Driving in France

A new experience awaited us today.  We've been spoiled sleeping in in Paris so the early rising to pick up the hire car was a bit of a shock to the system. Barry had made all the arrangements.  We were delighted that because Barry was a "frequent driver" we had been upgraded to a Mercedes.  Ah, luxury.  The only problem was figuring out how the multitude of gadgets on board worked.  Nonetheless the application of the total brain-power of the four of us eventually got it sorted.  And then we were off.  First stop Saint-Émilion.

Even with the on-board GPS, we managed to get lost, but in the process experienced an impromptu tour of many of the most famous vineyards.

It was a beautiful day, temperatures in the mid-20s, and very little traffic.  That was good because so many of the roads are only one car wide!

We eventually found our way to Saint-Émilion.  This is a World Heritage site with a history that goes back to prehistoric times. Full of quaint, narrow streets with Romanesque churches and ruins, it has had vineyards since the 2nd century. But it was the followers of the monk, Émilion, who settled there in the 8th century, who started commercial wine production.

Here are some pictures from this lovely village.

By the way, if you don't drink wine there isn't much point in visiting since, other than the occasional postcard, they don't seem to sell anything else.