So explanation of this quote really quickly: I just had an amazing, huge adventure. And I almost died. Sort of. So it's a fitting quote =) Don't worry, all will be explained haha.
I haven't posted in a while because I was in Bordeaux!! I walked to the train station at 4:15 in the morning through the snow and freezing weather, only to learn that the train was late! But it was ok, I caught up on sleep during the train ride. And then I arrived =) It was very beautiful, even with the slight dusting of snow left over from the snow storm the day before I arrived. I walked up and down the main shopping street, Rue St. Catherine, until lunch time and found an amazing pair of fur-lined boots for only 10 euro! Of course I bought them, and happily I can now feel my toes again! After changing into my amazing new shoes, I found a nice restaurant where I ate an amazing pizza that was incredibly delicious...and huge. It was an instance of Man vs. Food, and in this instance, man won =) I devoured that pizza like I hadn't eaten in over a week haha. Then, I finally got to check into the hotel and put down my backpack, only to go trek over to the Cathedral St. Andre. It was beautiful, even under construction - they're renovating/cleaning up the cathedral. And then, like the beast that I am, I climbed 232 tiny, spiral stairs, my shoulders touching each side of the wall the entire time, to get to the top of the bell tower and take amazing pictures of the city. I'm the stair master =) (Shrek reference anyone?? Haha I know, it's not Disney, otherwise that may have been today's quote) I ate dinner at an Italian restaurant with the most amazing chocolate dessert ever! And, since I was in Bordeaux, I decided to try a sip of hot wine to warm myself up a bit. It was ok...not bad, but not a favorite of mine. But the other Americans really liked it, so that was good =)
The next day, I went to St. Emilion. And it was the adventure of adventures. First, the train from Bordeaux to St. Emilion drops you off literally in the middle of nowhere at this abandoned shack next to a bench - that's the train station. I had no clue which way to walk to find the city, so I just turned left towards this major road intersection. I should have turned right, for at the intersection I saw a sign telling me that St. Emilion was in fact 2 km behind me. So I back-tracked past the train station and hiked up to the city. By that time, I was starving, so I found this cute little restaurant in a miniature castle-looking building and had the most amazing meal of my life. Amazing, homemade soup, duck breast, and a "canele" - a dessert specific to the Bordeaux region. Incredible. Then I found the tourist office, and went to the renowned "Maison du Vin" - House of Wine. Which is a complete waste of time in February when it isn't tourist season. So I just went to all the wine stores and started sampling. Don't worry, I did actually buy two bottles, I didn't just drink all their wine and then leave empty handed every time haha. I bought a half bottle that was made in my birth year! It was super cheap, so I couldn't resist haha. Hopefully it tastes good!! Well, it was made in St. Emilion...it will taste good. I also bought a second bottle, not sold anywhere else in the world. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY PARENTS!!!! (And dare I say happy graduation to my not-old-enough-to-drink brother too?? haha) After that, there wasn't much else to do, because the castle was closed due to ice, so I just sat in a cafe and listened to Italian music (I know...Italian music...in France...) while drinking my hot chocolate and waiting until closer to my train departure time to walk back to the station. And now for the near-death part: so the speed limit on the streets was around 30 km/hour, which is school zone speed, so since I was carrying two nice bottles of wine, I walked in the street to avoid the icy sidewalks. Suddenly I heard this extreme vrooming. I leaped out of the road onto the sidewalk just as this car comes flying down the road at maximum speed. Slipped and just about fell on my butt :( But I didn't die, so it was all good! =) What an adventure. But I made it back to Bordeaux in one piece and found a little convenience store, where I bought a baguette, cheese, and a screw-top bottle wine. Yep, screw off wine in Bordeaux. Why? Didn't pack a corkscrew and didn't want to buy one =) Hooray wine country!
So that's my adventure of Bordeaux. It was amazing and fun and incredible, despite being frozen. The "beautiful" vineyards were still beautiful, despite the fact that they were dead and covered in ice and snow. It was a wonderful little weekend trip =)
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