Tag: Europe

Museum of Wine, Bordeaux, France

It’s (Not) All About the Wine: Bordeaux, France

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Bordeaux in a Day: Wine, Culture, and Sights

A trip to France wouldn’t be complete without exploring its many wine regions and options. Bordeaux is at the top of that list! Beyond its wines, the city offers ornate Baroque and Rococo 18th century buildings, Neoclassical and Gothic 19th century architecture, views of Garonne River which flows from Spain’s Pyrenees to the Gironde estuary in Bordeaux, botanical gardens, art museums, and of course many cafés.

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Baguette and croissants

The Joy of Discovering France Beyond Paris

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A one-and-a-half month journey through France exploring Bordeaux, Aix-en-Provence, and the French Riviera

During our month and a half trip, we visited with friends, made new ones, shopped fabulous fresh markets, picked mushrooms, indulged in way too much cheese, moules marinières, and wine, and explored the sunny Mediterranean coast.

Our journey started in Angoulême, then took us to Bordeaux, Royan, Talmont-sur-Gironde, Mortagne-sur-Gironde, Brantôme, Saint-Émillion, Cognac, Carcassonne, Montpellier, Aix-en-Provence, Avignon, Caumont-sur-Durance, Gordes, Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, Saint-Remy-de-Provence, Baux-de-Provence, Arles and Salin de Giraud, Lyon, Bedoin & Foret Domaniale de Vantouret, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, La Ciotat, Antibes, Eze, Monte Carlo – Monaco, Menton, Nice, Cassis, and Marseille.

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Naxos Greece La Portera at sunset

Naxos, Greece—Beaches, Sunshine, and Sunset at Apollo’s Temple

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On our last day on the island of Naxos, Greece, we retraced our steps to some of our favorite beaches and enjoyed the company of the resident cats. We sampled more local fare and beat the crowds to a slow but magnificent sunset glowing through La Portara, the stone gate of an ancient temple honoring Apollo, Greek god of archery, music and dance, truth and prophecy, healing and diseases, poetry, the Sun and light.

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Naxos, Greece - Tower of Ayia

Naxos, Greece—Olive Oil, Ancient Statues, and Golden Hour in Chora

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Our third day on Naxos we set out to explore more of the island’s historical and traditional sites, including an olive oil museum, ancient architecture, and local food fare.

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Portara, Temple of Apollo, Naxos, Greece

Naxos, Greece—the ideal island for wind and kite surfing

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I lost count of how many times we’ve been to Greece. Once we got a taste of the beautiful islands and turquoise waters, we were hooked. We returned to Athens in September of 2022 to catch up with our friends, then explored a new island: Naxos, the largest island in the Cyclades.

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