France Trip Day 9: End of Trip

Friday, June 16 (-Saturday, June 17): CDG > SFO > SMF

Since our flight didn't depart from Paris until early afternoon, we were able to have a leisurely breakfast in our apartment, finishing up the fruit, bread, and cheese that we had purchased and enjoying the coffee capsules that were provided with our rental. Then we headed off on foot to Les Halles station to catch the RER B to Charles de Gaulle airport. 

We still had two bottles of wine purchased during our time in Bordeaux, and Mr. E was able to carefully pack them in his hard-sided roller-board so we decided to check both of our usual carry-on bags for the journey home. The ride on the RER was a bit toasty due to minimal air conditioning, and we were both quite pleased to have some time in the airport lounge to cool down before heading to our gate. 

I was in Polaris Business Class again, and we had thought up until yesterday that Mr. E would get his upgrade, but within the final 24 hours before the flight, all of the available Polaris seats were taken. Darn! He was OK with Economy Plus, but I was very glad to have the lie-flat seat as I ended up sleeping for most of the 11-hour flight back to the US.

We were again delayed (with no real reason and minimal communication or updates -- arrgh) but had a longer layover in SFO so didn't have to worry about making our connection. Thanks to the mobile CBP app, we breezed through customs and passport verification, re-checked our bags to SMF, and headed to the United lounge to wait for our flight home. Although we boarded on time, there were more delays as we waited to take off, so we arrived about 20 minutes late, just past midnight.

Mr. E had arranged in advance for a taxi pick-up so that we wouldn't have to wait for a ride share. Luckily, our bags didn't take too long to come out on the belt, so we were home and in bed around 1am. The kitties were very vocal and assertive in their need for affection!

And the two bottles of wine survived the voyage just fine...

France Trip Day 8: Paris

Thursday, June 15: Breakfast (avec un ami), Favorite Walk, Cocktail River Cruise

Mr. E and I enjoyed breakfast at our apartment and then met up with a friend, J, for "second breakfast" at a café on nearby Rue des Petits Carreaux, a wonderful pedestrian street with lots of shops and restaurants. We then strolled south a bit so that J could show us the royal bake-shop before bidding him au revoir and returning to our apartment to make plans for our one full day in Paris.

We started by taking the métro to the Arc de Triomphe and meandering down the Champs-Elyseés towards the Jardin des Tuileries, my favorite walk in central Paris, and stopped along the way for a crêpe au citron (also my favorite) and a Perrier. The temperature was climbing into the 80s, so we tried to stay in the shade as much as possible and veered off into some side streets rather than continuing straight through the Place de la Concorde into the Jardin. We admired the rainbow flag placard outside the American Embassy but were prohibited by the guard from taking a photograph for security reasons.

After a few pauses for souvenirs, we crossed through the courtyard of the Louvre on our way to the Ile de la Cité as I really wanted to see the work being done on Notre Dame after the devastating fire several years ago. Since Paris is going to host the Summer 2024 Olympics, we noticed lots of different construction projects all over the city, and the renovation on the cathedral is anticipated to be done in time for the games as well. It was fascinating to read about and see photos of the aftermath of the fire along with the immense amount of work both completed and in progress to repair and renovate the historic building.

We headed back towards our apartment and got lunch at the nearby Mister Garden, a fast casual spot with yummy fresh salads (similar to the Eat Salad restaurant in Bordeaux). During my earlier walks around our area, I had stumbled upon a cat café just around the corner from our apartment, so of course I had to show it to Mr E.

I also saw another cat themed spot during our various wanderings, although we didn't stop to check out the menu since we weren't quite ready for lunch at that point.

After resting our feet a bit at the apartment, we decided to get tickets for an early evening cocktail cruise on the Seine. This is one of our favorite activities, as it's such a great way to see the city from a different perspective! We walked back to the Seine, making sure to stop by Les Halles along the way to check out the cool new canopy structure that J had told us about (he's not a fan). The cruise was accompanied by music rather than the typical commentary, so it was a lovely way to wrap up our day of walking and kick-off the evening. 

Back to the apartment for dinner (poke from a restaurant around the corner), French TV, and bed. Only one day in Paris, but we made the most of it!

France Trip Day 7: Bordeaux > Paris

Wednesday, June 14: End of Cruise, TGV, Harry's New York Bar

I was able to have one final roof deck yoga practice before the boat departed Bourg for the final sailing back to Bordeaux. We had our last breakfast on board and then finished up our packing, including a few bottles of wine that we managed to fit into our bags! 

We bid farewell to our cabins but still had several hours before our afternoon TGV to Paris. Mr. E and I decided to take a walk around the city center while his mom stayed on board and relaxed with some of the other passengers who had later connections to the train station or airport.

Our early afternoon TGV was direct to Paris, so we arrived by mid afternoon. We waited a bit for a taxi to take us to Hotel Providence, where Mr. E's sister and brother-in-law were still staying and where his mom checked back in for one last night. We had rented an apartment nearby through My Maison in Paris, so we made the short walk to the tiny Rue St. Spire, found the red door, and made our way into our second floor apartment to unpack and freshen up a bit.

The evening begin with a meet-up at Harry's New York Bar, which had been a favorite spot of Mr. E's dad, so we all gathered there in tribute to him for a couple of cocktails. Coincidentally, a friend of Mr. E and his spouse were in Paris that day as a prelude to their own riverboat cruise, so they were able to drop by for a bit as well.

We eventually said our goodbyes to the family and stopped by one of the local grocery stores near our apartment to pick up some stuff for the evening and next day, since we were staying there for two nights. A little bit of French TV and then bedtime. Only one more day!

France Trip Day 6: Double Wine-Tasting

Tuesday, June 13: Morning Sail, Château Fombrauge, Saint-Emilion

The boat didn't depart from Blaye until after breakfast, so I had the opportunity for an early morning stroll into the quiet town along with roof deck yoga as part of my workout.

We spent another relaxing morning of sailing and hanging out in the lounge before lunch and the 2pm departure for our excursion to the Saint-Emilion region. Our first stop was a tour and tasting at Château Fombrauge, a winery with a history dating back to the end of the 16h century, where we purchased two bottles of wine.

The next part of the excursion was a walking tour of Saint-Emilion. Mr. E and I had done something similar during our previous trip to Bordeaux and weren't really interested in repeating the experience, especially given the warm and sunny weather. So the three of us opted for the alternative, which was a train ride that took us around and through the surrounding vineyards. 

We decided to pay for the optional stop at Château Rochebelle for another tour and tasting since we had nearly two hours to spend during this visit. Brilliant idea! There were only two other people for the tour, so we got an up close and personal look at this historic property that is still family owned and operated. The ground in this region allows for underground caves, and the winery stores 20+ years of its vintages in the natural formations, only labeling enough bottles for retail sales on site or when they receive an order.

As we were looking at the wines in the shop, I noticed that they had two 10-year verticals for sale, both encased in beautiful wooden boxes, including this amazing coffre for the 1995-2004 selection.

We decided to indulge and purchase this vertical, despite learning that the box would not be included because of prohibitive shipping and packing arrangements. The international shipping flat rate was almost half of the cost of the wine itself (not surprising), especially once the 20% discount was factored into the price of the wine thanks to our not needing to pay the customary taxes. We'll have to wait until the end of September for our new wine to arrive to make sure weather and transport conditions are suitable, but I'm sure it will be worth the wait for such a special collection!

Mr. E and I had about 30 minutes left to wander into the cobbled streets of Saint-Emilion once our train tour brought us back to the starting point, and we found some great placemats as souvenirs at a shop that only sells items made in France.

Back to the boat with time to refresh and start to pack a bit before the "Gala dinner" to mark the end of the voyage. The weather was a mix of sun and rain showers, giving us a beautiful full rainbow in celebration of the wonderful trip!

(and no, as we learned very early in the journey, the water is not dirty or polluted -- it just has a lot of silt that gets stirred up from the high and active tidal activity due to its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean)

The boat sailed to Bourg during the evening entertainment, which Mr. E and his mom enjoyed for a bit. Only one more day on the river!

France Trip Day 5: Sailing into the Gironde

Monday, June 12: Morning Sail, Afternoon Excursion,Citadel of Blaye

I repeated my morning workout but couldn't do yoga on the roof deck because our early morning departure and sailing resulted in rather windy conditions. However, I did capture some great images on the brilliant sunrise.

We followed a similar routine of breakfast around 8:30am and lunch at 12pm. With no morning presentations today, the three of us relaxed in the bar lounge, read for a bit, checked email, played cards, and enjoyed the interesting scenery along the banks of the Gironde as we entered the estuary, particular noting the caves and houses carved out of the rocks and the fishing shacks built on stilts out over the river.

After lunch, we all headed around 2pm to the tour bus for our afternoon excursion, which included a walking tour of the citadel of Blaye. The weather wasn't quite as cooperative by the afternoon, so we were glad to have our umbrellas with us for some protection. And Mr. E's mom's hat was helpful, too!

We returned to the boat in late afternoon and had some time to rest and go for a walk through part of the town before dinner at 7:30pm. I again decided to skip the evening entertainment in the lounge, while Mr. E and his mom stayed up a bit later.

France Trip Day 4: Discovering the Médoc

Sunday, June 11: Sun Deck Yoga, First Day of Sailing, Château Laffitte Carcasset

I used our second cabin for my morning workout and then took advantage of the river boat sun deck for yoga, enjoying lovely views of the city as well as a close-up view of the river boat docked next to us (a common occurrence in these ports).

Mr. E and I joined up with his mom for breakfast, with a fabulous DIY egg poacher set-up that we took advantage of every morning for the entire trip. Other offerings included fresh fruit, cereals, various types of bread and pastries, meats, cheeses, and of course our Americanos.

The ship started sailing around 9:00am, and we all headed up to the sun deck to watch the city scenery slide by as we glided along the River Garonne.

The morning activities included a lecture on the history of Bordeaux and its wine, presented first in English at 9:30am and then in French at 10:30am. All three of us attended the English presentation, and I returned for the French session as well, which of course was slightly different because of the different audience and questions.

Lunch was at 12pm, and then we gathered at the two tour buses around 2pm for our afternoon excursion to Château Laffitte Carcasset in Saint-Estèphe. Mr. E's mom decided to sit this one out and just stay on the boat to relax for the rest of the day. Mr. E and I enjoyed our tour of the winery, learning about the different strategies they utilize for their wine-making that are a combination of tradition and innovation and also learning about how the type of soil in the region prohibits the building of typical wine cellars so that winemakers instead need to store and age wine in a "chai" or attic-like area.

We returned to the boat in the early evening and gathered in the large salon for an overview of the next day's schedule before heading to dinner around 7:30pm. Mr. E and his mom hung out a bit in the evening after dinner and attended the entertainment in the lounge bar while I headed to our cabin to read and relax before going to bed.