Château Lamothe du Prince Noir | Saint-Sulpice-et-Cameyrac, France | Part Two

One of the best things about our stay at Château Lamothe du Prince Noir was the superb breakfast that was served on the gorgeous terrace. Breakfast was provided at every place we stayed in France and all were fantastic in their own ways, but I didn't whip out the camera for any of those mornings. Carla, our host, put a lot of thought and love into the menu. She even whipped up a couple fried eggs to order.  They were really appreciated especially during our long days walking through vineyards and cobblestoned streets. 

Château Lamothe du Prince Noir | Saint-Sulpice-et-Cameyrac, France | Part One

Previously, I posted about our stay at Château de Boucéel in Normandy and we were lucky enough to stay at another château in the Bordeaux region of France. While I was looking for places to stay in Bordeaux, I came across Château Lamothe du Prince Noir. I remember showing it to Markus and us both saying, it looked amazing, but maybe a little out of our league. So I kept searching for another place to stay. No matter how many acceptable and nice places I found, I kept going back to Château Lamothe du Prince Noir. So, in the end, that's where we ended up spending three magical nights during our time in France. 

I'm so glad that we decided to stay at Château Lamothe du Prince Noir. It was very different from Château de Boucéel, but it was just as lovely. The property is owned and run by Carla, a lovely woman from England. When we stayed there, her daughter and her family were helping for the summer and they both had amazing recommendations for restaurants and hot spots in the area. One of my favorite things about the property was the pool. On one of our days in the city, we left a little early because we just wanted to spend a few hours by the pool. It was definitely an idyllic afternoon. Later, I'll be sharing a bit more about the château, including our room which really was fit for royalty. 

Saint-Émilion, France | Part Two

As I stated in my last post, one of my biggest regrets on this trip was not spending more time in Saint-Émilion. Thankfully, I booked an afternoon excursion with Bordovino that combined a stop in the little commune and two wineries. Our tour guide, Soline, managed to pack in the greatest spots in Saint-Émilion before we left. One of these spots was this great view near the Saint-Émilion Monolithic Church. The church dates back to the 12th century and was carved from a single block of stone and is quite massive. I've seen a lot of churches in my life, but I honestly cannot say I've seen one as impressive and towering as this one. It was positively medieval and the perfect place to end our time in the beautiful and stunning Saint-Émilion

Saint-Émilion, France | Part One

As previously stated in my previous post, Markus and I decided to stop in Bordeaux to explore a bit of wine country.  I booked a half day tour with Bordivino tours where we stopped at two wineries and the beautiful Saint-Émilion.  One of the main reasons I booked this tour was because of our stop in the little commune.  I saw a few pictures and instantly fell in love.  It looked exactly like the little village from Beauty and the Beast.

Saint-Émilion is well known as a UNESCO heritage site as well as being one of the regions that produces wine. The area dates back as far as prehistoric times. Despite being an area steeped in history and popular with the tourists, it still manages to retain its charm. I loved walking along the cobblestone streets and exploring the cathedrals and ruins. It never once felt like a tourist trap and I regretted that we weren't able to spend more than a few hours there. I had few regrets on this trip, but this was definitley one of them. 

Wine Tour at Château Soutard and Chateau Cote De Baleau | Saint-Émilion, France

The Bordeaux region of France is very well-known for being wine country. Since Markus and I drink wine every Wednesday for Wine Down Wednesday, we decided to add the area to our road trip. To be honest, I don't know much about the specifics of wine. Whenever I see people tasting wine and picking out certain flavor profiles, I always wonder if we're drinking from the same bottle. I can just tell if it's sweet or dry and most importantly, if I like or not. So this is why I also decided to book a half-day wine tour with Bordovino.  

To be completely honest, I'm not a huge fan of guided tours. I loathe being shuffled around on someone else's schedule. I did a lot of research to make sure that I chose the perfect tour company, because there were heaps. I'm happy to report that I really enjoyed Bordovino. Our tour guide, Soline, was really knowledgeable and very friendly. She took us to the wineries of Château Soutard and Chateau Cote De Baleau. Château Soutard is run like a very tight ship and has a bit of a corporate feel, which isn't a bad thing, but it definitely felt more produced. We did a mini wine class, where I still didn't learn much, but it was informative. Chateau Cote De Baleau was a bit more rustic and down to earth. It's a smaller winery but I liked that it was a little less polished. The wines we tasted were really nice and I ended up buying both bottles. Just waiting for the right time to open them. After a few hours at a winery, I still don't know how to pick out every flavor profile that I'm tasting. It's okay though, I'll still drink it every Wednesday.