Founder's Grand Cruise: Day 2

Scouting Bordeaux, France: Day 2's Excursions in Blaye & Bourg

With the first full day of our Bordeaux river cruise aboard the SS Bon Voyage ahead of us, the Authentic Voyages team set out to explore the magnificent villages of Blaye and Bourg. A unique French commune, Blaye is best known for its sprawling citadel, known as Blaye Fortress. Bourg is a quiet French town filled with beautiful architecture and friendly residents. Our team divided to tackle the day’s excursions – a morning walking tour through the Blaye Fortress featuring a scenic drive along the Route de la Corniche Fleurie, or a yoga class followed immediately by a Bordeaux wine tasting. In the afternoon, we took part in a walking tour of Bourg and a distillery tour of the famed cognac maker, Remy Martin.

Our view inside Blaye Fortress

Morning Excursion: Panoramas of Route de la Corniche Fleurie with Blaye Fortress

The morning's walking tour was both an enjoyable and educational experience, offering an exploratory trip through Blaye Fortress and a scenic drive. The citadel was designed by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, a renowned 17th century military fortification designer who worked under the prestigious King Louis XIV. Overlooking the Gironde Estuary as if it still protects France today, the hundreds-of-years-old citadel is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wandering through the fortress, we learned all about the history of Blaye and its significance to the early French empire. Using in-ear Quietvox headsets so that we could always hear our tour guide, we felt as if we we had truly gone back in time.

Continuing on with the excursion, we boarded a bus bound for the famed Route de la Corniche Fleurie, a road lined with French beauty on all sides, for a scenic drive that saw the daily life along the Gironde Estuary. The excursion was simply gorgeous with lots of information, giving us an insightful look into the history and life of Blaye, as well as being a more accessible, relaxed activity for all ages. Though physical activity is fairly light, touring the Blaye Fortress does require walking on cobblestones and rough ground, so it’s best to bring good shoes.

Morning Excursion: “Let’s Go” Yoga in the Historic Heart of Blaye Fortress

The rest of our team took off on what turned out to be a surprisingly lively excursion. Walking into the Blaye Fortress (albeit without the expert Quietvox tour guide from the alternate activity), we attempted our best yoga poses in the midst of the UNESCO World Heritage Site’s serene setting. Instructed by the SS Bon Voyage’s spa director and masseuse, the yoga class featured premium mats from the ship and a brisk walk through the citadel. The yoga session was for all levels, with the instructor offering both challenging poses and an easier alternative pose. Some members of the group even decided to sit the class out, choosing instead to explore the fortress before embarking on the wine tasting.

​Though early, the morning wine tasting was an absolutely brilliant experience. Our team stepped into La Petit Cave to a warm greeting from Les Kellen, the shop’s proprietor and an expert winemaker out of South Africa. Kellen taught us how to taste wine like the professionals do and answered any questions the group had about wine or the Bordeaux region. After grabbing a glass for the road, we walked down the street with Kellen to learn about the process behind his winemaking. We also toured his impressive classic French car collection, assortment of vintage mopeds, and his wife’s lovely art studio. After, we were shown the area hidden below it all, a cellar where Kellen keeps their most treasured bottles. Through it all, the wines brought out for tasting only got better and better, the crowd favorite being a local 2014 Chateau Gros Moulin Je Suis Cabernet Franc. 

This excursion is one that we felt truly immersed us in the local life of those in the Blaye region. From being warmly greeted by French citizens as we struck our yoga poses to a backstage pass into Blaye’s wine scene, we were thoroughly impressed. Though fully taking part in the excursion will require a moderate level of fitness, it is easy to skip yoga or other strenuous walking portions – as members of our own group did – to lighten the excursion’s physical activity.

Looking through Les Kellen's classic car collection

Touring the French commune of Bourg

Afternoon Excursion: Guided Walk in Bourg

In the afternoon, members of our team split up to tackle two entirely different excursions. The first was a tour of the architecture-filled town of Bourg at our ship’s next destination, a historic place with a massive citadel overlooking the Gironde Estuary. Upon arriving at the dock, we headed into the quaint French commune to have a glimpse into not just it’s buildings, but also the to learn about the history of Bourg. This excursion required a moderate amount of walking across cobblestones and paved streets, though Bourg is fairly small.

Afternoon Excursion: Rendez vous chez Remy Martin

​The other afternoon activity was a premium excursion – the Rendez vous chez Remy Martin – an informational cognac tour and tasting. This premium excursion cost extra, but allowed our team see where one of the world’s finest cognacs is made. We toured the facilities where Remy Martin Cognac is distilled before taking part in a delicious tasting of the namesake drink. Both of the afternoon's excursions turned out to be engaging activities, with lots of information and interesting topics.

Our founder, Mark, at the Remy Martin Distillery

Walking through the Bourg Citadel

A Retrospective of Day Two’s Excursions

All of our day two excursions turned out to be outstanding experiences aboard our French river cruise, with expert guides and guests. We were impressed by the attention to detail and clear effort put into all excursions by the European river cruise line, particularly the morning’s yoga session and wine tasting. Our team’s favorite by the end of the day, this largely overlooked excursion was something truly special, from the relaxing yoga to the delicious local wines to the vibrant Les Kellen himself.

​All of the activities offered a unique focus to cover all manner of interests – whether that may be history, nature, fitness, automobiles, art, or – our personal favorite – Bordeaux wine. These first excursions along Uniworld’s Bordeaux itinerary have already left us with fond memories, and we look forward to sharing more of them with you as we scout the journey aboard the SS Bon Voyage.