Ride to St Emilion

On Easter Sunday ( 23rd March) twenty-six people joined in the first motorbike ride of 2008. It was a freezing cold morning but we didn't postpone the rally as the weather was promising. And we were right. We gathered in front of the market hall in Cozes at about 9.00am. The sun was shining and the sky was flawless, blue without any clouds.
Warmly dressed we all headed for Blaye enjoying the "Green Road" along the river Gironde. The hilly scenery was magnificent. We rode past vineyards, marshes and fields. Blaye is a fortified town surrounded by ramparts. We stopped at a tiny caf� inside the " citadelle" and most of the riders had a cup of coffee. Some preferred a hot chocolate at Euros 4.30. The price was unfairly high, so we all got the impression that we had been ripped off!! Some caf�s, restaurants, shops... tend to overcharge consumers at Easter and during the holiday season. But nothing could spoil our enthusiasm and we cheerfully set off for Libourne. We rode past chateaux and vineyards which reflected centuries of history. We got to Libourne at 12.30 according to schedule and had a lovely lunch. Prawns to start off with followed by lamb and beans ( traditional on Easter Sunday) then cheese and pudding. We really had a good time relaxing , talking and enjoying ourselves.Then back to the motorbike again, now to St Emilion which was within a few kilometres of Libourne so it didn't take long to get there.

St Emilion is a famous town surrounded by strong walls. Many of the buildings and monuments were damaged by wars between the French and English and the town was looted. St Emilion's history goes back to prehistoric times and is now a World Heritage site. Not only St Emilion is known for its architecture but also for its wines which are reknowned and enjoyed all around the world. It is a medieval town which stands proudly at the top of a hill overlooking the Dordogne valley. The town was built in the shape of an amphitheatre. All the houses have the same warm colour. The roofs are all the same and covered with Roman tiles. The town was named after the monk Emilion, a travelling confessor, who settled in a hermitage carved into the rock in the 8th century. It was the monks who followed him that started up the commercial wine production in the area. The growth of the wine trade related to St Emilion brought a new prosperity to the region and also brought tourism. We didn't have time to visit all the sights but we strolled along the steep and narrow streets. A shop advertising a " Petrus" at

Euros 10,000 drew our attention but we bought a bottle of St Emilion at Euros 8 which was lovely ( We tasted it on Easter Monday).We also walked past the Monolith church which sets on a rock. This building is spectacular. The town of St Emilion blends in the surrounding landscape and you would spend hours relaxing and admiring the natural setting. It is really worth visiting.

We left St Emilion at 4.30pm so that we could get back to Cozes around 6.30pm. After an hour riding past vineyards and beautiful chateaux ( the road was called " la route des vins" " the Wine road") the temperature dropped reaching 4 or 5 � and we were all very cold. We stopped at Jonzac to stretch our legs and headed for Cozes. As soon as we noticed a road sign saying Epargnes ( the village where we live )my husband honked the horn to say good-bye and we got home as quickly as possible to warm ourselves in front of the fireplace. All in all it was a great day.