Today we had a lovely breakfast at the hotel, and then our Rotary friends Emmanuel and Sophie picked us up and we all ventured out to a nearby town called Saint Emilion. St. Emilion is surrounded by wineries and vineyards. It is a town with much history, including an 8th century wall left over from an ancient church. Most of the town was built in the 18th century, with tiny cobbled streets and red tile roofs stacked up on top of each other like a jumbled maze. Our Rotary guide, Emmanuel, got an antique key and let us into the town church tower. We clambered up a small spiral staircase (191 steps to be exact even though Damian was convinced there were 192) to the top of the tower where Damian and Emmanuel enjoyed teasing those of us with a fear of heights.
We enjoyed strolling through town and seeing the different wine shops and sampling the macaroons the region is famous for. There were two public laundry basins as well, that are now more decorative than anything. Emmanuel entertained us by singing the theme from “Happy Days” while taking our pictures. It was warm and sunny, about seventies, and we all thought of you back home in Seattle, toiling away in the cold and rain.
Currently, we are waiting to be picked up by our host families for the first time. We are all looking forward to meeting more of these gracious French hosts who are making our stay here comfortable and fabulous.
I'm so glad you're having a great time! It almost snowed here today. Have a glass of of vin rouge for me. Vajra
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