Woke to another rolling thunderstorm & rain on the roof, which cleared to an overcast but warm day. Set out to St. Emilion for a tour of this stunning wine producing region. You could take a thousand photos here & still not capture the beauty. Rolling fields of vineyards, dotted with magnificent chateaus that stand like fairytale castles amongst grounds of woods alongside manicured gardens. The stonework of the buildings is incredible when you think of t...

Today, did some more work around the property - Scott was on hedging duty, then into Rochfort- a lovely historic naval port - known for the longest building in the world, where shipping ropes could be made to the standard length. Saw the restored ship, Hermione built in the 1600s, & had pistachio & rum & raisin ice-cream in the Town Square. Rochfort is also home to the gendarmerie acadamy. Finished the day in the huge pool & a barby, sitting ou...

Chilly this morning, so I got up & made smashed avo & poached eggs on croissants for breakfast, then we worked around the property for the morning. Scott did some handyman work & I cleaned. Got ready, & headed into Brouage, which is a walled citadel where the sea used to come all the way to the wall - now all farmland. This town is famous for Samuel de Champlain who sailed away to trade for silk & spices, when he accidentally came across the a...

The smoothest flight you could ask for, I don't think there was even one rattle of turbulence. Thank you, Turkish Airlines. Arrived in Istanbul for a 5 hour layover, so lots of hot water with lemon & LOTS of Turkish Delight tastings, & we were then back on board for the 3 hour flight to Bordeaux. Arrived to 39C & Alan & Caroline waiting for us. How wonderful to see them. Alan is so much like my Dad, it's like having him back. Just like our Sat-N...