Saint-Emilion, Part I

In December of 2006, Daniel and I visited Saint Emilion for the first time. It was cold, rainy, frosty, and looked deserted, but we could still tell how special of a place it was. We determined we would go back. We got our chance to return at the end of September, at peak season for grape harvesting, and we were not disappointed.

Saint Emilion (another UNESCO World Heritage site) is a small medieval town outside of Bordeaux, set on a hill overlooking the Dordogne valley. The town is surrounded by vineyards and chateaux which are world famous for their wine. We enjoyed the history of the town as well as touring some of the chateau in the area. We loved the architecture, the steep, narrow cobblestone streets and Romanesque churches... All the buildings are the same color, made from the local area's ochre limestone, complete with Roman-arched tile roofs. It is a very peaceful place.

For us, the history of the area was just as interesting as the wine. Apparently the Romans were the first to plant vines there in the second century, but a travelling monk named Emilion is the one for whom the town is named. We toured the little underground cave that was this hermit's home and listened to the story and legends attributed to him. Other monks followed him and started up the commercial wine production in the area. We were not allowed to take pictures on that tour, since the cave and church that was built over it are private property. (We met the owner by chance when we visited his chateau!)