212_7.jpg
And this is part of our Viking Longship, the Forseti.  They aren't kidding about "long."  135m = 440 ft.
  IMG_2213_7
IMG_2213_7.jpg
Our captain entering the wheelhouse after some maneuver.
IMG_1802a_7
IMG_1802a_7.jpg
The group gathers in, where else, the ship's bar for our first night orientation.
IMG_1803a_7
IMG_1803a_7.jpg
Very important person, our chef.  The very ideal of a French, french chef.  Right shape for a chef. 
IMG_1806a_7
IMG_1806a_7.jpg
Our social director, Mieke, who kept us moving every day, starting us off with "Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen!" on the PA.
IMG_1816_7
IMG_1816_7.jpg
Bev at our cabin door, reflecting on how absurdly idyllic the entire scene was.
IMG_2710_7
IMG_2710_7.jpg
Our cabin was small, the maid creative with the linens.  This little guy was good for a big smile.
IMG_2712_7
IMG_2712_7.jpg
This is the most efficient, teeny, tiny, beautiful bathroom I have ever seen.
IMG_1841_7
IMG_1841_7.jpg
First morning -- Emergency drill, life preservers on the top deck.  That is Kay and Pam, our across the hall neighbors.
IMG_1842_7
IMG_1842_7.jpg
Bev, orange is definitely your color.
IMG_1834_7
IMG_1834_7.jpg
The river in Bordeaux had a range of bridges, from Napoleonic stone, to this modern suspension bridge.
IMG_1902_7
IMG_1902_7.jpg
Suzanne has gone home.  We now have Viking buses, advertising our self-indulgence to all who encounter us. 
IMG_1903a_7
IMG_1903a_7.jpg
All our buses, pardon me, coaches, had a nifty middle door to speed loading the back half of the seats.
IMG_1866_7
IMG_1866_7.jpg
Our first stop on the "wine" portion of the trip was Chateau Giscours, top notch and almost unobtainable in the States, although we enjoyed it when we were youngish, back in the 70s.
IMG_1848a_7
IMG_1848a_7.jpg
The Chateau at Giscours, currently used for offices.  It sits on the crest of a hill and you can see that the windows are lined up front to back for wonderful ventilation.
IMG_1871_7
IMG_1871_7.jpg
Our guide at Giscours showing us the initial fermentation vats.  Basically large concrete boxes lined with plastic.
IMG_1879a_7
IMG_1879a_7.jpg
Rick stuck his head inside one of these vats and got this picture of a very clean vat with a cooling coil.
IMG_1878_7
IMG_1878_7.jpg
The line of fermentation vats - white plaster and stainless steel. Industrial elegance.
IMG_1874a_7
IMG_1874a_7.jpg
An old hydraulic grape crusher.
IMG_1882_7
IMG_1882_7.jpg
The cask storage room where the wine sits for months and months till it's bottled.  Most of the production goes to Asia (because we can't afford it).
IMG_1886_7
IMG_1886_7.jpg
A new cask costs about $1000 and is made to order -- wood, toast, etc. Casks are used for 2 years and sold to a lesser winery for about $200.
IMG_1890a_7
IMG_1890a_7.jpg
Each cask has the imprint of its chateau.
IMG_1904a_7
IMG_1904a_7.jpg
Tanks for storing wine during production.  They are probably refrigerated so they can survive outside in the sun.
IMG_1891a_7
IMG_1891a_7.jpg
And now the best part -- the tasting.  Our lovely French guide poured us tastes of several vintages, building up to the really good stuff.  
IMG_1933_7
IMG_1933_7.jpg
Each vineyard can grow a specific number of vines per hectare -- and some government inspector actually comes out to count them.  One vine produces grapes for about 1 bottle of wine.
IMG_1948a_7
IMG_1948a_7.jpg
Chateau Pichon Lalande.  We stopped just to admire it, unfortunately, not to drink their wine.
IMG_1954a_7
IMG_1954a_7.jpg
This chateau had a couple really dramatic outbuildings.  This one was on the left.  Not sure what is at the other end of these stairs. 
IMG_1956_7
IMG_1956_7.jpg
And here's the outbuilding on the other side.  We assume some of the production occurs in there. 
IMG_1957_7
IMG_1957_7.jpg
The prettiest drainage pond you ever saw.  The aging rooms filled with casks are directly underneath.  And the green spots are skylights to illuminate the caves.
IMG_1959a_7
IMG_1959a_7.jpg
If some vines die, they must be replanted as soon as possible, or the production allotment (number of cases) is reduced forever.  If you replant too late, your subsequent production becomes too high and you get into serious trouble.

<<<<  This is Page 3.  Use the arrows and numbers to go to other pages.  >>>>