Southern France

It’s Wednesday night and I’m sitting in a laundramat in Eymet waiting for the French woman who has finished with the two driers to SLOWLY fold each piece of clothing BEFORE taking them all out of the drier.  5 mins later - NOW she has gone out for a smoke with half her clothes still in the drier and, believe it or not, I’, not game to say anything as I’ve already indicated that I’m waiting for her.  5 mins later – she’s finished her fag (filthy habit!) and has taken out only HALF her washing from the drier. Bitch!  Ten minutes later – she’s still folding! I’ve never seen anyone fold laundry so slowly (I have by now …. Her second drier.  I think her home life must be so awful she’s putting off the inevitable. 

Now, where was I?

We arrived in Eymet on Monday afternoon so I’ll back-track a bit to our last day in Paris – last Friday (Oh how time flies!)  

Leaving Paris studio apartment

We had tickets on the fast train from Paris to Bordeaux with one ticket – a seat allocated, the other was ‘seat – where available’. We weren’t sure what this meant but found out!  What we hadn’t realized was that it was a five day holiday in France and seats were limited. Peter’s seat ended up being a little seat between carriages. Not particularly comfortable so we swapped to give each other the comfort of a proper seat.  I have to say it wasn’t the calmest we’ve been.

When we arrived in Bordeaux we followed the hotel’s directions exactly. Problem was, they had said to turn left when they meant turn right and vice-versa. Hence we nearly got lost until a couple asked us if we needed some help. It turned out they were from Tasmania and had been living in Bordeaux for three months. They escorted us all the way to the front door of our hotel (a bit like Scotland experience!) Hotel was just around the corner from the main square. Although our room was small, it had a King bed and, more importantly, a BATH!   I was in that bath within 5 mins of walking in the door.  The staff at the hotel, a Best Western, couldn’t have been nicer.  The Tasmanian couple had recommended an Asian restaurant LITERALLY 10 metres from the front door of our hotel. As we were tired we decided to give it a try. Interesting – mine more Japanese style salmon and Peter’s a noodle stir fry. Both very tastey.

On Saturday we explored the city of Bordeaux. We both found it a very lovely small city, a bit similar to Florence. 

Bordeaux Grand Theatre by day...

and by night

Saturday night we discovered a restaurant in a square next to St Nicholas’s Bascilica. Wow, was it a great meal.  Peter had grilled prawns and I had duck breast with green peppercorn sauce on the side with steamed veggies.  Might not sound too flash but it was one of the best meals we’ve had on our trip.

Next morning we were up nice and early for our wine tour when we discovered that daylight saving had finished and we had an extra hour up our sleeve. We headed off in a 8 seat mini van with Florence, our guide (half Italian and half French) in quite heavy fog. She told us that this was quite common in the area and it would clear after lunch, which it did..  

We had a great day and I found it much more interesting than I thought I would. We visited two chateaux where we were given a tour and a lot of information on both the history of the chateaux and about the wine.  The second was particularly interesting because they had retained the original winery as a museum.  They explained that, even today, a candel is used to check that all sediment has been removed from the wine. Here is a selection of the photos we took: 

Only French Oak from a particular forest is used for the barrells

Chateaux Margoux - 12 month wait list for tastings

Chateaux museum - Grape press used up to mid 1970's

Chateaux museum - tour guide demonstrating how grapes were crushed

Chateaux museum - wine barrells

We then had tastings at both places.  

looking perfectly natural while wine tasting 

Lunch was not included in the price of the tour (which was quite expensive) so we decided to pack a picnic lunch as we thought the restaurant options would probably cost a bomb.  We were given a hour for lunch and Peter and I set up on the jetty of the village…  that is, after buying a bottle of red at the little wine shop and a bread stick at a Morrocan café (we didn’t know that you can’t buy bread (or hardly anything) in the French countryside on a Sunday.  Our picnic was lovely although we’ve since learnt, from Florence, that the French aren’t really into picnics.  Probably explains the strange looks we were receiving from people walking by on the boardwalk. 

lunching on the jetty 

When we got back to the van we found that two American girls from the group went to one of the recommended restaurants and, as the service was so slow, had to leave without eating. We certainly made the right decision to picnic.

We ended the day in a place called ‘Winery’.  A modern set up where we tasted five wines from the region, two whites and three reds.  I have to say it was the first time I’ve really enjoyed a sauterne – it was lovely. The Winery is sort of like a one stop shop for many regions not just one (ie Bordeaux). We started with a Sauvingnon/Semilon blend and was quite outstanding. Unlike any Aussie equivalent. The Taiwanese photographer and I agreed – wine of the day so far. We then tried 3 reds (mostly cabernets and blends) all good wine. Finished with a Sauterne that my new best friend from Taiwwan and I agreed was up there for wine of the day. Sweet not cloying (bit like me really) and a wine to stop conversation at a aprety. WOW. Expensive day really – but 9 Bordeaux’s and Sauternes tasted and some great wine knowledge imparted to child bride and I. Admittedly no Premier Crus (to taste at Chateau Margaux is a 12 month waiting list by appointment!) but some damn foin French woin!!!!.  We  got back to Bordeaux about 6pm and, after wondering the streets for a while (and taking some photos of the city) we ended up having dinner at a Chinese restaurant. Why? Because that’s what Mary wanted!  Well, to be honest it was a little ordinary but we enjoyed the Tsing tsao, the Chinese beer which is nice and light and goes great with Chinese food.

Monday we did more exploring of Bordeaux and then collected our hire car mid afternoon.  

Carrousel in Bordeaux Square - we were told it was from the 1700s!

We noticed that this restaurant (with striped awning) had a queue  every day. We were advised that  they made a special sauce which others had unsuccessfully tried to copy. The queue went around the corner and this is out of season!

Nancy the Navigator (our TomTom which we christianed Nancy as she guides us on our travels) led us out of Bordeaux and onto Eymet (a 1.5 hour drive) with no problems. Peter seemed to get used to driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road very quickly and hasn’t once driven on the left (he did hop in the car this morning in the wrong seat however, to move car as you park on opposite side of street every two weeks….don’t ask, our French host Guy (thinks it is madness  - so picture this every two weeks your car has to change side of road you park on. Yesterday they all parked on left facing west, today right  side of road facing East). 

We arrived in Eymet late afternoon and found maison20 in the tiniest, and I mean tiniest, street in the tiny village.  I have to be honest, it’s not the prettiest village I’ve seen, but our apartment is amazing. It’s huge (by French standards), with an entry/study area with desk, a living room with two lounges, a dining area with a full-size dining table, small kitchen, king size bed, pool room, indoor pool, gym, wine cellar, flat screen tv size of our house, a pet horse in a room out the back, an indoor vineyard, a cheesery, a room just for baking croissants….sorry this bit is Peter’s…must be getting late. Each morning at 8am freshly baked croissants are left outside our door. 

Tuesday being a public holiday in France (and All Saints Day) it felt like Sunday.  We had a beautiful lunch at a restaurant about five mins walk (everything is five mins walk in Eymet). We were told it is chasing a Michelin Star but they offer set menu lunches for 12 euro (entree & main).  We had smoked salmon and school prawn salad for entree and chicken with mushroom and fois gras for main.  A bit special. 

Wednesday we drove to Bergerac to check out the market. However, after driving past it on the way in, by the time we found a park and walked back, we couldn't find it. Also, we were given directions going in the opposite direction. Not sure if deliberate or the girl couldn't understand me.  Anyway, it all turned out OK as we were checking out the menu at a back street restaurant when a good looking young Frenchman came out and started to explain the menu in English. He also recommended that we each have two of the four entrees being offered to get a real taste of the food.  It was then that he told us he was a customer. We had assumed, reasonably we thought, that he worked there.  Well, what an amazing lunch.  We had about six different 'components' on each plate, including a small glass of soup, a little pastry with pear and goats cheese, beetroot puree, mushroom and fois gras pasta, several small salads, to name just a few. Our friend, a student who eats at the restaurant regularly, took this photo:

This lunch surpassed the 'nearly Michelin Star' experience! Fantastic

We then drove onto Chateaux Biron, built in the 12th century as a forstress (although burnt in the 1400s and rebuilt in the 1600s).  It was pretty impressive:  

Chateaux Biron courtyard

from afar

Madame on steps of Chateaux Biron

Not a bad view?

View view of countryside from courtyard

Stone floor - looks like tiled floor, doesn't it?

Thursday - Market Day in Eymet.  We were up relatively early (for us, anyway) and off to the weekly market. It was much bigger and better than we expected.  There was food, food everywhere.  Also clothing, jewellery, books etc.  We bought both lunch and dinner there - lunch included salmon & vegie quiche, and lamb, vegie & herb pastry (little bit like a cornish pastie).  We had a yummy dinner, including:  Two terrines, a mushroom & fois gras quiche, cheese, salami, ham, salad, olives, dolmades.  We finished off with the sweetest raspberries and strawberries, with French champagne. 

Eymet  Weekly Market

Eymet Weekly Market

Yummy market purchases