Beaujolais Vineyards

Another early start today as we left the ship in Macon to travel by coach to the Beaujolais region for some wine tasting and a tour of the castle by the Countess herself.

 

The Chateau de Montmelas in Montmelas-Saint-Sorlin was originally built as a fortress and housed soldiers, perched high on the top of a hillside in the stunning Beaujolais region. It has a long history having been handed down through generations of the same family for over 400 years! It was interesting to learn that traditionally property was passed from mother to daughter, not from Father to son, as we have become accustomed in Australia. We were not able to photograph inside but the grounds were spectacular.

   

  

After the castle tour we met a different guide who taught us about how this winery produces all their wine from the Gammay grape. Harvesting is done by hand on the steep slopes and this is where the girl who led the wine tasting usually spends her days working. Not a job for anyone with balance problems I would suggest.  The wine is made according to the traditional Beaujolais method, under strict government controls. We sampled three wines - a Rose, a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir and even bought a bottle of both the Rose and the Chardonnay to bring back to the ship - at 7 euro a bottle, they were pretty reasonable and very easy drinking wines.

Retuning to Macon we were greeted again by the spectacular floral roundabouts, where the tulips are in full bloom. The city is very proud to be the only city in France to have twice been awarded 4 out of 4 - the gold award for floral decorations.

The winding bus trip home put me in a sleepy mood, so after a light lunch I lay on my bed for an afternoon nap as we set sail for the city of Lyon.

 

It was a delightful way to spend the afternoon - so relaxing, and then we were able to enjoy the evening without being overtired. The wait staff were kind enough to move three tables together so that we had a table of eight for dinner, as usually six is the maximum. Dinner tonight didn’t exceed expectations as it usually does - all a bit mediocre (except for the raspberry sorbet for dessert which was delicious), but the company was good which made up for it.

 

Once dinner was over we were able to appreciate the beauty of Lyon at night as we just managed to squeeze under the very low bridges through Lyon. Top deck was closed to all but the sailors, who needed to bend down low to pass under safely. The wheelhouse had already been lowered and the top deck cleared for this journey into port.

 

 

A visit to the Chateau!

We woke to some rain this morning, which was a worry with river levels, but thankfully early in the morning it subsided. After some time down in the wellness area (on the treadmill and in the salt room) we enjoyed room service for breakfast.

 

After breakfast, we hopped on the coach for the hour’s trip to the Chateau de Cormatin - a 17th century palace, which originally had threee wings but one was demolished during the 19th century. It was bought in a derelict state in 1980 and has been lovingly restored by three uni friends who pooled their money for the purchase after completing their Art-History studies. They have since bought another Chateau, we learned, and spend their time living and working between the two. In fact we actually saw two working onsite today.

Originally it was owned by a family of nobility - the 35 year old nobleman choosing his 13 year old bride well. From memory, our guide informed us she was the daughter of the Minister for Finance or something similar at least. Inside she had her own apartment as did he, as they lived separately, although did bring up a family.

We were led through separate sections of the massive chateau, and the stunning gardens, which in 1980 were nothing like they now are. 

Even the moat was dug out by these owner friends. 

Inside the decor was amazing. The living room was full of books, artworks and all things that helped one appreciate the beauty of God’s creation.

Other rooms featured amazing fireplaces, artworks, furniture of the time and lots of gold on the walls and ceilings.

Then we entered the young bride’s apartment where she spent her days with her attending maid, and of course the children when they arrived.

 

His apartment was decorated in darker colours and full of curiosities, the gold illuminated beasutifully under the flicker of candlelight.

The kitchen area was again impressive... 

Over the years the palace was home to performances of all sorts including operas and many famous people performed there including Dame Nellie Melba. The guest bedroom was sumptuous as was the private chapel. 

Our last stop was an area dedicated to the story of the owners’ renovation and featured models and photos of before and after the work they have done.

Finally we had to bid farewell to the chateau and return to the ship, where we enjoyed a light lunch in the lounge with a couple - Gaye and Kevin from Perth, who are seasoned cruisers and lots of fun.

After lunch Gaye and I did the long bike ride along the banks of the Saone, while Kevin and Jules decided three hours on the bike was a bit much, so they opted for a short cycle instead and then minded a spot for us on the top deck so that we had drinks awaiting us on our  return.