10/30/2014 – Written by LuAnn Lisell

Saint-Emilion. This is such a picturesque and hilly village. The picture that I took overlooking the rooftops, is one of my favorites. 

Walking through one of the courtyards, we saw this photogenic little guy. He very patiently waited for his owner to take the picture. From what I was told, he has probably seen more of the world than most people. 

The subterranean, monolithic church that dates back to the 12th century, was quite fascinating. We started in the Sanctuary above ground and then were led through a series of tunnels and caves, which opened to a very large worship area. While most structures are built from the bottom up, this church was carved out of limestone from the top down. The large supporting columns which lined the corridor separating naves, were constructed of a continuous piece of limestone. I don’t think we were suppose to take pictures, however, I took a couple before I knew that. The paintings above the windows that were restored are beautiful. The hole in the ceiling was used to transport items from above ground to below ground. I also liked the carving in the ceiling. I zoomed in on all these pictures, so the expanse of the church cannot be felt. It was awesome. 

Who knew that limestone would provide good soil for grapes? A visit to Chateau Villemaurine removed any doubt from our minds. This Chateau also has an extensive underground space. As you can imagine, it keeps the barrels at an even temperature year round. Throughout the many tunnels, there are even underground spaces large enough to accommodate social events. What a great place to play hide and seek, or to have a Halloween party! Unfortunately, not a great place to take pictures. After our tour, we were able to taste some of their wines, before returning to the ship. 

As we boarded the ship, we were surprised to see the captain painting the ship. We had noticed that the crew worked together well and often shared responsibilities, but it’s always good to see the boss roll up his sleeves. This evening we were treated to a Bordeaux Night Panoramic Bus tour. Perfect weather for an open air bus tour. Gorgeous!