Bonds Adventures: St Emilion

After talking with several fellow travelers we met a visit to St Emilion village near Bordeaux was a must do trip. The town originated when the Romans occupied the area and has been in existence since then. The town is named after the monk Emilion, a travelling confessor, who settled in a hermitage carved into the rock there in the 8th century. The monks who followed him started up the commercial wine production in the area and we should be grateful to them for this. The wines are very good and the site is named a World Heritage Site.

The guide for our short winery tour noted that the soil is a combination of limestone and sand giving it the drainage needed for good grape production. Several of the vineyard/ wineries have their storage cellars carved into the limestone deposits. In the St Emilion area there are over 5,000 chateaux, vineyards growing wine grapes covering an area of about 500,000 hectare (1 hectare = 2.5 acres). Not all of these produce their own wines as there is a strong co-op in the area. This area even though comprised of a great many chateaux has many larger, and fully mechanized, vineyards differing from the Piedmont district in Italy, which also had many vineyards, but managed with manual labor, we found there.

Inspired by the wines and the area I offer another of my short haiku for your consideration.

Amid ancient ruins

Fertile vines flourish

Yielding their fruits to callous hands

While Paris waits the news.

Originally this town was a defensive measure to stave off invasion by whomever. this watch tower dates back to the 12th century

May is a good time to visit as everything is green and some are in bloom. one of the streets that surround the smaller village area.

Nature sometimes cooperates to allow great scenic shots like this one

With the many occupiers of this area it is not a surprise to a mixture of architectural styles. here is an example ofthe blending of medieval, basque and roman styles. Yes, I was concerned for the security of the arch almaost directly over my head

This door knocker was on a bronze door. I imagine that a strong stroke of the hand would be heard through out the residence,

some help understanding the various sizes of wine bottles.
"Jeroboam, my jeroboam" sounds almost religious doesn't it?

Windows for the church are carved through the limestone that ade teh walls.

St Emilion is truly an international site.

The Romans had public baths and this is one of the remaining two.

Remains of a fourth century church building.

another view showing the buttress supports for this 20 meter high wall.

Three sizes on display. just need to bring your own glass, straws not allowed.

Europeans have broader acceptance of bodily needs as can be seen from this open and semi public urinal . the woman's toilet was inside the building with a close-able door.

Over time nature will destroy all that man creates.

A cute statue in a wine store courtyard.

Chapel bell tower

an artistic interpretation

This public watering station works with an auger that will lift the water up to the spigot when the brass knob on top is spun around. The faster you spin it, the more water you get.

Linda and I bought some cheese, sausage, and bread for a picnic. we had spread our coats and were enjoying our lunch when this group arrived and shared our small lawn area. If picnic skills were to be graded ours would be at the novice level while this group was obviously at the professional expert level. They had tables, with covers, chairs, wine coolers, casseroles, and a complete array of side dishes. we ate and left. about two hours later, passing back by on the way to our car , this group was still there. Picnicking at its best level.

bell tower showing the supports and stairwell added over the years.

The birds that could be a problem for the vineyard grape are well maintained by the local cats, like this one.

Miles and miles of grape vines

Underground storage of wine aging in barrels of French oak (what else?)

The vineyard/winery we visited had a huge cave area for storing their wines in both barrels and bottles. each year's vintage is stored in its own niche.