Romantic Weekend in Bordeaux, France

Chateau Lamothe du Prince Noir

The largest bathroom I have ever seen...

Le très jolie lit

Ahh... Bordeaux.

One of the most beautiful cities and areas that I have ever visited. Last weekend, Freddie and I took a most relaxing and romantic getaway to Bordeaux, France.. just the two of us!! It was the first time in five and a half years and it was FABULOUS! My sweet Mom has been in France for the past three weeks and she graciously cared for and entertained our three little ones while we traveled to the wine capital of the world - only three hours west of Clermont-Ferrand.

I felt like a princess while sleeping and dining with my prince in the Chateau Lamothe du Prince Noir complete with towers and a moat. The home dated back to the 11th century and was the perfect mixture of something old and something new. We had all of the charm of antiquity and all of the comfort of modern conveniences like air conditioning and wifi. Each morning we were served a traditional french breakfast of charcuterie, bread, jam, cheese, fresh fruit and melt-in-your-mouth croissants and pain au chocolat. All weekend long, we ate and we ate and we ate some more while enjoying every last fat laden morsel. I am still doing my own informal research on how the french stay so thin with 3 courses at many meals with bread and cheese seemingly being the primary food groups.

The first night in Bordeaux we followed a recommendation from our good friends, Kim and Matthew Cabe, and ate at La Tupina which was featured in the Bon Appetit! magazine. Following our delicious dinner, we walked along the Garonne River and took in the sights of Bordeaux, a beautifully restored city in France. The next day we ate lunch in the adorable village of Saint Emilion after our informative vineyard tour and wine tasting with Bruno Delmas of BD Wine Tours of Bordeaux. Dinner that night was at a random restaurant in a strip mall.. nevertheless, it was magnifique! On Saturday we drove to Cap Ferret, France which is a little over an hour west of Bordeaux. It is a charmingly sleepy seaside town on the tip of a peninsula jutting out into the Atlantic and creating a nice bay on one side while being bordered by the Dune du Pyla.. the largest sand dune in Europe. Breathtakingly beautiful... over and over again on our voyages around Europe I stand, constantly, in awe of God's gorgeous creation.

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." - Romans 1:20

"Nature is too thin a screen; the glory of the omnipresent God bursts through everywhere."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

We ate lunch at a restaurant on the water while we waited for the clouds to part. I indulged in crème brûlée for the second time that weekend and it was oh so good! Finally, the sun started to peek through the clouds and we found a spot on the sugar fine sand and soaked in the sunshine and the sights and peaceful sounds of the ocean as we enjoyed the last day of our delightful weekend in Bordeaux, France.

Bustling street full of boutiques and restaurants in downtown Bordeaux

Cute building...

La Grosse Cloche

Place de la Bourse



Pont de Pierre

La Tupina

Goodnight Bordeaux
Vineyard in Saint Emilion, France

One of the many chateaus and vineyards in Saint Emilion, France. This one is owned by an American family.
Looking out over the Dordogne Valley.


Rose bushes were placed at the end of each vine to help detect disease. The roses are susceptible to the same disease as the grape vines and are usually attacked first. If they were affected, the vineyard owners would know to start treating the vines. Now, they have more sophisticated methods to detect and prevent disease but the roses remain as tradition and a pretty decoration.

The chateau where we had our wine tasting - Beau Sejour Becot
Bottles of wine stored in the wine cellar of the Beau Sejour chateau... one of the bottles on the right was from the 1800s.
Path to Saint Emilion village seen in the distance.

Streets of Saint Emilion

View as we walked out of Saint Emilion after lunch.

Cap Ferret, France - Dune du Pyla in the distance.



Freddie's entree (appetizer) of crab with mayonnaise sauce. Little did we know we would get the entire crab... eyes and all. We weren't sure what to do with all of that stuff in the middle... actually, what IS that stuff in the middle? It made an interesting picture, and memory, though...


After lunch the clouds parted completely and the tide went out and the beach was beautiful! Loved Cap Ferret, France.

The South of France - Part 1 - Hendaye, France

Playing in the waves in Spain!

Taking a break looking for rocks on the beach.

Sophia being buried in the sand.

My little angel making a sand angel.

Mmm.. ice cream!

Fun in the sun in France!

Sisters

A day and a half after we returned to France from the US, my Mom and the kids and myself headed south to Hendaye, France, on the Atlantic Coast of France. I didn't really know what to expect but I envisioned a Myrtle Beach-like coastline and was quite mistaken. We traveled to where the Pyrenees Mountains meet the Atlantic Ocean with sandy coves tucked in and out of the cliffs and rocks. The ocean was crystal clear and the color of a sapphire with a bit of lime weaving through the waves. Surfers riddled the coast line along with sunbathers (sans swimsuit tops, at times) and adorable umbrellas and babies with buckets. Day after day we packed up and drove to the beach to take in the breathtaking views, play in the sand and ride the waves. One day we drove 30 minutes south to La Concha plage in San Sebastian, Spain. Love love love Spain! Not so much driving in Spain (with the crazy drivers and police men with bazookas) but the people were friendly and the beaches beautiful. We had a fabulous week in the South of France and Spain.

Lunch overlooking the ocean.... on the menu - moules frites (mussels and fries), shrimp (with the head!) and paella.

Mmm.. ice cream... again!

My body surfer.. I had so much fun playing in the waves with my little man. By the third day the water had finally warmed up to "not take your breath ALL away" degrees and we dove in and rode the waves.

It was so hard to get a real smile from her for the camera all week!

But definitely not from this little sassy one...

I swear I wasn't pinching her...

Meme and the girls...

I love these kids!!

Our maison in Hendaye, France. Au revoir!

Home Sweet Home

Emily Claire and Canon Jay chillin' in the race car shopping carts at Publix... ahhh, , Publix. I heart you! :) (And, I didn't fail to gushingly tell you that at the checkout line either.. that is what you get for small talking with your customers)

Uncle Freddie and sweet baby Reese - 9 months.

Emily Claire and her new best friend - Farley.

The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity and emotions. Two weeks ago Freddie's dear grandfather passed away. I only knew him for 7 years and it was such an honor to have our paths cross. He served in the National Guard and was the husband to Louise and father to two daughters - one of whom is my precious mother-in-law, Susan. I will always remember his stern look yet gentle smiles. He will be missed.

We took a quick trip to the States to be with family and to attend the funeral. There were mixed emotions as the reason for the trip was sad but at the same time it was really nice to be back in SC and around family and things familiar. I was able to meet two nieces who I didn't think I would hug until they were toddlers. We played tennis and in the sprinklers in the yard (what is that green stuff??), had an awesome reunion with my Greenville girlfriends and a play date for the children the following morning before we rushed off to the airport to fly back to France. While it was difficult to leave it made it much easier to have Freddie and my Mom waiting for us on the other side of the ocean.


Joshua and Drew - duking it out Hulk style.

Joshua and Laura

Drewbie and Caleb

The play date crew - friends since 3 months of age.

One of the best sister-in-laws ever and our beautiful babies. Thank you so much for all you did for us on our short trip to home sweet home. It was very special.