Viking's 8 Day River Cruise- Châteaux, Rivers & Wine.
Day 1
My first Viking River Cruise was a sailing on the Garonne River through Bordeaux, a wine lover's dream. My husband, parents and I arrived after a few days in Paris to this magical city affectionately named “sleeping beauty”. Bordeaux definitely offers a much more relaxed pace and I don’t think I have ever fallen in love with a place so quickly. Between the mesmerizing architecture, delicious cuisine, and no shortage of wine, it is hard not to want to live here!
Our first tour was an evening stroll through downtown. The Eighteenth Century Neoclassical Architecture along the river shines like a jewel box and it is know wonder that it has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The stand out of the tour was Place de la Bourse. In front of the monument is le Miroir d’eau, 2 cm of water cover a huge blue granite slab creating the largest reflection pool in the world. At night the twinkling lights sparkle like diamonds. It is not shocking that this is the most recognizable sight in all of Bordeaux and definitely an Instagramable hot spot.
After the tour my husband and I popped into a brasserie for a late night bite and were pleasantly surprised by the swanky French cuisine without the pretentious vibe or high prices. We shared a croque monsieur with truffle ham that was next level…beyond any grilled cheese you could imagine. The bib lettuce salad was simple but elegant and the champagne vinaigrette accompanied by bright red pops of pomegranate seeds was the perfect pairing of acid that sang in my mouth. Of course we also indulged in a bottle of white wine, after all we are on vacation! The prices on the wine list had us concerned… finding a bottle under $50 in DC is impossible but this bottle of Bordeaux Graves for 20 euro had a great minerality and was the perfect pairing! As I am writing this several years later, one can see the impression of this evening has been permanently etched in my food memory.
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