Petes Pix 2022

  At breakfast there were two Moet et Chandon NV Champagne bottles in a silver bowl for passengers to have or to make Buck’s Fizz and Mimosas.   Only one bottle was open and each morning the bubbles were just as strong as the previous day even though I was convinced it was the same bottle. So I marked the bottle and sure enough the following day, and the next and the next    the same bottle was there with bubbles flowing just as fiercely and some days there was more wine in the bottle than I’d seen the previous day.   Truly magic Champagne!

We received a printed sheet with the departure time for each cabin and a colour coded tag for bags. Rooms were to be vacated at 08:30 with bags left outside. Our departure time was 14:00, so we thought to take a leisurely breakfast, but the breakfast buffet ended at 08:30 and the tables we mostly cleared 30 minutes before.  Our intention to have buttered toast and marmalade came to nothing as they had run out of butter. How can a place that bills itself on its cuisine run out of butter when it is moored in the centre of a city with shops and supermarkets a short walk away?  The staff were laying tables for dinner, chatting among themselves and generally making us feel unwelcome. We sat in the lounge reading, and then enjoyed the dis/embarkation lunch and a last glass of Champagne before being driven to the airport. Check-in and security didn’t delay us long.  Bdx Airport - This new footpath crosses the road - but the crossing doesn't join the footpaths Scenic had booked us home wit

Our last full day. At 07:00 the boat sailed to Blaye and moored beneath the ramparts of this huge castle at 08:00. There were four tours; most people went to Chateau la Roche Courbon, there was an active bike tour from Blaye, and two guided walking tours of the fortress, one active and the one we took. Blaye castle was built to control the estuary to defend Bordeaux and to tax passing merchant ships. But cannons of that time didn’t have the range to shoot the width of the estuary, so another fortress, Fort Medoc faced it on the other bank, and on an island in the middle was a third fortress. Between them their cannons could cover the entire width of the estuary. We had moored at Fort Medoc on day 3 and 4 of the cruise. The castle was impressive with dry moats and layers of defences, and our guide knew its history. Afterwards we walked a short distance back to the boat.   At 13:30 the ship sailed back to Bordeaux. We waited mid-river with other boats till we could pass under Pont de pie

Two tours today: an all day visit with a long coach drive to the town of Cognac and the Remy Martin distillery, or a morning walking tour of the ancient hill town of Bourg. We took the latter.   The walking tour leaves at 10:00 and returns at 12:00, visiting the old town of Bourg, its Citadel and carriage museum and the historic surprise kept to the end.  As usual, there was free time at the end and the guide suggested a street of shops that led off the square where she released us. We continued up that road to the top where in another square at the highest point was the Boutique Vins de Bourg.  They spoke English and gave a free tasting of the wines of the day and below was a light arched limestone cellar with almost 200 different Bourg wines for sale. The disembarkation talk was that night, followed by the Captain’s Farewell Cocktail and a Gala Dinner, the disco night with the ships musician. The recommended red was a Bordeaux, huzzah! It was the grandly titled Dourthe La Grand Cuve

Three tours this morning: seaside resort of Arcachon, Dune de Pylat (the tallest sand dune in Europe), or by tram to Cite Du Vin, the newish wine museum. We went on the latter and were given tram and entrance tickets. Our guide showed us how to validate the tram ticket on board and we walked past the short queue at Cite Du Vin who were waiting to buy a ticket. Cite du Vin - the building is designed to represent the swirl of wine in a glass The ground floor of this temple of wine is free to all and contains an extensive shop of wine related goods, a restaurant and a wine shop with both local and international wines. Up one level is the hands-on wine museum. One scanned the ticket to gain entrance and then was given a listening device on a lanyard and earphone.  You chose the language wanted and the exhibit soundtracks came in your language. You could select to listen to winemakers from around the world explain their terroir and wine. You could just wander around where your fancy took, o

In the morning there was the choice of three tours: shopping with the chef followed by a Culinaire Class. A bike tour of Bordeaux or a coach and guided walking tour of Bordeaux – there was also a ‘gentle’ walkers option. We went on the walking tour but bailed out when the group was to enter a cathedral. Lunch - Fish & Chips We walked back to the ship, along the shopping street which ended at the Intercontinental Bordeaux Grand Hotel. Here we joined the gentle walkers tour with a guide we’d had before who was a wine expert. He was taking the group to the nearby wine school where they could use the toilets for free, or taste and buy wine and snacks. I’d been there before but he explained symbolism on the large illuminated glass panels inside which added a whole new layer. Back at the ship there was a tasting of fresh oysters brought from the sea at Arcachon. We had an early dinner at 17:45 because there was a tour to the Bassins de Lumiere. It was a short coach ride to the old submar

In the morning were two tours; cycling with a wine tasting, and a coach tour to Sauternes with a wine tasting.  Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey There were four coaches and the one we were in went to Chateau Lafaurie-Peyraguey, a 1st Growth Sauternes wine now owned by Silvio Denz, CEO of Lalique luxury crystal brand. The building dates from 1618 and now also houses a luxury hotel and a Michelin starred restaurant. The winery guide was excellent and if English wasn’t her native language she’d spent a long time in English speaking countries.   She showed us the vineyards, the old part of the chateau including the ancient chapel and the barrel cellar with is unique crystal barrique filled with Sauternes, before leading us in a tasting of their dry white and luscious sweet Sauternes. (93% Semillon, 6% Sauvignon Blanc, 1% Muscadelle).  ( The other two coaches went to Ch Mayne le Merci which the current owners bought in 2017 and are farming organically. This is not so grand, not classified, and th

At around 07:00 the ship departed for Cadillac. It had to wait at Pont de pierre until the water was low enough at pass under it. The Viking Forsetti was also waiting, and both ships passed under the bridge one after another.   After lunch was a guided walking tour for everyone of the town of Cadillac named after the dukes who founded it and the restored Château des ducs d'Épernon à Cadillac, variously the duke’s residence, a prison and a girl offenders and orphan’s home.  Château des ducs d'Épernon à Cadillac We also heard how the name Cadillac was appropriated by a con-man who went to America where he founded Detroit and after whom the car is named.   After dinner was dancing to the sound of guest entertainers Audrey & Julien.  The boat remained at Cadillac overnight.

There were two tours in the morning, a guided cycling tour of the Medoc or a coach tour of the Medoc, both with a wine tasting. The Medoc is a very famous wine region and the small Pauillac appellation has three of the five 1st Growths.  These prestigious wineries don’t take visitors, so we drove past them stopping to take pictures. Ch Lagrange Our visit and tasting was at Ch Lagrange, a 3rd Growth in St Julian. The tour was good with an excellent guide at the Chateau.   Lunch was a barbecue on the sundeck. Food ran out, when I asked for chicken chef had to search through discarded carcasses to see what meat he could scrape from bones. The Executive Chef was cutting the three or four remaining baked potatoes into 4 wedges and covering them in sour cream to make them look bigger. There was no lettuce or tomatoes left, and other empty bowls and no bread. Though some additional bread appeared, the salads weren’t restocked. Not luxury, Scenic.   The afternoon was free, and there was a sere

Scenic Diamond stayed moored at Libourne till after lunch.  There were four excursions in the morning: a walking tour of Libourne, a sightseeing tour of Bergerac, or a tour and wine tasting at Ch d La Riviere in Fronsac, one group going by e-bicycle and the other by coach.  We took the latter. The Chateau is at the top of a hill and its driveway twists and turns up the hill and exhausted one cyclist who came back with us on the coach.  The Chateau has 7km of tunnels and cellars carved in the hill and we toured some of them, before having a tasting of three wines.   After lunch the boat departed for the Medoc. It moored at Fort Medoc at around 19:00. I learned that previously it had moored at the small town Pauillac which is where the Viking ship moored when were cruised Bordeaux in 2016.  The boat stayed at Fort Medoc overnight. Vineyards seen from Chateau; Dordogne in distance

  At 06:00 the boat sailed up the Dordogne River. As it has to pass under the Pont de pierre, meaning Stone Bridge, ordered by Napoleon I and finished in 1822. There are about 30 minutes at low tide when river boats can pass under the bridge, so schedules have to take that into account. There are 17 arches which legend has represents the 17 letters in the name Napoleon Bonaparte.   We arrived in Libourne shortly before 13:30 while we were lunching. Lunch is a self-serve buffet.       Only one tour today. At 14:00 coaches left for St Emilion. This name is very famous to wine lovers for its Merlot based wines, and the hill town is attractive too. There’s only one narrow one-way road through the town for motor traffic so coaches have to park at the bottom and passengers walk up the hill to a square where you can look down on the terracotta tiled roofs of the houses.   There was a visit to the underground cell where the monk Émilion lived in the 700s. Apparently women who couldn’t have chi

 Cruise Day 1 17AUG22 Wednesday – Bordeau x The hotel breakfast buffet had everything and we had a table by the window overlooking the Grand Théâtre.  Pick up to take us to the boat was 14:00. Scenic had arranged a 90-minute tour of Bordeaux by 2CV departing at 09:30. We were tempted to give this a miss and are glad we didn’t because it was great fun. The small basic two horsepower 2CV (aka Deux Chevaux = Two Horses) car was first built in 1948. Ours was built in the 1960s. It has a canvas roof that can – and was – opened. We rattled around the city while our driver, who was younger than the car, chatted to us and showed us the sights. We were following a 2CV carrying the other Scenic couple, but their car was built in the 1970s and didn’t keep stalling at red lights so it was in front. We lunched at Le Noailles, and got back to the hotel for transfer to the boat.   Check in at the boat was straightforward. We were given a lanyard with a small plastic rectangle bearing our name on one