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EXPERIENCE THE WINES OF BORDEAUX

EXPERIENCE THE WINES OF BORDEAUX

Feb 22, 2021

Experience the wines of Bordeaux  on a Taste of Bordeaux cruise with AMA Waterways. You can start your journey by flying in Bilbao, Spain and ending in Paris or the reverse.  Doing the pre and post-cruise extensions is a great way to extend your cruise, but if you are short on time, you can fly into and out of Bordeaux for your 7-night cruise.  In either event, you will find that AMA Waterways has planned terrific stops along the way so that you can experience the full range of vineyards, wineries and other significant places of interest.

Tasete of Bordeaux Itinerary

What an awesome itinerary through the different wine regions of Bordeaux

Cadillac

While touring the vineyards and learning about terroir, you will also learn about the “noble rot”.  It may not sound appetizing, but it creates a great Sauterne, which you will be able to taste for yourself.
You may also have the opportunity to experience the great European tradition of the weekly farmers market.  Why not pick up some bread and cheese to take back to the ship to share with your new friends.   You will also find a French specialty known as Canele.  Impossible to eat just one.
Experience the wines of Bordeaux

Experience local markets on your Taste of Bordeaux Cruise

You will also have the chance to visit a castle that has been in the same family for 700 years.  Roquetataillade is a masterpiece of medieval military architecture.   As spectacular as the castle is, you will marvel at the chapel with its Moorish influence.

Pauillac

 On your cruise to Experience the Wines of Bordeaux, you are now entering the the Medoc Region.  Pauillac is the gateway to this region which is home to some of the most beautiful and famous wine estates.  This is your chance to experience a wine tasting of Grand Cru wines and to learn about the history associated with Grand Cru.  There are several choices for your shore excursions, but they all end up with you tasting some great wines.

Bourg/Blaye

Once in Blaye you can see the UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE of the 17th century citadel.  You say you want a little more action?  How about biking around the town!
You can either bike from Blaye to Bourg or enjoy the comfort of the ship as it sails there.  AMA Waterways has arranged for an exclusive wine festival in Bourg.  Here you can meet and mingle with the local wine growers while sipping on their local wines and enjoying live music and perhaps some dancing.

Libourne

Just when you thought you have seen the best,  you will arrive in Libourne and a visit to Saint-Emilion.  Perched on a hill, it has great views, great wine and an underground church.  You will visit the monolithic church which was carved out of a single piece of limestone and the venture under the Church to explore the catacombs and caves.     Now it’s time for another wine tasting since this region has their own brand of wine based on the distinctive terroir.  Some of the production of wineries in the region is so small that they don’t export any of their wines.  This is a great opportunity for the wine connoisseurs to take home a great wine that no one else is able to get.  You can also bring back stories of your experience of getting up close and personal with the people who have created this great wine.  What great bragging rights.

 

NOW IS NOT TOO SOON to begin taking steps to find your next exciting river cruise.  Unique Journeys is a valuable asset to make certain you get the right cruise at the right time and for the right price.   Don’t go it alone and risk not having the best experience possible.   Contact me and together we will give you the vacation you deserve.

Now that you are perusing river cruises to make the perfect choice, here is a must read article on avoiding river cruise booking mistakes.  For the best river cruise experience you will want to contact expert Nancy at Unique Journeys.  She will assistance you in finding the perfect cruise experience where you will create memories for a lifetime.   You are welcome to find additional information at AMA Waterways regarding the luxury river cruise experience.

 

Paris: A City packed with fine art, architecture, shopping & sightseeing

Paris: A City packed with fine art, architecture, shopping & sightseeing

Nov 30, 2016

 

Two days in Paris, the city of lights, is not enough time!

But… it was all the time we had. Our journey to Paris was the first leg of the AMA Waterway wine cruise package. After the two day journey in Paris, we headed to Bordeaux for a seven day riverboat cruise through the wine region. The trip ended with three glorious days in the Loire Valley. Even though two days in Paris isn’t enough time to see everything that was on our list, we did manage to pack in much as we could!

To describe Paris, to a Paris “virgin,” one has to define the layout of the city. The city of Paris is divided into arrondissements (administrative districts, or neighborhoods) which are situated on either the Right Bank (northern side) or the Left Bank (southern side) of the Seine. There are 20 arrondissements with the 1st located at the center of the city, on the Right Bank. The following arrondissements spiral outwards in a clock-wise direction. Most of the famous tourist attractions can be found in one of the central eight arrondissements.

 

1-paris-republlique-plazaLocation, location, location!

Our hotel, the Crowne Plaza was located in the Republique Neighborhood, on the right bank, between the 3rd, 10th & 11th arrondissements. It is a lovely neighborhood that surrounds a central plaza, the Place de République. The plaza is lined with restaurants, pubs and pâtisseries, (bakeries) all within walking distance of our hotel.

A 31′ bronze statue of Marianne, the Goddess of Liberty sits in the center of the plaza. Marianne is surrounded by three statues representing Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité (liberty, equality fraternity), the values of the French Republic.

Getting around Paris was easy. There were buses and cabs that stopped right outside the front door of our hotel, and a Metro station less than a half a block away. We either walked or took the Metro, which was an absolutely stellar transportation system. I found that people in France, don’t tell you how many miles or kilometers you are from your destination; they tell you how long it takes to walk there.

Day One in Paris

Dealing with jet lag is tough, but we still had a great first day in Paris. We opted to take a 30 minute walk to the Seine so we could purchase day passes for the Batobus; a hop-on-hop-off tour boat that cruises the river. The day passes allowed us to get on and off at as many stops as we wanted.

We hopped on at the Hôtel de Ville, did a half circle cruise around the city and then and hopped off at he Museum de Orsay. This converted train station/museum is smaller than the Louvre, but loaded with fabulous works of art. After returning to our stop at the Hôtel de Ville, we decided the Metro was a better choice for our return trip back to the Republique neighborhood, where we found a charming and affordable restaurant just off the main drag, full of local diners. After dinner we limped back to the hotel for a great night’s sleep!

View from the BatobusMuseum de OrsayMuseum of OrsayNotre Dame CathedralNotre Dame CathedralNotre Dame CathedralNotre Dame CathedralSainte ChapelleStatue of St. Louis, founder of Sainte ChapelleSainte ChapelleSainte Chapelle

Day Two – Our Final Day in Paris

We kicked the second day in Paris off at a lovely pâtisserie, where we dined on croissants, fresh squeezed orange juice and cappuccinos. On to the Metro station for day passes which cost only €14 each (around $15). The journey then led us to the fabulous Notre Dame Cathedral, on the Île de la Cité, an island in the Seine. From Notre Dame, we headed to Sainte Chapelle, a royal chapel, known for it’s incredible stained glass windows, also located on the Île de la Cité. What amazed us is both — these Gothic structures were built without the equipment or technology that we have today, and they’re still standing!

What is a trip to Paris without a visit to Ladurée, the grande dame of Paris pâtisseries, where the Macaron Mania began? Of course we weren’t going to let this opportunity pass… Hunger set in after the cathedral visits, so we headed to the Champs Elysée, where we found our pâtisserie and cafe. We enjoyed lunch and a well deserved rest. The meal was topped off with cups of decadent hot chocolate, the best in the world!

After lunch we headed to the Arc de Triomphe, the iconic monument built as a tribute to French soldiers lost in all wars. We took an elevator to the observation deck to be able to experience some of the best views in Paris. The Arc de Triomphe was a sobering and beautiful memorial to fallen soldiers.

As if the Arc de Triomphe wasn’t high enough, we forged on to the Eiffel Tower and proceeded to travel to the top, via elevator (of course). The views from the top were nothing short of magnificent, even for someone terribly afraid of heights. Luckily, there was a sturdy fence enclosing the observation deck! The day turned into evening as we descended. We were delighted by the light show the Eiffel Tower provided us with. This was the perfect ending to a beautiful two day excursion to Paris.

A final note on Paris

I can’t write about Paris without mentioning how impressed I was with the incredible architecture, the sculptures, gargoyles and the fine craftsmanship of the ironwork. If you are interested in fine art, architecture, shopping or sightseeing, Paris is the city to visit!

Ladurée, the grande dame of Paris pâtisseriesA look down the Champs ElyséeThe Arc de TriompheView from the Arc de TriomphThe Eiffel TowerView from the Eiffel TowerThe Eiffel Tower at DuskTypical Paris ArchitectureIntricate ironworkGargoyles protecting Sainte Chapple

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