Viking Cruises

46 | France Destination Guide when religion intersected with royalty, war and land ownership. As a sommelier I am naturally drawn to all things beverage, so I selected the A Taste of Cognac excursion in Camus. The most fun was the blending session where we could experiment with XO‑level brandies to then build our own custom blend, which was bottled, labelled and boxed to bring home. All passengers on the cruise had the opportunity to visit Château Giscours, a 475‑year‑old winery renowned for its Margaux wines. We enjoyed a wine tasting of their top‑tier red wine, followed by a special dinner at neighbouring Château Kirwan where the Forseti kitchen brigade and many of the front of house team were on site to prepare and serve the meal with wines from the château. This was a wonderful highlight of the trip, unexpected, well executed and memorable. Forseti navigates its way through the rivers Garonne, Gironde and Dordogne throughout BL AY E , BOR DE AUX the seven days you are onboard. There is no pitching or rolling of the boat and the shoreline is always in sight. This gets you closer to different parts of Bordeaux wine country such as Saint Émilion, Blaye and Cadillac. Each destination is a visual feast, a step back in time framed by the present. I particularly loved the visit to the citadel in the hamlet of Blaye. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site built in the 17th century to protect the city of Bordeaux some 50km away, using specially designed walls, traps and even cannons to protect from invaders along the Gironde. Sailing alongside the lush, green banks of southwestern France, I understood why writer Henry Miller called this fertile region a "country of enchantment". All too soon, we landed back in Bordeaux. Our tour was over but every moment was sheer delight.

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