We did a loop around carnac and then headed off to what was to become the "Epic" journey to Saint Emilion.......On the road to Auray and Vannes everything seemed fine and we relaxed in the comfortable knowledge that we had driving in France sussed!! Then the ugly city of Saint Nazeane had its way plunging us into the bowels of its dirty confusing streets! Several circuits later and much teeth gritting we found another poor French directionist....just go strait........now we seemed to be on the right track! I have no idea what happened next but in between the 1235th round about road sign we found ourselves at a deviation ( roughly translated...you are about to get very very lost!)For the next two hours we drove in ever more confusing criss-crosses traversing middle France.....Once the tension subsided and the heat and steam cleared we realized we had just experienced a greater view of dying rural France.....whole towns seemingly abandoned as the motor way has seceded rural roads....So we abandoned the country roads and for a while joined the Motor way... 130kms an hour never felt so good!! Memorable was Bev's hilarious conversation to Valerie at Chateau Valendraud to tell her we would be arriving very late.....pigeon French at its best.......
heading to st Emilion we again felt the pangs of the lost syndrome....and again we found another french directionist.....A lovely lady tried to draw us maps to the Chateau and then upon looking at our deer in the headlights expressions decided to drive in front of us the whole way!!So helpful...and thus we arrived ...OMG.....The Chateau on a little hill overlooking the vineyards was mind blowingly beautiful! We have the place to ourselves and with patisseries and wine we we relax on the front deck!This is the joy of travel!
A little foggy the next day.....2 bottles of vin ( Bad boy Garage)........a curious name for wine that tells the story of the owner of this vineyard....ex lumber jack who started making wine in his garage in st Emilion and endued up one of the top/best producers of wine in the region!!( much to the disgust of the locals!) His wines are now famous and have received the grand cu honour which places them in the top 12 in Bordeaux.
Wine tasting and history in St Emilion: winding our way to the Ancient town of St Emilion I wonder what all these caves, buildings and streets have seen in their lifetime. The town is layered in history from original caves, pre Roman, Roman, to modern...even the scars of WW2 have added a certain character to a town that has weathered much in humanities drive for progress....
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