We are very excited to be back in France, even just for a few days. Last year, we leased a Citroen during our stay and had a good experience, so we wanted to start our Europe stop in a city where we could get another. The icing on the cake was a lovely few days in a charming city full of history, wine, and oysters.

We had an early morning flight and landed in Bordeaux in time to visit their covered market, but, unfortunately, too late for most of the produce stalls, butchers, fish mongers or cheese shops. I was able to get a little produce and we had our first taste of Bordeaux’s classic meal, a half dozen oysters and a white wine. We returned to the market later in the week to sample more of the goods.

Bordeaux was the capital of Roman Aquitaine and its wine culture has only grown from there. The 18th Century prosperity of the city is evident in its particularly handsome architecture and layout. Follow the river far enough north and you find the modern monument to viniculture, Cité du Vin.

It just so happened that our visit coincided with a Fete du Vin, drawing producers from all the different appellations of Bordeaux wine. Admission was free and you could buy any number of tasting tickets, so we got to enjoy the festivities and still make it to work in the afternoon. Friday night, we took a little break to check out the drone show.

The heat was a bit of a shock for us after months in the UK, but we managed to get a day at a lake beach to cool off. After picking up our car, we also hit up an ocean beach town, Arachon. Across the bay from the famous Cap Ferret spit, this settlement was made up of oyster harvesters and their little ‘cabines’ selling their catch live or shucked. We got a little more seafood and our feet in the ocean before heading south toward our home exchange in Spain.

But first, one more stop in France. I was wowed by the completely different look and feel of the Basque capital of Bayonne. Ramparts mark the original boundaries of 15th Century city. Its Gothic Cathedral looks like so many others on the outside, but opens into a truly sumptuous jewel-box interior. Most striking though were the narrow streets with colorful beams and shutters, so different from anywhere I’d previously visited in France! To add to the fun, we were there on June 21, France’s ‘fête de la musique’ celebrating solstice and the end of school with dozens of outdoor stages and impromptu concerts. At the time, I didn’t know Bayonne is also famous for its chocolate. So many reasons to revisit!

For now though, we keep moving south, to our home base for the next few weeks, Bilbao, Spain.