Whenever I mentioned I was going to Bordeaux, the response was almost automatic…
“You must visit the Cité du Vin!”
The what?
Apparently, the Cité du Vin is a must-see for wine lovers… and I guess, technically, I’m a wine lover. So it was a no-brainer. I was obligated to go.
“Phenomenal,” they had said.
Who even uses the word phenomenal? It feels like a setup for disappointment.
The Cité du Vin is a massive, immersive wine museum. Even the building itself is striking… designed to mimic the swirl of wine in a glass.
The whole experience was self-guided and interactive, taking you through the history, culture and production of wine across the world.
There was a lot.
Too much, really.
When I say “too much,” I don’t exactly mean in a way that felt overwhelming… but had I listened to every video and explored every exhibit and read every single word… I could have (and would have) been there all day. The audio guide was endless. If I’d committed to the full experience, I’d probably still be there.
Don’t get me wrong. It was fascinating.
I DO love wine… no doubt about it… but as I’m not a sommelier or a winemaker, I skimmed through the museum… picking what interested me. What I really wanted was to quickly make my way up to the Belvédère, the panoramic tasting room on the 8th floor. It was supposed to be the grand finale of the Cité du Vin… a complimentary glass of wine with a breathtaking view of Bordeaux.
But on this particular day? Not so much. We were socked in with grey skies and rain.
I figured a food & wine tour would be a great idea. I love doing food tours and I was confident Bordeaux would not disappoint.
Viator had about 800+ tour options, ranging from food & wine tours to vineyard & winery tours… but I do hate booking through them as the actual guides get a fraction of what you pay. So I went straight to Google and found a small company that looked promising.
Fabulous.
Paid ✔️
Confirmed ✔️
Ready ✔️
… oooh… not so fast…
Almost immediately after receiving my confirmation, an email arrived in my inbox…
“You’re the only one booked on this tour. We’ll have to cancel unless you pay extra for a solo tour.”
Ouch.
The tour was already pricey… coming in at around $200. There was no way I could fathom adding another $100 or so.
So… that was cancelled
Then I tried another company. Same result.
And another…
Turns out, off-season in Bordeaux isn’t so fantastic for food & wine tours… or solo travellers.
Eventually, I caved… and booked a tour through Viator. There was no other choice. Not long after booking and paying and receiving yet another confirmation, I got a private message:
“Bonjour Joanna,
I’m thrilled you’re interested in my tours! I noticed you booked a solo tour on Viator, and I wanted to share some quick info.
To keep my tours top-notch and my business running smoothly, I only accept solo bookings if they are paid in cash on the day of the tour. This helps me avoid those third-party commissions and lets me offer you the best experience possible. Since it’s a private tour, there are no other bookings right now.”
Oh. Okay. I get it.
Cash?
That didn’t really vibe with the credit card payment I’d already made, third party.
Solo travel can be great, but when it comes to tours? It’s a constant struggle and a headache. Most companies require at least two people, meaning solo travelers either pay extra or miss out completely. Same story with hotel rooms.
Honestly… someone clever should create an app specifically for solo travellers. Not like a dating site… but a literal “hookup” platform. Imagine being able to post the tours you want to do but can’t because you’re traveling alone, then seeing if others are interested in joining.
Cut costs… make friends… book tours… see the world!
It would be a perfect way for solo travelers to connect and book tours together… all the while avoiding those ridiculous single supplements.
If any app developers are reading this, please make it happen.
Quickly.
Anyway… hassle hassle hassle… since I was now within Viator’s 24-hour cancellation window, they were not willing to refund me. So, I asked the guide to cancel the tour instead. As someone who also runs a business on Viator, I knew that would be the easier option. Guides can cancel tours for free.
Still waiting for that refund to hit my account, though.
Viator really should have a better system for solo bookings. If they allow them, they should either hold off on charging until more people join or at least warn you about possible cancellations.
But whatever.
If I ran the world…
With my original tour cancelled, I agreed to meet Aurélien at the Fontaine du Char du Triomphe de la République at 11am. He gave a quick introduction, some brief history… and a rundown of what the next few hours would look like. Then he paused…
“Is there anything I should know before we start?”
I looked at him knowingly and laughed. “You already know I’m a vegetarian.”
Silence.
He did not know that.
Uh oh.
Of course, it was written it my the Viator booking notes... but he’d cancelled the tour and hadn’t bothered looking at those.
Shit.
I should’ve sent a reminder.
Aurélien looked genuinely stumped… like he had never met a vegetarian before, which kinda blew my mind. He stood there… completely bewildered…
I started rambling… trying to ease this obviously awkward situation with my answer to everything.
“I’ll just drink more wine!”
Guess what our first stop was?
Foie gras.
Of course it was.
I kept on apologizing. (Why? I have NO idea. It wasn’t my fault he didn’t read the booking notes.)
Regardless… we went in… and I got a full tour of every duck product imaginable.
Duck pâté.
Duck foie gras.
Duck confit.
Duck lard.
Duck breast.
Duck legs.
Duck eggs.
Duck… duck… duck.
It was bizarre. The pressure to buy something duck was intense. The woman behind the counter kept trying to sell it to me, like I might suddenly change my mind.
I smiled and nodded… and smiled more and nodded more. Then… finally… a man appeared from the back with a glass of white wine and a couple of crackers with some pear chutney.
Thank god.
There were some truly delicious bites on the tour… chou à la crème (profiteroles), cannelés… and some absolutely fabulous pieces of chocolate.
I was just beginning to think this was shaping up to be a fantastic dessert tour when Aurélien suddenly deked into a small café, determined to get me something savory.
Quiche, maybe? There were plenty of veggie options were on display.
Nope.
Perhaps he’d get me freshly made bagel with Boursin cheese, topped with salmon?
Also nope.
Instead, he handed me… an English muffin, drenched in butter, stuffed with a slice of bright orange cheddar and some plant-based bacon.
Basically… a veggie McMuffin… on a Bordeaux food tour.
Points deducted.
Yes, I know… he hadn’t gotten the memo that I was vegetarian, but still. That was his go-to choice? A McDonald’s dupe? In a city famous for its cuisine?
Wow.
I realize I’m probably the worst person to take on a food tour. I’m a vegetarian/pescatarian who hates mushrooms and cilantro/coriander.
It’s unfortunate because these days, most dishes seem to feature both meat and mushrooms… with an aggressive garnish of cilantro on top.
We walked a lot… which was good for me to see more of the city… but there didn’t really seem to be any rhyme or reason as to where we went or how we got there. The tour increasingly became less about Bordeaux’s food scene and rich history… and more about his thoughts on Trump.
Who wants to talk about that orange clown when there is cheese and wine?
No one.
But… Aurélien redeemed himself near the end… with a full cheese platter and a big glass of both red and white wine.
So… all was forgiven. Mostly.
Everything can always be forgiven through wine…
This trip has definitely been a mix. The whole thing.
Bordeaux was always a dream destination, but sometimes dreams don’t quite match reality at the exact time you want… or need. Maybe it was the weather. Maybe the season. Maybe my own expectations. Maybe my exhaustion. Maybe my blob mentality. Probably.
I don’t know.
To be fair, it was nice.
Majestic, really.
But compared to my beloved Paris, it felt a little grubbier… more graffiti, more beggars asking for money… more dog poo.
JUST KIDDING… Paris had way more dog poo!
Of course, there was plenty of beauty too. Stunning architecture, walkable streets, inviting cafés. Like I’ve mentioned before, I think I’m just done right now.
Still… I saw as much as I could, did what I could… and drank plenty of delicious wine.
For my final day in the south of France, I decided to pay a visit to the medieval village of world class wines… Saint-Émilion. No trip to Bordeaux would be complete without venturing into this old-world gem.
Right?
The weather forecast promised blue skies and sunshine… and a day in Bordeaux’s most famous UNESCO wine village sounded like the perfect way to end my trip.
I booked a train ticket immediately and was genuinely excited to escape for a bit and explore this legendary village.
I had barely stepped a foot onto the cobblestone streets of this exchanging little village when a wee wine shop caught my eye. I wandered in… just to browse at the vast selection…when the young sommelier running the place quickly started up a conversation.
It wasn’t long before I found myself seated… and savouring some of the best wines the region had to offer during a delightful wine tasting.
It was even a free tasting… as long as I agreed to buy a bottle of wine at the end.
Now normally… that would not be a problem…
I made it clear from the start: I couldn’t buy a bottle.
As I was leaving the country the next morning, it was pretty much impossible. As much as I’d love to take a little piece of Saint-Émilion with me, these weren’t exactly budget wines. And they would unfortunately exceed my carry-on liquid allowance!
Even the tasting free itself was a bit of a splurge… but definitely one I was willing to make.
He was fantastic… passionate, knowledgeable, and eager to introduce me to some of Saint-Émilion’s extraordinary wines. We tried five in total, ranging from around €65 to nearly €200 a bottle.
These were not your run of the mill, quick-drunk wines.
No.
And they were also nothing I’d normally have the chance to taste… which made every sip so much more delicious and fascinating.
And with those price tags?
Believe me, the pours were tiny.
After the tasting, I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the medieval streets… soaking in the architecture and the views.
The weather report had completely lied though… and it was a grey, bleak day… all day.
But there was something about Saint-Émilion that felt refreshing. Peaceful. With almost no other tourists around, I pretty much had the town to myself.
Not a bad way to say goodbye to France...
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