Exploring Bordeaux with AmaWaterways
This summer I discovered an entirely new, completely relaxing form of travel: river cruising onboard the AmaDolce. The choice to relax, or to explore was mine; one day I’d lounge in my stateroom, balcony wide open, feet on the railing, just watching the world slide by, the next day we’d take bicycles, and race our ship to the next port. It’s a unique way to travel, and best of all, you cover a lot of ground without ever having to pack our bags!
Highlights
24230 Saint-Michel-de-Montaigne, France
Château de Montaigne is worth a detour, especially if you need a little break from the wine tastings, that Bordeaux is so known for. The 14th century castle is nestled deep in the countryside near Bergerac and Saint-Émilion and was once the residence of Michel de Montaigne, one of France’s most important, early philosophers. If you haven’t heard of him, he is the one you may (or may not) thank for making essays popular as a literary genre.
Both the castle and the tower, to which Michel de Montaigne retreated in his later years, can be visited. If you have time constraints, chose the tower. Michel de Montaigne wrote his enlightened essays here, and it is the only structure on the grounds left from the 16th century. The tour will inform you about the philosopher and thinker, who sarcastically coined the phrase: ‘que sais-je’, what do I know?
And bien sûr, if you can’t stay away from wine too long – tastings are naturally available at the château, as well.
TOURS/OPENING HOURS:
General information is available on the website. Please note that ENGLISH LANGUAGE TOURS need to be reserved.
CONTACT INFO:
Phone +33.05 53 58 63 93 Email: info@chateau-montaigne.com
>>>Nina Dietzel traveled onboard the beautiful AmaDolce, and explored Bordeaux courtesy of AmaWaterways.
Both the castle and the tower, to which Michel de Montaigne retreated in his later years, can be visited. If you have time constraints, chose the tower. Michel de Montaigne wrote his enlightened essays here, and it is the only structure on the grounds left from the 16th century. The tour will inform you about the philosopher and thinker, who sarcastically coined the phrase: ‘que sais-je’, what do I know?
And bien sûr, if you can’t stay away from wine too long – tastings are naturally available at the château, as well.
TOURS/OPENING HOURS:
General information is available on the website. Please note that ENGLISH LANGUAGE TOURS need to be reserved.
CONTACT INFO:
Phone +33.05 53 58 63 93 Email: info@chateau-montaigne.com
>>>Nina Dietzel traveled onboard the beautiful AmaDolce, and explored Bordeaux courtesy of AmaWaterways.
33410 Cadillac, France
Cruising down the Garonne river onboard the AmaDolce, the first port we called on was Cadillac, located about 19 miles from the city of Bordeaux. Cadillac, founded in 1280, is a small fortified town, and I bet their charming Sunday market is probably just as old. The market occupies a number of streets in the town center–you won’t miss it. It’s a great place to try all sorts of local specialties (seafood, breads, cheese, sausages), and of course to people watch. The locals not only do their weekly grocery shopping here, markets are also a real social event in France. Friends catch up, stories are exchanged, laughter rings through the streets. Stock up on your picnic needs, as you’ll have no challenge finding a picturesque spot to sit down and snack along the Garonne.
No worries about the little goose pictured here, it already had a name by the time the buyer walked away from the stand. Definitely pet, not food.
>>>Nina Dietzel traveled onboard the beautiful AmaDolce, and explored Bordeaux courtesy of AmaWaterways.
No worries about the little goose pictured here, it already had a name by the time the buyer walked away from the stand. Definitely pet, not food.
>>>Nina Dietzel traveled onboard the beautiful AmaDolce, and explored Bordeaux courtesy of AmaWaterways.
Roquetaillade, 33210 Mazères, France
14th century Château de Roquetaillade is touted as one of Bordeaux’ most visited castles, but don’t let that stop you. I went during high travel season, in August, and it didn’t feel overrun.
Architecturally, it’s an interesting castle to see, because it was carefully restored between 1860 and 1870) by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc , the same gentleman that worked on the Notre Dame in Paris and was asked to design the inside of the Statue of Liberty.
Taking pictures is only allowed outside, and inside the chapel, so you have to take my word for the fact that the castle’s medieval kitchen is fascinating, and surprisingly modern. It has a center island for cooking, without visible above ground vents. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Another lovely detail inside the castle is a secret message from the original stone masons that worked on the castle. Under one of the columns in the front hall, you can see a carved monkey, eating a fruit. This was a signal to future craftsmen, that they were going to be treated fairly and paid well by the owners of Roquetaillade. Had the monkey scratched his back instead? Maybe not a good place to work!
Call/ or email ahead for information on English speaking tours:
Telephone: 05.56.76.14.16
Email: roquetaillade@hotmail.com
>>>Nina Dietzel traveled onboard the beautiful AmaDolce, and explored Bordeaux courtesy of AmaWaterways.
Architecturally, it’s an interesting castle to see, because it was carefully restored between 1860 and 1870) by architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc , the same gentleman that worked on the Notre Dame in Paris and was asked to design the inside of the Statue of Liberty.
Taking pictures is only allowed outside, and inside the chapel, so you have to take my word for the fact that the castle’s medieval kitchen is fascinating, and surprisingly modern. It has a center island for cooking, without visible above ground vents. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Another lovely detail inside the castle is a secret message from the original stone masons that worked on the castle. Under one of the columns in the front hall, you can see a carved monkey, eating a fruit. This was a signal to future craftsmen, that they were going to be treated fairly and paid well by the owners of Roquetaillade. Had the monkey scratched his back instead? Maybe not a good place to work!
Call/ or email ahead for information on English speaking tours:
Telephone: 05.56.76.14.16
Email: roquetaillade@hotmail.com
>>>Nina Dietzel traveled onboard the beautiful AmaDolce, and explored Bordeaux courtesy of AmaWaterways.
33390 Blaye, France
One of the most rewarding ways is to explore Bordeaux’ countryside is by bicycle.
While our ship, the AmaDolce, was sailing the short distace from Blaye to Bourg, we ‘raced’ her by bicycle. Without taking detours, it’s about an hours ride, but of course we took our time, exploring the sights, villages and vineyards on the way. We began at Blaye’s Citadel, one of the impressive ancient fortifications built to protect Bordeaux from foreign naval attacks, and since 2008, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. We pedaled through vineyards, and finally along the waterfront, to take in the views of the Gironde estuary. It was there, that the AmaDolce finally took the lead ; )
A minor disclaimer is that we had to navigate three hills between Blaye and Bourg, nothing dramatic, and there were definitely enough stops along the way to catch our breath.
Our bike adventure was part of our river cruise itinerary, but you can contact Bordeaux by Bike directly for tours. I can highly recommend it, it’s a perfect way to get a real sense of place, and of course to work up an appetite.
>>>Nina Dietzel traveled onboard the beautiful AmaDolce, and explored Bordeaux courtesy of AmaWaterways.
While our ship, the AmaDolce, was sailing the short distace from Blaye to Bourg, we ‘raced’ her by bicycle. Without taking detours, it’s about an hours ride, but of course we took our time, exploring the sights, villages and vineyards on the way. We began at Blaye’s Citadel, one of the impressive ancient fortifications built to protect Bordeaux from foreign naval attacks, and since 2008, a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. We pedaled through vineyards, and finally along the waterfront, to take in the views of the Gironde estuary. It was there, that the AmaDolce finally took the lead ; )
A minor disclaimer is that we had to navigate three hills between Blaye and Bourg, nothing dramatic, and there were definitely enough stops along the way to catch our breath.
Our bike adventure was part of our river cruise itinerary, but you can contact Bordeaux by Bike directly for tours. I can highly recommend it, it’s a perfect way to get a real sense of place, and of course to work up an appetite.
>>>Nina Dietzel traveled onboard the beautiful AmaDolce, and explored Bordeaux courtesy of AmaWaterways.
Bordeaux’ river Garonne is a tricky one to navigate. The tidal changes are impressive; they often make the river flow in one direction in the morning and the opposite at night. The training of the river captains has to be rigorous.
One morning we left Bordeaux just before sunrise to catch a short window with just the right tidal conditions, that let our ship carefully sail through the arches of the famous Pont de Pierre,....without much room to spare. It was definitely a morning to haul out of bed for.
A short history: the Pont de Pierre was designed under Napoleon I, and inaugurated in 1822. It has 17 arches, one for each letter in Napoleon Bonaparte’s name. Until 1965 (!!) it was the only bridge that crossed the Garonne in Bordeaux.
>>>Nina Dietzel traveled onboard the beautiful AmaDolce, and explored Bordeaux courtesy of AmaWaterways.
One morning we left Bordeaux just before sunrise to catch a short window with just the right tidal conditions, that let our ship carefully sail through the arches of the famous Pont de Pierre,....without much room to spare. It was definitely a morning to haul out of bed for.
A short history: the Pont de Pierre was designed under Napoleon I, and inaugurated in 1822. It has 17 arches, one for each letter in Napoleon Bonaparte’s name. Until 1965 (!!) it was the only bridge that crossed the Garonne in Bordeaux.
>>>Nina Dietzel traveled onboard the beautiful AmaDolce, and explored Bordeaux courtesy of AmaWaterways.
33670 Créon, France
The small town of Créon is located a little over 12 miles (20km) from Bordeaux. It is one of Aquitaine’s original Bastide towns, centered around a market square, which comes alive on Wednesdays.
Although the market is mainly a food market, you can find some stalls that sell household goods, clothing, etc. as well. As with all markets in France, it’s the town’s weekly ‘social'; people catch up, either with each other, or on the towns news, while shopping for the coming week. People watching is of course great, but its also a chance to engage with the locals, and make use of the French words you may have picked up by now.
We tasted freshly baked breads, delicious cheeses, fruits, and ham, you simply wouldn’t get back in the US. Because of Bordeaux’ proximity to Spain, hispanic influences are strong. Fiestas are put on throughout the summer, and Basque influences make their way into the incredible cuisine here.
>>>Nina Dietzel traveled onboard the beautiful AmaDolce, and explored Bordeaux courtesy of AmaWaterways.
Although the market is mainly a food market, you can find some stalls that sell household goods, clothing, etc. as well. As with all markets in France, it’s the town’s weekly ‘social'; people catch up, either with each other, or on the towns news, while shopping for the coming week. People watching is of course great, but its also a chance to engage with the locals, and make use of the French words you may have picked up by now.
We tasted freshly baked breads, delicious cheeses, fruits, and ham, you simply wouldn’t get back in the US. Because of Bordeaux’ proximity to Spain, hispanic influences are strong. Fiestas are put on throughout the summer, and Basque influences make their way into the incredible cuisine here.
>>>Nina Dietzel traveled onboard the beautiful AmaDolce, and explored Bordeaux courtesy of AmaWaterways.
