We arrived in Pauillac (pronounced poi-yak) 2 days ago.

The cycle tour company sent a car to pick us up at the airport. He managed to cram 4 of us and all of our luggage into a mini station wagon for the one hour drive. I was pretty doubtful about the luggage but it fit – barely.

I was in the middle seat in the back – you know, the comfy one that is on the hump in the middle. It was a long hour but we made. Our recently remodelled hotel was lovely and I suspected that it was also the finest restaurant in town.

We started our first afternoon in France with a cafe au lait, a sandwich and little treat at the neighbouring boulangerie. I managed to successfully order everything in French, with a little Spanish thrown in as I had not managed to turn it off yet. The sandwich was acceptable, the coffee strong, and the dessert, an apple hand pie, was fabulous.

We set off for a wander around the town beginning with a stroll along the water. Pauillac is port town, located on the Gironde estuary. There was not a lot to see and wandering into town revealed no better food options than our hotel, so back we went.

I think we may have all ordered the same meal; scallops with risotto accompanied by a lovely local wine recommended by our server. It was all amazing.

The next day we were up early, in an effort to book a few winery visits at the nearby Tourist Center. Since it was harvest time, most of the small wineries were too busy to entertain guests, and the larger ones, like Château Mouton Rothschild, were fully booked months in advance. Château Lafite Rothschild is a no fly zone unless you are a serious connoisseur with pockets that are understood to be very deep.

With few options available, we decided to take a walk (in 30 degrees C) to see what we could discover. Our Plan B to go to the local wine co-op, La Rose Pauillac, for a tasting.

Fifteen thousand steps and about two hours later, we arrived back at the co-op, by way of the local grocery store. We were able to pick up some much needed water and some cycling snacks. It was the only thing open between the hours of 12:30 and 2:00 when almost everything was closed, including the banks and the pharmacy – and the wine co-op.

We did enjoy our tasting of 3 local wines in the Pauillac style: a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and a smidge of petit verdot. With a bottle of wine in hand, a rather large wheel of brie, ironically named “Petite Brie”, and a baguette, we headed back to the hotel for an afternoon snack on Ken and Cathy’s balcony. Chairs were passed about and tables moved to make this possible. You can see that the balcony is so small that Ken is actually seated inside.

Our bikes arrived a few hours later, complete with helmets, saddle bags, locks and my favourite part – fully charged batteries. Bet you can’t guess which one is mine?

Affectionately dubbed ‘Kermit’ by Cathy, I will be the standout on a bright green bike with a highlighter yellow helmet. Anyone hitting me would have to be legally blind.

Ken has already earned his place as the most bike knowledgeable and the one with the best sense of direction. He would promptly be declared the official owner of the map, available electronically on our phones, as well as the paper backup.

A second dinner at the hotel was as delicious as the first – 3 courses, each as good as the one before. I particularly enjoyed my dessert, a pumpkin sable with a number of components that my limited french is insufficient to describe.

Here are my first and last course. I dug into the duck breast so quickly that I completely neglected taking a photo. It was fabulous, though the serving was too large for me to finish. The gentlemen both had the steak, and rarely spoke during it’s consumption., leading me to ascertain it was equally tasty.

I have occasionally contemplated my wine consumption on this trip. I have gone from 1 or 2 glasses a week to 1 or 2 a day. I have considered opting for sparkling water. Meh… when in France…. I imagine there will be a price to pay when I get home. I think it will be worth it.

Sleep well, for tomorrow, we ride!