We love us a big cabernet sauvignon, so of course we were looking forward to our wine-centric itinerary in Bordeaux. It is about a half-day drive from Pamplona so we got on the road early-ish and didn't make stops along the way.

Château Desmirail

Instead, we overshot Bordeaux a bit to the north for a scheduled tasting at Château Desmirail in Margaux-Cantenac. We had a tour from Lucy, I think it was, and got a little education about the region and the various appellations / DOCs.

She walked us through the winery areas and processes. They do their fermentation in giant wooden vats as well as stainless steel (which is easier to clean). They use eight different local coopers for their barrels, both to ensure steady supply and because the barrels are all just slightly different.

Desmirail has the Grand Cru Classé designation, which is awarded to a vineyard for life, essentially. This permits them to release Grand Cru wines; however, the release each year still needs to get signed off by the controlling board.

Their wines are nearly all blends of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and bits of petit verdot and cabernet franc — the typical Bordeaux varietals. They offered a white which was also cabernet sauvignon/merlot blend (if I noted it correctly) but is made without any skin contact and with about four months in barrel. This white had a very fresh, balanced taste but with a bit fuller mouth feel than wines from white grapes, in my opinion.

Following the tasting, we completed the drive into town and checked in to the Hotel Indigo Bordeaux Centre Chartrons. We parked in the adjacent underground public parking.

There were some issues with the elevators but eventually one of them worked. When we exited at ground level, there was a homeless person camped out in the foyer. I guess he lived there because we saw the same person there several times as we walked past and when we left. We never felt threatened, though.

We have stayed at several Indigo branded IHG hotels, and they always have interesting and colorful themed decor. Sometimes it's cute and sometimes it looks a little kitschy and worn. This hotel had a bit of a beach theme, with hallway alcoves set up with seating and umbrellas and water stations. I did use one as a reading area once to let my husband rest as he recovered from his cold.

The hotel fronts onto a circular courtyard shared with some office buildings, so it wasn't directly on the street. I don't remember much about our room one way or the other. I suppose in terms of hotel stays, "not especially memorable" is a pretty good review. It was reasonably comfortable, spacious, quiet, and updated. It was also in a good location for walking out for sightseeing and dining.

I did note that unlike other hotels we stayed in, this Indigo had plenty of electrical outlets in the places that you want them. It was the first stay of this trip to have USB built in at the bedside — however, they didn't seem to work!

We were very tired at dinner time, so we just went up to the rooftop restaurant, Le Tchanqué, for some small plates. I don't often have high hopes for hotel restaurants, and they seemed a little disorganized when we were trying to get a table. But it was surprisingly good. We had a poached egg with truffle cream that ate almost like a comforting soup; duck tataki with sesame sauce; and burrata over a grilled tomato with a very bright basil pesto. Oh, and plenty of wonderful bread to sop it all up.

Our Bordeaux stay was off to a good start. We were definitely looking forward to our next few days of wine education.

In the morning we got up and hustled ourselves out for a cooking class. We had about a mile and a quarter walk along the Garonne riverside and we didn't want to be late.

The Gastronome

Instead, we arrived early to The Gastronome, so we walked around the block looking for coffee, tea, and a bite to eat. It was actually not easy to find a take-out for these but we eventually managed.

We circled the block back around to the cooking class and were met by our host Daniel. Also in the class were a mother and daughter from Texas and a man traveling with his wife, who was in town for work. He had taken the same class once before already and came back because he enjoyed it as something to do while she was busy.

The format of the class lends itself to repeated attendance. The menu is based on what Daniel sees in season in the markets. As we had some coffee and snacks, he talked about what he thought we could make for lunch, and then we walked over to the market to get it.

Marché des Capucins

The near-by market was the Marché des Capucins. The market has a long history and today has merchants selling all types of produce, meats, fish, cheeses, and more.

Daniel took us to several booths to buy all our fresh ingredients. It was fun to see him, an American ex-pat, chatting familiarly in French with the vendors. We learned that in French markets, generally you should not touch any merchandise but instead wait and ask for your items. At some counters you might need to take a number.

We trooped back to the kitchen that would be our classroom and got to work. I thoroughly enjoyed how the "class" was so casual but also instructive. It was all hands-on, unlike the class we did in Barcelona the year before.

Daniel put us to work. Some of us prepared finely chopped vegetables for a ragout: leek, shallot, fennel, parsnip, potato, carrot. Others cooked bacon or started on pastry for an apple tart. One person made a mornay sauce for a pumpkin souffle. We all peeled and sliced apples.

The ragout, once nearly done, received a measure of duck confit our instructor already had on hand. Then he cooked duck breast, which gets browned in a pan and finished in the oven. It had to be timed with the baking of the souffles, which need to be served right out of the oven.

Daniel's wife Erica joined us to share her wine expertise. She gave us some pairings and some education. They are a delightful couple and I found myself somewhat jealous of the adventure they were able to have, moving abroad and building a life there.

Despite being so full, of course we had to have the apple tart. It was prepared with a little apple compote topped by very thinly sliced apple, tightly packed standing up in the pastry.

Following the class, we made our thanks and goodbyes and started back to the hotel, once again along the river. Our goal for the afternoon was getting caught up on laundry. We found a laundromat not too far from the hotel.

Monzù Chartrons

Later, we walked out to get some dinner near the hotel. We passed through narrow streets to reach Monzù Chartrons, a pizza place we had found online.

Monzù fronts on a plaza around the Halles de Chartrons, a small cultural center. There was construction, maybe the center and plaza being refurbished or maybe utility work. In any case, there were barriers and fencing set up.

But the restaurant still had its patio seating in front and it was a pleasant evening. Monzù is styled as romantic. There is a lot of pink, a lot of floral, and they serve heart-shaped pizzas. We split a terrific round pizza topped with prosciutto, parmesan, and burrata. The waiter was friendly and chatty. I have a feeling that I might have let him talk me into the tiramisu for dessert, but I'm not certain.

Today we were expecting one of the highlights of the whole trip. It did not disappoint!

In the morning we put ourselves in the capable hands of Paul, a wine blogger who operates Bordeaux-Elite tours. He picked us up at the hotel and we embarked on a day of Bordeaux wine education and enjoyment.

La Cave d'Ulysse, Margaux

Our first destination was La Cave d'Ulysse, an apparently renowned wine shop. This was back in Margaux-Cantenac, where we had come for the tasting on our way (or, somewhat out of our way) into Bordeaux. In fact, we drove right past Château Desmirail on our way.

We were shown upstairs for our private wine tasting. Our host presented eight wines from four Bordeaux appellations: Margaux, Saint-Estèphe, Saint-Julien, and Pauillac. These all lie in Médoc, which runs along the Garonne River to the northwest of Bordeaux city.

The vintages were mostly in the 2018-2020 range but we did get to try 2011 Château Tronquoy-Lalande from Saint-Estèphe and a 2008 Château Rauzan-Ségla Grand Cru Classé from Margaux. From this sampling, we decided that we should look for Saint-Estèphe (husband) and Saint-Julien (me).

Our wines came with some meats and cheeses as well, which served for breakfast. But after eight wines, we were ready for some lunch.

Restaurant Le Lion d'Or, Arcins

Paul took us to Restaurant Le Lion d'Or in Arcins. This was not the only place we saw this, but I just remembered it from here: often in restaurants, the menu is written on a giant chalkboard which they set up on an easel at your table. It's kinda' cool and old-world charming, but also can be awkward, especially in tight quarters. At more than one place, the board fell over due to being bumped or on a windy patio.

Paul joined us for lunch and we learned more about him and his lifestyle there in Bordeaux. He also told us some things about the restaurant and pointed out a wall of wine cabinets — these were used by patrons, including winemakers, who store their bottles there and then dine and have them opened for guests or clients.

I wish I could tell you what I ate — I think it was on the adventurous side (for Americans), and was something rustic. It was the same thing that Paul ordered. It was very good and I remember saying that I would have it again.

Château Lascombes

After lunch, we backtracked to Margaux to visit Château Lascombes. This winery, which has the 1855 Grand Cru Classé designation, has a new owner since 2022. They seem to be trying to make wines representing the Margaux terroir but maybe in a more modern style.

We liked what we tried enough to grab pictures of the labels of the Grand Vin and the second label, Chevalier de Lascombes, named for the knight whose son acquired the vineyards in the 1600s.

Château Léoville Poyferré

The next stop on our tasting tour was Château Léoville Poyferré. The tasting room had a cool display of the soils of Saint-Julien — layers of sandy-clay soil and gravel topped with rocks that reminded us of the Rocks District of Walla Walla. I have seen some of these wines at our big-box wine store, but they are quite spendy.

Château Pichon Baron

We ended our day with an example of "leave them wanting more" — at the elegant Château Pichon Baron. I could spend all day here. The estate, like the others, dates from the 1600s, but the photogenic castle is on the newer side, from the mid-19th century.

In the 1980s, the estate was bought by a large insurance company. But rather than extracting the wealth from it and its other wineries, it has invested with modern structures and equipment.

We appreciated our gracious host and the beautiful buildings and grounds. We thought their wines were superior but sadly somewhat out of the price range we had in mind for the day. I don't think that we came away with any bottles but I might like another chance at it.

So, you can see why you need the driver — a full day and 17 wines later may have found me napping a bit on the drive back to Bordeaux.

But the day wasn't over — we had a dinner reservation for 9pm at Les Drôles. Or, at least my notes say we did. But looking at the pictures, I have no recollection of it (not that that means much, it was a while ago!).

Cambridge Pub

But I do remember going to the Cambridge Pub back by the Halles de Chartrons and the Monzù pizza shop. Maybe we thought 9pm was too late, or maybe we never had that reservation in the first place; I don't know what changed.

We managed to get a table outside of the somewhat rowdy establishment (I mean, it's English, so that's what you'd expect, right?). Even after tasting wine all day, we probably had some beers (I mean, it's English, so that's what you'd expect, right?). And pretty sure we had fish and chips and a chicken and mushroom pie (I mean, it's English, so that's what you'd expect, right?).

We got to watch the comings and goings of people on a Friday night. Plenty of patrons came out from the bar to smoke, some of them multiple times just while we were sitting there. It was just a good, casual experience that felt somewhat familiar. Though I am not sure the waitress spoke any English herself.

Today was a time for walking off all of yesterday's wine. Not that we wouldn't be refilling today with new wine, but at least we would get some exercise to offset it.

We found one of those walking tours that are free but you just tip the guide at the end. I understand there is quite a range in quality. Some guides will just take you to their friends' or families' shops and restaurants. I have also heard that in my own city even the paid tour guides will make up historical anecdotes just to keep things interesting, so on any tour your mileage may vary.

But I think we got pretty lucky though. We got a nice walk with lots of (I assume true) history. We saw areas that we might not have wandered into on our own. Some shopping was pointed out but nothing inappropriate to the tour in general.

Cathédrale Saint-André de Bordeaux

Some of the sites on the tour, as I am reconstructing from our photos:

• Cathédrale Saint-André de Bordeaux
• Public art display at Hôtel des Archives
• Rue de Loup half-timbered house surviving from the 14th or 15th century
• A narrow street contrasting the buildings that had and had not been cleaned of soot
• A pedestrian shopping street
• Building façade with openings bricked in to avoid paying per-window taxes
• Place Camille Julian, with a monument to the eponymous historian and enticing cafe outdoor seating
• Place du Palais and its Porte Cailhau gate
• National Opera
• Customs house

The tour was fun and informative, with good pacing. We were happy to give a tip to our guide at the end.

It was lunchtime so we started scouting for a place to eat. But it was a Saturday and lunchtime for everyone else too, and we were near a tourist and shopping area. There were plenty of crowds.

Fufu Ramen

We walked up and down for a bit through streets full of restaurants. We settled on a ramen place, Fufu, on Rue Saint-Rémi. Lots of people were waiting at the take-away window, but we were able to squeeze inside and get a tiny table. The kitchen is open, behind the counter, and there was a lot to watch as the busy staff tried to keep up with demand. Food was good and price very reasonable, as I recall.

Miroir d'Eau

Cité du Vin

The walking tour had deposited us about a mile to the south of our hotel. Our afternoon destination, the Cité du Vin wine museum, was about a mile and a half to the north of that.

We weren't sure we were going to have the energy to walk, but we felt sufficiently fueled from our lunch to make the trek. Maybe we even took a little break at the room, since it was right on the way.

Even if you don't care anything about wine, the Cité du Vin is worth visiting just to experience the space and the layouts and exhibits they have done. The building looks like it could have been designed by Frank Gehry, but it was actually a French firm, the XTU Agency.

The museum's focus seems to be engaging, interactive displays. Some were a little cheesy but still fun. Our favorite was designed to help you learn different aromas and understand how they might occur in wines.

There were tables set up with items under glass domes. You could squeeze a bulb and sniff the scents. One was set up as a mystery so you had to guess to identify them.

The visit culminates at the top of the tower for a wine tasting (which was just a small glass of your choice of wine, not a flight). The wine was not especially good, in our opinions. But the deck gives great views of Bordeaux.

There was plenty to see in the museum and it was an enjoyable afternoon. Possibly we were a little tired to fully appreciate it. I would definitely recommend a visit, but I am not sure I would go back myself.

We took a leisurely pace back to the hotel. We took time to cross a cool bridge we had passed on our way up. The bridge had high towers, inside which you could see some machinery and a very tall spiral staircase.

Pont Jacques-Chaban-Delmas

Now Wikipedia is telling me that this Pont Jacques-Chaban-Delmas is actually a vertical lift bridge. The entire center span between the towers is raised and lowered for boat traffic. I am really sorry we didn't get to see this.

We considered walking back along that side of the river but it didn't have the same nice, wide sidewalks so we turned around and crossed back.

We passed a market on the waterfront that was very crowded, including plenty of tourists from Viking and other river cruise boats that dock nearby. There were tons of people eating fresh oysters. They were tempting but we might have learned our lesson about those from a bad experience in London (that in reality may or may not have been related to oyster consumption).

L'Observatoire du Gabriel

After a cleanup and a rest, we embarked on more walking, to make our dinner reservation at L'Observatoire du Gabriel. Ah, another place where I would photograph most of the food!

I saved my menu, so I can tell you my meal included some white sardines, filet of sole, mushrooms, and leeks (sounds so boring like this). I went the little bit adventurous route and selected the sweetbreads, which I had never tried. My husband stuck with duck breast.

Desserts included ice creams served in the shape of the signature canelé. I was so full but I think I still ate every bite.

Everything was deliciously prepared and presented. The service was impeccable. I might have had one of my favorite white wines I have ever had. I snapped a picture of the bottle but it's unlikely that I would find it again, or want to pay for it if I did.

As we went once again along the riverfront to the hotel, we passed by an amusement fair in full action. We had been watching it for several days, being set up, and then opening the previous afternoon. Our wine tour driver said he took his kids to it every year. But now we got to see it all lit up and could hear shouts and screams from the rides.

Opéra National de Bordeaux

This was our last night in Bordeaux. Tomorrow's destination was the nearby Saint-Émilion, but we wouldn't be able to get into our room until the afternoon. In the morning we made another walk along the river and to the Opera square, just to exercise off that terrific dinner.