French rivers with Scenic | Bike riding through Bordeaux with David Whitehill
David explores the beautiful Bordeaux region in France.
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a trip to France isn't just about experiencing the icons of glittering Paris. As you step out of the big cities the country side comes alive with the culture, history and heart of the French way of life.
We've joined Scenic for a twelve day river cruising experience through the stunning region of Bordeaux.
One of the great experiences that you can have here with Scenic is that you can come out here on one of these electric bikes and enjoy the French countryside and I think this is one of the best ways to really get a sense of what it's all about and how the locals live; Just a word of warning though they do have a little bit of a kick.
I have to say this is one of life's simple pleasures; with the wind in your hair and the smell of grapes ripening in the vineyards, the French passion for wine is impossible to ignore.
Of course this incredible region and most importantly it's precious vines needed some very serious protection, so they employed a genius engineer by the name of Vauba; whose role it was really to fortify France.
This citadel here in Blaye was one of his masterpieces and it kept those nasty invading English off to the west and those lovely baguette eating French folk protected and safe off to the east. But I mean who in their right mind would want to go up against this?
The Blaye Citadel is one of the most impressive fortifications in France and has been listed as a World Heritage Site. It’s kept Bordeaux safe since the 17th century and it's now one of her most visited attraction.
With Bordeaux's rich history and wine it makes sense that one of the world's most famous drops calls this area home; the town of Cognac is our next Scenic stop.
My guide Francois gives me the tour around Chateau de Cognac.
It’s starring role in the town's history dates back over a thousand years.
The black mold on many of the walls here is famous to this region, it feeds on the evaporating cognac while it’s in production.
It's an eye-opening look at this age old tradition with some of the spirits here well over 300 years old.
This is just fascinating, they actually need these spiders in the cognac industry to keep the termites out of the barrels but if you have a really close look at their web it's quite haphazard, that’s because the little fellas are drunk. I kid you not.
And on that note Francois make sure I get a taste of why Bordeaux is such a popular destination for travelers.
Bike Tour of France
Named one of the Top 50 Tours of a Lifetime by National Geographic! On this Bike Tour of France, we cycle along country lanes and discover that every trail reveals a fantastic scene from traditional France: timeless villages of golden stone, hilltop castles shining like visions from a medieval tale, and towering oak forests where a knight on a white horse might not look out of place. The full cultural immersion in this corner of France is facilitated by the amazing enchanting towns visited and included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site List, like Saint-Emilion in Bordeaux area and Albi and Carcassonne. Bergerac zone and Sarlat represent also another great surprise if you have never been in the area called Perigord, situated in the Dordogne Departement.
The list of activities range from two wine tastings, a canoe ride on the Dordogne river, a visit to the Museum of Toulouse Lautrec in Albi and the guided visits of Castelnaud Castle, prehistoric site of Cap Blanc in Dordogne and historic center and fortress of Carcassonne.
This bike tour of France has been beautifully tailored to peel back the layers of history, while savoring the gastronomy and the French life style in the southwest, also from the vantage point of our saddle to really feel immersed in the nature, looking for the right rhythm to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience in this unforgettable corner of Europe.
Europe Trip Part 5: Bordeaux and St. Emilion
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