We love sharing passionate travellers’ stories and here, wine-lover Joshua Hardcastle rejoices in his recent trip through picture postcard vineyard towns of France.
Joshua visited Bordeaux, Asineire Du Baudet Du Poitou, Cognac, Saint Emilion and Paris.
Here’s his advice and memories.
The one thing you can’t miss
Saint-Emilion (main picture). A medieval town surrounded by vineyards and a place where you can find many delicious reds. In this World Heritage Listed picturesque town you can roam narrow stone streets uninterrupted by traffic.
If I had more time, I would have:
Allocated more time to spend at the Bordeaux Wine Festival. We were told by locals just before arriving that we would never be able to make our way around the entire festival of wine-tastings. We gave it a good crack but did not even make it half way around.
In terms of personal safety, it’s:
Felt safe at all times in rural France. I was warned in Paris by locals though not to catch the metro after midnight.
Wish l’d known this before I left:
I think we needed to plan more time around days when in transit. Even though the trains are fast and efficient, the time spent finding hotels, or organising transfers to and from the stations cut into our site seeing time.
If I had a personal top 50 travel experiences, I’d rank this about:
Two. Only to be beaten by sailing around the Greek Islands on a private yacht!
Before I left the best resource I used for my research was:
Interest, asking questions of friends, previous experiences.
Some final thoughts:
For wine and food lovers this is a trip you would not want to miss. Fresh croissants and coffee every morning, followed by delicious baguettes at lunch, then dinner whether it be seafood, beef or chicken in rich French sauces.
And there is always something magical to look at in rural France. Whether it be beautiful green countryside or ruins dating back to times when the Romans occupied the region.
