I thoroughly enjoyed this holiday. There were only 23 in the group which was a perfect size for the trip. Ann Marie was our superb tour manager. As well as being efficient she was also entertaining. Having been brought up in Bordeaux she was the perfect person to have with us. When it came to what our expectations were regarding the holiday, as it was the first of its kind, we got together with Ann Marie and she will be letting JY know what things are needing to be tweaked. One of the points was, 'What expectations did we have with the word 'gourmet' in the holiday title?' There were mixed views on this. It was brought up because of one main meal we had at the hotel. Ann Marie took this up with JY and the hotel and after that the meals were better.
The hotel is lovely. It was very peaceful, apart from our very voluble group! The staff were so welcoming and friendly and went out of their way to help in any way they could. I can't speak highly enough about them as they all work very hard. At busy times a few more staff would have been a bonus but we did all get served eventually. The rooms were very clean and comfortable. I didn't have a balcony but it isn't really necessary as I don't know when I'd have used it.
On arrival we were able to purchase a light lunch at the hotel. The afternoon was free to settle in as well as to go out to explore Bazas on our own if we wished. Perhaps we could have had the guided tour that afternoon instead of the following morning. It is a very interesting town and we found one or two good restaurants for lunch on other days.
Bordeaux is a lovely city, helped along by the beautiful weather we had. We had an excellent guide who showed us around the old city and pointed out the places we could visit during our free afternoon. Our first stop was a chocolate shop/cafe where we sampled c[font='Austin News Text Roman', Georgia, Times, serif]anelés which are little sponge cakes encased in a sugary crust[/font]. At the end of the guided tour we had oyster tasting. I did try one but they are not really my thing. However, that left more for those who love them! Chocolates of different flavours followed. There was a logic to why we had the chocolate after the oysters but have forgotten why at the moment! In the afternoon we all went off on our different pursuits. Some did justice to the sights and others lazed the afternoon away eating a leisurely, delicious lunch!
The little Sauternes vineyard was interesting as they also exhibit art. We were able to sample their new, summer wine as well as an older vintage. In the afternoon we visited the beautiful Chateau Royal de Cazeneuve.
Saint Emilion wine tasting and town visit was on our last full day. The sommelier guide was very interesting and taught us how to taste the wine properly. I'm not sure my taste buds were awake enough to really appreciate the morning tasting but I participated with enthusiasm!
This was followed by the town visit. The excellent guide from Bordeaux was with us again and several people joined her for the Saint Emilion guided tour. A few of us went off to try one of the very good dining spots where we could sit in the sun and enjoy the beautiful view over the town. I believe the catacombs were very interesting!
It was a very successful trip and will be even better with a few little changes.
