For your second full day in Bordeaux, take a short, guided walking tour of this UNESCO classified city, beginning with a look at the Grand Theatre, one of the most beautiful in Europe and a pure work of art from the 18th century. Your walk continues through the old Bordeaux district, taking in the Parlement and Bourse squares, the Cailhau Gate, the cathedral Saint Andre and City Hall. Your tour concludes in the luxury boutiques district, called “the triangle” by the locals, and the Quinconces square. During your time ashore discover some local traditional specialties, such as chocolate, canelé cake, cheese, and of course sample some fine Bordeaux wines.
Guests may then choose to join a member of your Culinary Team for an excursion that rediscovers the atmosphere of a grandmothers’ vegetable gardens. Since the 1960s, numerous varieties or species of ancient fruits and vegetables have disappeared from tables. However, at this farm, a conservatory orchard and vegetable garden are expressly dedicated to all these forgotten fruits and vegetables. Find more than 600 different species and varieties of edible plants and have the opportunity to taste some of these forgotten produces, such as Chinese artichokes, Turkish turban, Jerusalem artichoke, Zealand spinach and ground cherries. This farm is a perfect illustration of the growing philosophy that protects magnificent foods from the threat of standardization, bureaucratic hygienism, and commercialization, and ensures these products continue to be made and enjoyed.
Alternatively, join your onboard historian and visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Saint Emilion. This region and village is the heartland of the Merlot grape, which produces popular, rich, round wines. The vines on the "hill with a thousand châteaux" reach right up to Saint Emilion’s 13th-century town walls and surrounding moat, dug out of solid rock. Visit the main monuments of the town: the Collegiate Church and its magnificent cloister from the 12th century, the ramparts, the market place, and the monolithic church or underground church from the 9th and 12th centuries. The catacombs include a number of sepulchres from the 11th and 12th centuries. The Hermitage was constructed by transforming a natural grotto in which, during the 8th century, a holy man, who gave his name to the town, used to live. During your walking tour, see the Cadene Gate and the King's Tower.
The Silver Explorer will be docked in Bordeaux overnight, and the evening is yours to spend as you please. Why not ask the Culinary Team to suggest the perfect restaurant for dinner ashore? The members of the Expedition Team will gladly assist with making reservations.