Bordeaux Chateaux

by Iva Skoch on

When you’re planning your trip to visit the incredibly lovely Bordeaux region of France, you’ll simply have to cast off your urge to bring along your backpack and camp. Bordeaux must be done haut-style.

Whether you arrive in Bordeaux via the TGV from Paris or by plane into the Bordeaux airport (Merignac), head north out of the city, and you’re right in the Medoc region. I can give a strong recommendation to Chateau Le Lout, a wonderful nineteenth-century, Venetian-style chateau in Le Taillan-Medoc, that serves as a B&B.

We relied heavily upon the proprietor, Olivier Salmon, for our evening entertainment recommendations, and weren’t disappointed. The rooms were sizable (by European standards) and the bathrooms were well-appointed and large. You can take your Continental breakfast on the back terrace, in the morning sun. Don’t forget to bring your Speedo, to enjoy the pool.

Within minutes from the chateau, a magical road that twists past wineries took us to fine dining at Lion D’Or, in Arcins, to sample the wine and a local specialty: milk-fed veal. They open for dinner at 8, and be sure to call ahead for a reservation, as the place is small and the friendly and jovial patron, Monsieur Barbier, packs everyone in, to create a festive mood.

For fantastic outdoor dining, you can’t beat the cozy atmosphere of Restaurant Le St. Julien, further up the road in St. Julien-Beychevelle, which had a huge rotisserie-barbecue area in the middle of the terrace. This time, we sampled the fantastic local roast lamb. The tables were covered by tent-like canvas awnings, and the lighting was soft and romantic. Definitely a place to take in the night air and enjoy dinner for two. Or three, if you are really feeling French.

Grapes of Bordeaux

by Iva Skoch on

You can’t go to the Bordeaux region of France and not became a wine aficionado. I learned quite a bit about the biggest wine region in the world this week. Some of the world’s favorite reds (think Margaux) come from right here here.

First of all, as you can see from the picture, the grapes are very low, about 5 inches from the ground. I am told it is because the soil here is very sandy and light, thus it reflects sun and provides even more heat for the grapes. Also, at night, when temperatures drop dramatically, the soil retains heat and so the grapes can ripen even at night. Their skins are apparently very thick so getting all the heat you can get is the key.

Also, all Bordeaux wine are blends, usually Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Although, when I saw how many runners at the Marathon du Medoc (which I blogged about yesterday) urinated in the vineyards, it made me think that maybe it is not the Merlot that gives Bordeaux wines its specific aroma. The harvest starts in two weeks. So if you see a label that says “2006 blend”, think about that.

The Slowest Marathon in the World

by Iva Skoch on

Combining running with wine tasting? Leave it to the French to invent a marathon that actually sounds like fun. And reporting from Medoc, France over a glass of magnificent red wine, I can confirm that it is.

The annual Marathon du Medoc in the Bordeaux region of France ended just a few hours ago in scorching heat of some 100F. Although the fastest man ran the 42-kilometer (26-mile) track in 2 hours and 28 minutes, most other people did not run this for the adrenaline as much as the “vino”. Over 8000 people from all over the world came here to race through picturesque French villages dressed up in more or less creative costumes. I must say that there were disturbingly many men in drag or dressed up as babies, pacifier, diapers and everything. Pirates of the Caribbean and sailors of all kinds were a huge hit this year.

The marathon route goes through some of the best chateaux of this region and provide runners as well as spectators the opportunity to try Medoc’s wine. Hence the slowest marathon in the world title.

If you haven’t already, put this on your list of things to do before you die (or become lame). It is absolutely worth it.

Word for the Travel Wise (04/01/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on

After discovering the Josephine Baker tours being held this year in France I have made a conscious decision to not only tour France, but to brush up intensely on my French. Yes, I know. In my last two posts I was a little hard on the lang, constantly noting how I don’t really care to waste my time learning such a pretentious tongue, but let’s just say I’ve had a change of heart. French isn’t half as bad as I make it sound and doesn’t sound half as bad as Thai for instance. The beauty of the French language like Spanish and other Romance lingos is the similarities among several words. It’s usually all those abstract accent marks making it seem as if the word is much harder to pronounce. In that case I suggest you either avoid or just ignore the marks completely and say the words as you normally may in English with a slight Texas-drawl.

Today’s word is a French word used in France:

frottis – (pronounced fro-tee) fruit

This word is an easy one. No accents marks either. It’s only a smidge different from the English meaning in pronunciation. Here’s a formula to follow: frottis – (fro-tee) – fruit – (fruity). Those French fashionistas may be right about American’s being flashy in attire, but nothing is more flamboyant than their vernacular, so make sure you kick up the body language and wiggle just a little when you say today’s word. Tell your server at the restaurant you’re in the mood for something frottis or the old woman and vendor of the fruit stand that you want the freshest of frottis. They’ll be so impressed you’ll want to thank me later.

Anyhow… free online sources include France-Pub, French Assistant, and the BBC Languages.

Past French words: confiture, difficile