Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/889690
stone streets. We visit the Hermitage de Saint Émilion and, above it, the Trinity Chapel, Europe's largest monolithic church built by monks in the 13 th century, before browsing through myriad shops. Next is Château de Pressac to taste Saint- Émilion wines. Historians would be especially interested in this area as the last battle of the 100 Year War took place in Castillon and the treaty was signed in the medieval castle of de Pressac. Day six finds us in Libourne, a fortified Bastide town that was important for the salt trade—"white gold"—during the Middle Ages. Markets remain the soul of France and Libourne's busy Tuesday morning market, one of the biggest around, has been oper- ating for more than five centuries on the central square. Later, we visit the magnificent Château de Montaigne, which was the family resi- dence of philosopher Michel de Montaigne who wrote Les Essays in the 16 th century. You might say he was one of the first bloggers, writing such gems as "A good marriage would be between a blind wife and a deaf husband" and "In nine lifetimes, you will never know as much about your cat as your cat knows about you." Destroyed by fire in 1885, the castle was rebuilt in one year. Apparently, a duplicate of the château is found in Tianjin, China. Back in Bordeaux, we spend our last day wandering through this elegant port city known for its Gothic cathedral St. André, its many fine and contemporary art museums and 18 th - and 19 th -century mansions. We saunter past boutiques and restaurants along rue Sainte-Catherine, a 1.2-kilometre pedestrian street—the longest in Europe. We embark on an immersive, sensory adventure to discover the cultures and civilizations of wine at the newly built La Cité du Vin Wine Museum. Come morning, it will be hard to leave this capital of the wine world. I am told wine is mentioned 440 times in the Bible, which I cannot verify, but it's obvi- ously been important to humanity for well over 2,000 years. No doubt, it will continue to flow for many more centuries to come. And Bordeaux is betting on it. FALL/ WINTER 2017 DREAMSCAPES 55 TRAVEL PLANNER Air Canada (aircanada.com) and Air France (airfrance.com) offer direct service from various Canadian gateways to Paris, with convenient connections to Bordeaux. Rail Europe (raileurope.com) also operates train service from Charles de Gaulle Airport as well as from Paris centre to Bordeaux. A new TGV service has reduced the trip from four to two hours. For more information on the various cruise itineraries offered by AMA Waterways, visit amawaterways.com. DS OPPOSITE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: The reception area and gift shop on board the AmaDolce; The sleek AmaDolce, one of 19 ships operated by AMA Waterways; Entertainment at the Maison des vins de Côtes de Bourg wine festival. LEFT: Château de Montaigne, a stunning 19 th -century castle with its 14 th -century tower, once the family residence of philosopher Michel de Montaigne. V&V Hospitality & Media Services