12 Apr 2019

Newark Airport

We leave today for Bordeaux, France…the center of a major wine- growing and wine-producing region, although, interestingly, no wine is produced within the city limits. We are looking forward to sampling some stellar wines and enjoying our cruise.

Come join us…

13 Apr 2019 Bordeaux

We arrived at Newark in plenty of time for our flight. Check-in went very smoothly; it’s great having the boarding passes right on your phone and all you have to do is scan them. We procured our baggage tickets from the kiosk, put them on, handed the bags to the agent, and prayed that they would ultimately wind up in Bordeaux. We were changing planes in Frankfurt and we were hoping that our bags would change planes as well.

We had a glass of wine and a sandwich at the airport before boarding our flight. They served dinner onboard as well so we were quite stuffed. Our flight was fine; we had upgraded our seats so that was helpful with giving more leg room to stretch out.

We arrived in Frankfurt to a snow shower and we then made our way thru a passport check and on to the gate where we would catch our plane to Bordeaux. We passed lots of kiosks selling pretzels and beer… But did not stop. BTW…I noticed that a lot of German words end in the letters farht. Maybe that’s because of all the beer and bratwursts they eat?? Just saying….

Anyway…we had a long layover unfortunately, but we passed the time having lunch and taking a short nap.

Our luggage made it to Bordeaux and so did we. We were met by a Viking agent and we got onboard bus that took us to our home for the week… The Forseti. We made just in time for dinner and we sat with two lovely couples, one from Wales and one from England. We had so many laughs and one of the ladies, Judith said “This is the most fun I’ve ever had on a first night on a cruise.”. (And yes… If my boys are reading this… Dad and I did regale them with “the stories.”)

After dinner, we walked around the ship and then had a Drambuie while listening to an excellent pianist and singer. Then hot cocoa and off to bed to be all set for tomorrow’s touring.

14 Apr 2019 Bordeaux

We woke up this morning to a glorious sunrise.

After breakfast, we toured beautiful Bordeaux. We saw the Place des Quinconces, one of the largest squares in Europe, the Grand Thea ̂tre de Bordeaux with the 12 muses 12 Corinthian columns, which is also the home to the Opera House. We passed some beautiful churches and of course, strolled by the upscale shops with beautiful clothing for sale. The French bakeries are works of art on their own with sculpted confections and the chocolate shops..ooh la la. The shops were closed as it is Sunday but we will visit the shops when we return to Bordeaux at the end of the trip.

We returned to our ship and set sail along the Garonne on our way to Cadillac.

We arrived in this quaint town and visited the Chateau De Myrat and the owner told us all about the making of sauterne wine. He only spoke French so our guide translated. He spoke of the one word that is used exclusively when making wine. Depends! It depends on many factors… Primarily the weather. Frost is the enemy of a vineyard and can be the ruination of a good year. Too much rain can be the ruination of a vineyard as well as too much sun, particularly in the morning after a rain. This can cause the drops left on the leaves to become a magnifying glass and can literally burn the leaves. Pruning the leaves is an art and an inexperienced pruner can also be the ruination of a vineyard.

Sauterne wines depend on a type of fungus called Noble Rot which shrivels and decays wine grapes. A vineyard full of rotting grapes therefore is a good thing. Wines such as sauternes from Bordeaux depend on Noble Rot to intensify sweetness and add complexity. It causes the wines to dehydrate yet maintain their level of sweetness. It also adds a slightly higher alcoholic content to the wine.

However there is also a fungus Bordeaux

called grey rot which causes the grapes to mildew… Not a good thing. The vintner has to be skilled in knowing which grapes to pick that have Noble Rot and to leave the grey rot ones to…well just rot.

We then had the opportunity to taste two sauternes from the 2018 vintage which apparently shaped up to be a great year. (They are still waiting with anticipation for the ratings to come out but 2018 had stellar weather so they are fairly confident of a good rating.)

The sauternes were quite sweet and the second one had an earthy taste. I’m not a big white wine drinker but it was nice to sample the wines from this beautiful winery.

We returned to the ship for the Captain’s Welcome cocktail hour and then went off to dinner. After dinner we played a game with everyone called Majority Rules and had a lot of laughs. We listened to the pianist and singer and then danced till almost midnight. It was a great day!

15 Apr 2019 Cadillac

Today we stayed on the ship all day cruising along the beautiful river. Because of the water levels we did the tour in Cadillac yesterday instead of today so we enjoyed a full day of activity on the ship.

The Garonne river is one of the few rivers in the world where an unusual phenomenon can occur:. A tidal bore. This occurs when the incoming tide forms a wave that travels up against the current. It can happen twice daily and we were told that our Captain would be unmooring the ship around 2:30 in the morning and taking it to the middle of the river so the wave wouldn’t slam the ship into the dock..

After breakfast we listened to a presentation: People, Places, and Prosperity, about Bordeaux’s history and culture. Then it was lunch followed by a live demonstration of making macarons. We were able to sample them and as the demonstration concluded we went right in to have French tea time and sampled a variety of French pastries, tea sandwiches, and French coffee with whipped cream and a shot of liquor. So decadent!

We chatted for awhile with our dinner mates who we meet on the first day. The 6 of us have been enjoying each other’s company each day and having a lot of laughs!

We all went to the VES cocktail party for guests who have sailed with Viking before. The program director made sure I had a dirty martini…a drink they were not offering among the many specialty drinks that were lined up for the taking. One of the drinks was a grasshopper… So of course I had to tell my joke….A grasshopper walks into a bar and orders a beer. The bartender says to him, “You know… We have a drink named after you.! To which the grasshopper answered, “You have a drink named Steve??”. (I’ll be here all week folks!)

Dinner was very nice and afterwards we went to hear the lecture on Bordeaux wine tasting and had the opportunity to taste four wines and also played the game my wine club plays… Try to identify the wine. Allan and I did fairly well… But lost on the last two questions… Year and whether left bank or right bank produced.

Then we sat with our friends and listened to music and around 11:30 decided to go to bed. However, Allan and I stayed talking with the program director until 1:30 am. She told us how she was born in East Berlin and how her grandfather was asked to join the SS. He didn’t have a choice. If you said no you were shot dead on the spot.

She said her relations lived in West Berlin and when a family member died, you had to get permission to go to the other side of the wall for the funeral. She said her relatives would bring coffee pots with them to put the ashes of their loved one in and then carry it back to the East so the remains could be buried near by.

I told her how Allan and I were there in 1990 as the wall was coming down and we helped demolish it… Taking remnants of that history back home with us.

It was an emotional discussion and one I was glad I was able to be a part of.

16 Apr 2019 Libourne & St. Emillion & Chateau vineyard

After breakfast this morning, we went on an optional tour to the Saint-Emillion wine center. Before we left, we strolled around Libourne’s market. It is an open air market and people are selling everything from vegetables to bolts of fabric. There is no bartering; the price is the price, but the seller might be inclined to give a slight discount if you purchase more then one item. From there we went to the inside market where fish and meats were for sale as well as cheeses of all different varieties.

There were rabbits for sale and our guide said that they have to sell the rabbits whole with the head on as it is the law. Since cats and rabbits have basically the same bone structure, except cats have one extra rib, in order to make sure the buyer is getting a rabbit and not a cat, the rabbit is displayed in all its glory.

We walked around seeing the sights and Allan and I opted to visit the Town Hall where a museum is located on the second floor. We saw a statue by Rodin and also a beautiful painting that recently was in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We left the museum and walked down to the lower level of the plateau where the Monolithic Church was carved into the side of the hill.

We had a delicious lunch at a local restaurant and after lunch we visited Château Siaurac, toured the vineyards and had a wine tasting.

Some of the vines in this vineyard were over 60 years old and grow in limestone. The limestone keeps the roots watered and nourished as the vintner is prohibited from watering the vines no matter how hot the season becomes. This is the ruling of the appellation where these grapes are grown. “An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where the grapes for a wine are grown. The rules that govern appellations are dependent on the country in which the wine is produced. “

This vineyard grows Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Malbec grapes. An interesting fact… they graft vines from America which have insect resistant roots that helps keep the vines here in Bordeaux healthy. Years ago, they also planted rose bushes at the ends of the vine rows. If the rose bush looked like it had a blight like mold, the vintner knew his vines would be next to be infected. But now with the latest technology to keep vines healthy, the rose bushes are just planted symbolically.

We saw white pots all throughout the vineyard and we were told that the pots were set on fire to help keep the vines warm in a frost. Some of the more affluent vineyards hire helicopters to fly overhead while the fires in the pots are burning so that the downdraft from the copter turns the warmth from the fire back down on the vines.

Our guide told us how they straighten the growing vines to grow horizontally rather than vertically and how master pruners come in to accomplish trimming the vines. It was so interesting and we learned so much.

We got back to the ship in time for the port talk and dinner and then played Name that Tune. We had to name the song, the artist, the artist’s nationality, as well as the decade the song was introduced. Yikes! Our team did rather well, but we didn’t come in first.

Off to bed for a busy day tomorrow!

17 Apr 2019 Blaye and Bourg

Let me begin by saying, all of France is saddened by the devastating fire that ravaged Notre Dame. Allan and I were so fortunate to see the beautiful cathedral the last time we were in France and the destruction is particularly hard to bear for the French people as this is Holy Week. The French news is saying it will take decades to rebuild, but the French are determined to make the cathedral even more beautiful than it ever had been. The flowers are blooming all over Bordeaux and the French countryside is beautiful to see. Hopefully the birth of new growth from a long winter will give the French a reminder that beauty can come from the ashes.

Today we toured the historic town of Blaye and learned the history of Cognac during a Privileged Access visit to a distillery. Blaye is on the Gironde River and our first stop was the 17th-century citadel. This fort was very well fortified and the ramparts, fortified gates, barracks, prison and gunpowder magazine are evidence of the defensive system that was quite effective . We walked around the outdoor market where fresh vegetables abound and shiny fish are laid out on ice. White asparagus is the claim to fame of this area and since this is the season for it, it was displayed for sale all over.

We then embarked on an hour plus drive through the countryside to the towns of Cognac and Camus. We had lunch at the Camus cognac distillery. This distillery has been family owned for five generations and we happened to sit with the Master Blender, Frederic Dezauzier. Frederick is the Master Blender for one of the five major cognac makers of the world. I was able to ask many questions about the process of making cognac which he happily answered. I never realized that cognac is made from white grapes and begins as wine and then is twice distilled.

The grape growing for cognac is basically the same process that we learned about for making wine, except the vines for the cognac grapes are planted further apart in rows and the vines are allowed to grow taller. Wine grape vines are planted close together since the vintners want them to fight for their nourishment since they don’t want a lot of grapes. With cognac, they want to produce many grapes because of the amount of cognac that is exported all over the world.

I noticed as we drove to the distillery that acres of grass were planted between the vineyards, which wasn’t true where the wine vineyards were. Frederick said that was a good observation and that the grass helps maintain water for the vines as cognac vines also are not permitted to be watered in the Bordeaux region, Just like wine grapes.

Frederick said that before the grapes are distilled, the wine in the car could dissolve an oyster along with its shell. I said similar to vinegar (since I know vinegar dissolves bones.) He said definitely not like vinegar. Just more like an acid. (I was amazed that no one at the table questioned how I knew bones dissolve in vinegar. I found this out when I was in China. I guess if I had mentioned to the group my supply of Hefty black bags and bleach they would have taken more notice. LOL!)

Anyway, after lunch came the fun part of the tour. We blended our own cognac! So much fun and my cognac blend turned out wonderful! The grapes that are used to make the four blends are colombard, ugni-blanc, and folle Blanche.

I wasn’t pleased with my first try, but my second go, ooh la la! Allan’s blend a little more potent than mine, but very nice. They give you four different cognacs and you decide the percentage of each one you want to put into your blend. The four blends are fin bois, borderies, petite champagne, and grand champagne. Each blend has distinct qualities and you have to decide which ones you want to use for your unique blend. You take a pipette to add the cognacs and then taste your creation. If you don’t like it, you throw it away and try again by either decreasing or increasing the percentages. Once you are pleased with your blend, you figure out the percentage to determine how many milliliters of each Cognac you must take from the barrels and put into your cylinder. Then you mix your blend in a beaker, pour it into a bottle, and then they cork the bottle. The bottle is then shrink wrapped and labeled to take home with you. My blend was very close to their SO blend I found out later. I guess I have good taste! Chemistry class paid off in college!!

We were able to take home the bottle of our blend and they wrote down the percentages that we used to create our own blend and they keep it on file. That way, if we ever want to order more, they can ship the exact blend we created. It was a fantastic experience.

We went back to the ship for dinner and then danced the night away once again.

18 Apr 2019 Pauillac

This morning after breakfast we went on a wine tasting at La Petite Cave. The proprietor was very interesting and told us how to savor a wine during a wine tasting. We have learned this technique over the years but this vintner added an extra step after swirling the wine in the glass, smelling, swishing the wine in the mouth like mouthwash, and chewing. He then said to open your mouth a bit and suck in a bit of air and the taste will explode in your mouth. Voila! It did. It was amazing!

Wine has properties that you should be aware of when tasting. Color, aroma, and taste…CAT. I asked some questions during the wine tasting and Allan overheard one lady say to another… “How does she know so much about wine!”. Ummm… It’s because I drink large quantities!! LOL!

The wines we tasted were stellar and we then went on a tour of his building where an artist paints and where he rents out rooms. He offers cooking classes for guests along with wine tastings and he is a collector of antique cars and bikes. He has a Porsche from 1955 in pristine condition. He calls it the divorce car since his wife almost divorced him after he purchased it. It was a work of art!

On our way sailing the rivers, guides kept mentioning wines from the left bank and the right bank.
Apparently left bank wines are masculine wines like Cabernet and Cabernet franc whereas right bank wines are more feminine in quality. We bid the owner adieu and made our way back to the ship.

After lunch we went on another wine tasting in the heart of the Pauillac Medoc and Margaux wine country. Though the towns are surrounded by vineyards that are small in acreage, they are legendary among wine lovers. Some of the most fabled wine chateaux in France are here and we passed by many of them including Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Latour and Mouton Rothschild. The wines produced at those vineyards probably wouldn’t be purchased by the average oenophile as they are extraordinarily expensive. For example, in 2005, a 6 bottle case of wine from Chateau Lafite Rothschild went for 16,000 dollars! Also at this winery during the war, the Nazis came and occupied the Chateau. The residents of the winery had built false walls where the bottles of wine were being stored…complete with mold and spider webs. They placed the expensive bottles behind the wall and kept out the average wines. The Nazis helped themselves to the wine… not realizing they were drinking the average wine. One has to wonder whether they thought to themselves…”What’s all the fuss about Bordeaux wines. These aren’t that great!”

As we continued on the drive our guide told us that not only frost can cause the ruination of a vineyard but grape theft is also a problem. Gangs pick vineyards that are remote and they come in at night and pick the vines dry. Some vineyards have lost their years profit because of theft.

Our wine tasting was at Chateau Marquis de Terme. The grounds are beautiful, but we really weren’t very impressed by the wines.

After the wine tasting our bus took Bordeaux

us to dinner at Chateau Kirwan…a magnificent Chateau with beautiful grounds. We were totally surprised when we walked in to find the entire dining staff waiting to greet us. The chef was there as well preparing the meal. They literally brought all the glassware, silverware, tablecloths and food to the Chateau. We had three wine pairings from Chateau Kirwan throughout the meal and the wines were wonderful. Viking is the only cruise line that hosts a dinner at a Chateau. It was amazing!!!!! The wine and the food were some of the best yet. It was a fabulous evening of elegance mixed with fun! Bravo Viking!!!

We made our way back to the ship and turned in early as we have a great adventure ahead of us for tomorrow.

19 Apr 2019 Arcachon

When we left New York, the 10 day forecast was for rain and chilly weather for most of the week. However, the weather could not have been more perfect. Sunshine every day and lovely temperatures and the flowers are blooming all over.

We took an optional tour today to the Atlantic coast and the town of Arcachon and the headlands of the upscale Cap Ferret to see the beautiful seaside and to eat oysters. The drive was beautiful as we passed gorgeous homes that were expensive to purchase. Each one was more beautiful than the last, with unusual architecture. We also passed the largest pine forest in Europe.

We finally arrived at the vessel that took us deep into the oyster beds surrounded by the red roofs of Victorian-era villas. You have to be very wealthy to live on these shores. Since it was low tide, we were able to see the oyster beds very clearly. After a short cruise, we docked and walked to an oyster farm where we learned about the life of an oyster farmer. It is hard work and takes a few years for the oysters to get to a Bordeaux

size that is edible. The larger the oyster, the more expensive they are to purchase. I won’t go into how oysters are spawned, but it truly is a long process and the farmers work is never done.

We sampled oysters and our guide taught us how to tell if an oyster is fresh. You take your fork and touch the rim of the raw oyster and if it contracts a little, it is fresh. They provided buttered bread and wine to go with the tasting… and I am proud to say…I tried my first oyster! It was quite good… Salty and delicious. A guy on the tour had never had an oyster either so both of us slurped them down together. He didn’t like his… And I actually thought he was going to throw up… But he grabbed his wine and chugged that instead. I ate two of them and enjoyed them. (I was glad however that I had my hepatitis A shots… Just in case. LOL!)

After the oyster tasting, we had a delicious seafood lunch…the calamari was outstanding and the cod was so tender and moist.

After sailing back to where our bus was located, we drove back to the ship and had our last dinner with the friends we met the first day onboard…Judith, Chris, Vanessa, and Peter. We had a wonderful week together… Lots of laughs and lots of wine. We got along very well and it made our trip a memorable one indeed.

We all went to the lounge and were treated to operatic entertainment. The singers were excellent and at one point, the tenor came over to me and sang a love song while holding my hands. I blew him kisses… Just before the soprano came over and tapped him on the shoulder and admonished him for leaving her. He shrugged his shoulders and off he went with her, giving me a wink before leaving to finish the song with his “other” lover. It was great fun and we enjoyed the performance immensely.

We hugged our friends adieu and promised to keep in touch. We are all sad that the trip is over. It was truly wonderful. Bordeaux is a quaint region and I’m so happy we had the chance to experience it.

20 Apr 2019 Leaving Bordeaux

Ready to catch our flight to Zurich and then on to Newark.

While on the bus, some of the staff were going home and boarded the bus with us. Allan was the only one they greeted by name. The same thing happened last night when we arrived back from our day excursion. Allan loves to talk with the staff and we complimented them every chance we had. Everyone… from the captain (who one day wore a “crew” shirt and unloaded heavy boxes on the pier along with his crew) down to the sweet young girl who cooked our eggs in the morning…was polite, upbeat, and made everyone’s day onboard a memorable one.

Can’t wait till our next adventure!!!