It was 2015, and we had headed back to Europe for three months.
St-Émilion – Dordogne, France
Reverse Bucketlist
We no longer have that ever-expanding wish list; it’s in reverse now. We chat for hours about our travels, and France was one of those countries we enjoyed immensely, and our visits to the smaller towns and cities were more so. We have always emphasised that slow travelling is the only way to enjoy a new culture. With this in mind, we booked a hotel for 10 days in Bordeaux, and decided on two day trips, and St-Émilion was one of those.
These day trips set in motion our desire to live in Europe for extended periods and “live like a local” away from the more pronounced touristy areas. We found a financially viable way of doing so through housesitting (first housesit, January 2016), which gave us enough time in places to relax and learn more about the various countries, their history and people. Best of all, indulge in good quality local cuisine from local markets, our favourite activity, no matter what country we are in.
Everything was stunning, including the architecture, the views, and the food. Without overthinking, we asked each other what stood out from our visit to St-Émilion. What was the first memory that came to mind from that trip? The moment we found a bottle of wine produced in the year we were born. We laughed at its price. Instead of splurging, we settled on enjoying a glass of wine over dinner on our return to Bordeaux.
Sometimes, it’s the small things we do that are the most memorable.
Life at No. 22 
St Émilion looks lovely. I remember visiting briefly about 30 years ago but don’t recall much about it. I think we might have managed to buy one or two bottles of the cheapest wine.
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You have such wonderful memories to share with each other. St-Émilion looks like a fabulous place to explore.
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Thanks very much, Janis. We made some good choices in life and made the most of those opportunities. It’s making Les very happy to remember our travels at this stage of his life and that’s priceless.
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How wonderful to have such memories to share with each other. So many lovely places and so many lovely photographs.
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We are very fortunate to have had the time to travel and I haven’t written up about all the places we saw. There’s no need as I can pick out random photos to highlight. I have a few benches I will need to include 🙂
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Wonderful memories and beautiful photos to share with each other, Suzanne. I also stayed in Bordeaux and took day trips from there. I loved St Émilion when I visited it.
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Thanks very much, Natalie and yes St Émilion was beautiful and I don’t remember it being too touristy though I suppose that’s all changed now. Bordeaux was also enjoyable.
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I was considering Bordeaux for this year, after enjoying Brittany so much last year, Suzanne. There are direct flights from Faro. Circumstances changed and it slipped through the net, but I’m still mindful that I’ve seen very little of France and it does look enchanting. Please share more. I love your wistful journeys. Much love to you and Les xx
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Fantastic memories Suzanne and house sitting the perfect way to really get to know a place. I wish we had extended our house sitting to overseas as we loved our Aussie house sits. I look forward to you sharing more memories
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Pauline, we have sometimes said to ourselves we should have done this or that for longer. To be honest, we were too busy doing something else. In the end, we have no regrets and you too have and are still making the most of your time. You’re both an inspiration.
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I agree with you Suzanne, lovely to look back with no regrets, just appreciate all the things and places.
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Dear Suzanne
We never thought about house sitting. Of course, that’s a great way to get to know a place. We worked all over the world but that’s always a longer commitment, later we rented houses in places we liked for half a year or a year. That’s similar, we suppose.
We liked it best in Sweden, Maine and Quebec.
All the best
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
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Klausbernd, those three places would’ve been wonderful to explore and get to know the culture more. Especially Sweden and Quebec. All the best to you too.
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What a beautiful village, and I love the sign!
That’s another reason why we travel…the wonderful memories. 😉
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Wonderful sign 🙂 Got to keep creating memories while you can, and honestly it doesn’t have to be grand. I’m appreciating that we live in a wonderful part of the world. Especially now.
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Agreed, it feels as though the northern hemisphere is going a little crazy right now. 😦
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Unfortunately, it is 😔
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It looks fascinating, Suzanne and I love the two figures carrying the grapes 🙂 Wonderful memories to treasure.
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I remember it as a fun day trip and we loved just walking around absorbing everything. Good times and we’re very fortunate to have had them.
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Gorgeous photos, and what lovely memories, Suzanne. I love the idea of “slow travel” and really immersing myself in a country rather than running from tourist spot to tourist spot. Someday…
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Thanks, Diane; try not to miss that “someday” experience. My grand trips, when possible, will be a roadtrip or two to visit family and friends.
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I still care for my dad so travel is out for now. I have time.
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You’re still a youngster 🙂
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Ha! Thank you!
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Ah, some beautiful memories there. Thanks for a little dose of France. Melx
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You’re welcome, Mel x
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A beautiful story. “I love your slow travel”. It is what I am working on despite a wife who relaxes by high-energy rushing around
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Thanks very much, and good luck with the travel compromises.
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