Wonder and Wander

Having friends in town is always a great excuse to see more of your own surroundings. I’m embarrassed by how many things we still haven’t done in the state of Florida, but somehow the dailyness of life takes over. We’d seen a good bit of Bordeaux on our own, of course, but we had more exploring to do!

We started with the simple stuff– the cathedral down the street, the best cream puffs in the world, the Mirror and the place de la Bourse, and our favorite bakery (voted best boulangerie in France in 2017, so therefore some of the best bread in the world). We took a walking tour of the city, which really helped me piece some of the city’s history together more effectively.

We were also able to introduce Victoria and Madelyn to our church here in Bordeaux. In the month since we arrived, we quickly felt drawn in to the life of our little community of faith. I was so encouraged to see the kids participating in Bible studies and prayer nights and Sunday services. They were treated like active participants in church life, and they responded in kind. It has been beautiful to see.

We took a day trip to Arcachon, since the weather was so warm. Although we had been to Arcachon before, we had not been to the Dune of Pilat, which is the largest sand dune in Europe. Let me just say that I was unprepared for the sheer enormity of the mountain of sand that sits between the forest and the sea. The kids had a blast running up one side and down the other (and back up again). Victoria and I contented ourselves with climbing up the forest side and enjoying the view from the top. It was breathtaking.

We also took a day trip to St. Émilion, a lovely medieval town surrounded by wine chateaus. The rolling hills really made it feel like a French version of Tuscany. Vance was able to make this trip with us, and we explored the underground monolithic church, ate a lovely meal in the town, and took a mini wine tour around the area.

St. Émilion felt so peaceful, tucked away without scads of tourists, and even the kids enjoyed the open air wine train. I thoroughly enjoyed all the walking, especially to and from the village, surrounded by vineyards.

Victoria and I wanted to take a more in depth wine tour, so we also took a tour of the famous Médoc region. Bordeaux has one of the largest and most celebrated wine regions in the world–we figured it deserved a visit.

I would consider myself to be a fairly illiterate wine drinker…. I know what I like, but I don’t have a particularly developed palate for wine. I hoped to learn more while in this wine mecca.

I certainly did learn a lot–mostly that wine making is itself an incredibly complex and costly process. Developing particularities of flavor starts with grape varieties, terroir, and age of the vines, and continues all the way through the fermentation length and process, the type of barrels used for aging, and the blending.

We visited both a large historic chateau that is now owned by a corporation and a smaller, family owned business. As you can imagine, the personal interaction at Reverdi made the whole process come alive. We interact with strawberry growers in Florida, and we know the the risks they carry from planting to harvest. It’s true in the wine world as well. Small growers invest huge amounts into their crop, and they don’t get a return for at least two years as the wine ages. It takes a brave soul.

Victoria wanted to learn how to make crêpes, which have become a family favorite. You would think they just taste like thin pancakes, but no. Isaac likes his with honey and lemon. The girls are Nutella + fruit fans. Vance shares my favorite–a little jam inside, with peaches and raspberries on top and a spoonful of creme fraiche to bring the magic. For dinner, you can fill them with anything savory, but I really like Provencal ham, chevre, sautéed mushrooms, and chives. It’s kind of like a French taco– the sky is the limit when it comes to fillings.

We wrapped up their trip at the Cité du Vin, the new and very high tech wine museum in Bordeaux. The billing itself is a work of art, and I really enjoyed the opportunities to learn about the flavor and scent compounds. The visit finished with a wine tasting at the top of the building–the kids every got to try unfermented grape juice, which tasted totally different than the varieties we normally drink. It was a very fitting finish.

It was so special to have friends come, and we were so grateful to have the opportunity to explore more of la belle France in such fun and flexible company. Thanks for coming to see us, dear ones!