After one busy month of fast-paced Paris culture, I was ready to unwind. My parents arrived on Thursday and a sweet reunion was in full swing!
Our five days together in France was centered around a weekend getaway to Bordeaux in the southwestern region of country. The slow-paced city, which has received a cultural renaissance in the past two decades, was filled with quaint shops, restaurants and daring Medeival architecture. I handled the restaurants (with Hannah's spot-on TripAdvisor suggestions), Dad handled the daily activities; all was swell for our Greenstein Bordeaux adventure.
Every meal across the town was a constant hit! I've written up L'Oiseau Bleu and Plume Small Kitchen separately, so be sure to check out those critiques soon. We also felt like locals when lunching at the La Brasserie Bordelaise on Friday AND Saturday. Our sweet waitress Ophelia brought us classic French fare to welcome us to the city on Friday, and we couldn't get enough. While Friday was a heartier afternoon meal of farmhouse chicken with au jus and huge scallops, Saturday's cheese board and juicy tomato gazpacho was a lovely precursor to our Saturday afternoon: Bordeaux 360 Wine Tour.
Yes, Chateau hopping was the highlight. We ventured to the Saint Emillion region in the northeast area of Bordeaux, getting a taste of the wine, land and deep history of the area. Our guide Chloe showed us two Chateaus; the first (Chateau Mauvezin) being a quaint home with a tasting led by a owner, whose family has made wine for 400 years...the second (Chateau Soutard)being a large, modern mansion with tens of acres and fancy shmancy cellars underneath the Saint Emillion layer of natural lime stone. I was equally amazed by both estates; and their red wines (predominantly merlot and Cabernet) were mighty tasty. My dad got a 2005 bottle from Chateau Soutard, which we have decided to wait and open when I get back home to Memphis!
