I was slugging out my morning commute the other day, and thought it was time, after nearly two months, to share about my school experience and new classmates. I’m working toward a 2-year master’s degree in vineyard and winery management at Bordeaux Sciences Agro; the agricultural school within the University of Bordeaux system. It’s both a business and science master’s… Read more »
I had a week off from school and we decided to explore outside of Bordeaux for a few days. So we went south to the ‘Pays basque français‘…or ‘French Basque Country‘ in the very southwest corner of France on the border with Spain. The land of the Basque people covers territory in both southern France and northern Spain, and a… Read more »
Smoked salmon is popular here with a large variety to draw one’s interest. Mine was piqued to find a new dish that would be enjoyable with a Pouilly-Fuissé. I’d picked one up at my favorite, around-the-corner wine store where I’m now able to address Monsieur by “tu” versus “vous”. Pouilly-Fuissé is made from the chardonnay grape in Burgundy’s most southerly… Read more »
Our third day in Bordeaux we discovered a lively outdoor market a few blocks from our apartment. While this Sunday Marché des Quai is a great place to stock up and grab lunch and/or dinner, venturing into nooks and crannies of city neighborhoods is where the fun is, the recreation. (Note: this sport does take mental and physical effort) The… Read more »
We arrived at the beginning of the grape harvest here in Bordeaux, and no sooner than the first week of class got involved in the action. Bordeaux Sciences Agro (the school I’m attending) has it’s own vineyard and winery in the Pessac area of Bordeaux called Château Luchey-Halde (click here). It’s a full-scale (10,000 case per year) revenue generating operation,… Read more »
So far, we really like Bordeaux. It’s like a smaller, more relaxed version of Paris, with great bars, restaurants, and shops…and similar architecture and atmosphere. But perhaps most appreciated, folks are really friendly and helpful. It’s comfortable here. After all our prior travels, we someday wanted to live and immerse into another country, with a different mindset, language, and food… Read more »
The evening after we arrived into Bordeaux, our close friend Andrea joined us, just in time for a late Saturday dinner in the nearby square. She took the TGV train down from Paris where she was visiting her sister. And the next morning she joined us for our first foray to the outdoor market on the riverfront of the river… Read more »
It felt kinda strange…suddenly we were on our way! Through all the preparations we hadn’t thought much about actually leaving. We were thankful the flight to Zürich was uneventful and we arrived with all our bags. No small miracle nowadays. We’re here for a couple of days to get adjusted and visit some friends. From here, we’ll take the train… Read more »
From all our family, to friends new and old, to work colleagues, and even total strangers, we are very thankful to those who helped us prepare for this adventure. Whether it was direct help, or just your friendship and support, we wouldn’t be where we are today without you. We’re definitely off to a great start, thanks to you!… Read more »