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Bordeaux is a city in South-West France, capital of the Aquitaine region and the department of Gironde. It's crossed by the River Garonne, and it's the place where you'll meet the Bordelais! For those interested in history, you might be interested to learn that from the 12th century and the following three hundred years, the city of Bordeaux actually belonged to the English, following a royal marriage of Eleanor of Aquitaine, formerly wife of the King of France. From then on, due to trade across the channel, Bordeaux was to become ever more prosperous. Another peak in prosperity came in the seventeenth century with the expansion of the port and the opening up of international trade routes. From a climate perspective - the weather - Bordeaux can be considered to be a cross between the north and the south of France. The culture follows very much along similar lines, being very elegant, perpendicular, classical in style, all originating from the previous English occupancy. The city also has a confident, professional air, clearly identifying with its position in international trade, particularly with the Dutch. There are also many fine examples of chateaux built out of a characteristic local white stone... a joy to behold! But the heart of Bordeaux also beats to a Latin rhythm, undoubtedly due to its closeness to Spain. This is the other character of the city, one much more frivolous and given over to the fiesta! Returning to the weather, the climate of Bordeaux is Oceanic, such that there isn't too much difference between summer and winter temperatures. This is due to the proximity to the sea. In general summers tend to be hot, but not overtly so, and the winters are normally quite mild without being too cold. The region does however succumb to its fair share of rainfall spread throughout the year, although droughts have been known to arise from time to time. However in Bordeaux, only one thing is a constant, and that's the enduring popularity of its fine wines! The greater part of Bordeaux is situated on the left bank of the River Garonne. This comprises chiefly wide and marsh plains. There are some hilly areas, but in the main they are low. Nevertheless, they are ideal for vine growing, and here we encounter the famous Grave and Medoc varieties of wine. On the right bank of the River Garonne, the situation is quite different, since the earth is made up almost exclusively from chalk. It's here on the right bank that many of the most famous wines in the world have their origin. Here you will find vineyards bearing the almost mythical names such as Fronsac, Pomerol and Saint Emilion. Such wines are justifiably famous around the world, and they possess price tags to prove it! Bordeaux is the world wine capital. In the Bordeaux region, a major wine grower will produce several wines, a number of them being amongst the most prestigious in the world, designated collectively as "Vins de Bordeaux", or simply "Bordeaux". Around Bordeaux there are in fact about 14000 wine producers with an annual production of about 700 million bottles. These are both white and red wines, the latter being the origin of the Bordeaux color. And what about the cuisine of Bordeaux? In fact Bordeaux cuisine, indeed the cuisine throughout the whole of the Gironde, is considered to be one of the finest in France, a veritable way of life. Here the visitor will have his senses delighted by names of dishes such as "palombe" (wood pigeon, in English), "cepes de Bordeaux" (a variety of mushroom), "sauce aux echalotes" (a special shallot sauce), etc. Evidently, this will need to be accompanied by the classic Bordeaux wines. And then of course there's the famous "canele" cake, a Bordeaux speciality made of tender pastry, with a lacing of vanilla and rum, finally covered with a thick caramelised crust. In fact this Bordeaux delicacy was the recipe of some sixteenth century nuns who used to make them to give to the poor of the town. But don't let that put you off... they are far from poor and most exotic... perfect when accompanied by a fine white wine, such as a Saint Emilion! But be careful, they are known to soften quickly after baking... don't worry simply put back in the oven and in a few minutes time they'll recover their famous crustyness! Another unforgettable encounter in Bordeaux is with the "lamproie" (lamprey, in English), a very unusual fish. This fish possesses neither scales, nor jaws, nor bony backbone. You could compare it with a large eel. And don't forget "la sauce d'escargots" (snail sauce), known jokingly as the "Bordeaux truffle", which includes chocolate, grape and alcohol. Not to mention the famous Tome d'Aquitaine, a goat's cheese refined with a Sauterne wine, and the delicious "foie gras". And with that, we wish you an unforgettable and delicious time, as you eat your way around the Gironde and the famous city of Bordeaux, no doubt in the company of many colourful Bordelais characters! This is Southern France at its finest!
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