Scenic Cruise - Day 10 Friday – Bourg to Blaye to Bordeaux

 

Cruise Day 10 Friday – Bourg to Blaye to Bordeaux

Our last full day. At 07:00 the boat sailed to Blaye and moored beneath the ramparts of this huge castle at 08:00. There were four tours; most people went to Chateau la Roche Courbon, there was an active bike tour from Blaye, and two guided walking tours of the fortress, one active and the one we took.

Blaye castle was built to control the estuary to defend Bordeaux and to tax passing merchant ships. But cannons of that time didn’t have the range to shoot the width of the estuary, so another fortress, Fort Medoc faced it on the other bank, and on an island in the middle was a third fortress. Between them their cannons could cover the entire width of the estuary. We had moored at Fort Medoc on day 3 and 4 of the cruise.

The castle was impressive with dry moats and layers of defences, and our guide knew its history. Afterwards we walked a short distance back to the boat.

 

At 13:30 the ship sailed back to Bordeaux. We waited mid-river with other boats till we could pass under Pont de pierre. The Viking Forsetti went first.

The invitation to dine at L’Amour didn’t say where it was and we had to ask at reception. It turned out to be some tables behind the lounge bar. We were greeted with a glass of what we were told was Champagne, but it wasn’t – it was Limoux from the Languedoc. Scenic’s website promises “Five-course menu with regional specialities, paired with wines from the region’s best wineries.”

 Like much of Scenic’s hyperbole the actuality falls short unless one thinks that a branded white Bordeaux (€12.60) and Perrin’s Ventoux red, shown on the wine pairing list as a Bordeaux wine but actually from the Rhone, are   the best the region can produce. Only one wine came from the local Bordeaux region and none could be said to have come from the ‘best wineries’.

Afternoon glass of Duval-Leroy Champagne

The boat remained moored overnight at Bordeaux.

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