I’d rented the apartment in Saint-Emilion for two nights, but with more rain predicted for Tuesday I extended it for a third night. I headed out on a cloudy Monday morning to explore a bit of the village. What a difference from the evening before – the streets and plazas were almost empty and the only big tour groups were children on a school outing. Other than wandering up and down the streets and tertres, the big events of the day were lunch and a guided tour of the monolithic church.
What follows is my photo journal of my Monday in Saint-Emilion. The sun came out in the afternoon, and I went round and took another set of photos. I’ve arranged them by subject, rather than chronologically.
Morning view of Saint-Emilion from the clock tower plaza, showing the two arms of the village rising up along the hillocks, or mounds.
Two of the most distinctive monuments of Saint-Emilion are the bell tower of the monolithic church (on the left) and the Tour de Roy, or King's Keep (on the right).
A few comments regarding the monolithic church in Saint-Emilion. The only access to the church is to take a guided tour, which I did - along with about 25 other people. The church itself and my experience were much different than at Auberterre-sur-Dronne. One of the big differences is that there are more intact structures at the Saint-Emilion church. These include the original hermitage in which Emilion lived, and which was later expanded to include an above-ground chapel; a underground system of catacacombs and quarry; and the monolithic church itself carved from the limestone cliff. In addition, many of the paintings and sculptural detail of the structures remain. A second difference is that no pictures were allowed inside any of the structures, so I have none to share. Finally, as it was a guided tour, one is moved along at the pace of the tour which often was faster than I would have liked. However, the guide provided a lot of background information and religious history about Saint-Emilion – both the man and the village.
Another exterior view of the long side of the church, showing how it was carved out of the rock. In addition to the bell tower, a hotel now sits atop the church
I woke Tuesday to an amazing sunrise. Over the course of the morning, I watched the clouds roll in, listened to the rain, and worked on the journal. It was not a day for sightseeing, but was an excellent day for fine dining. I chose a highly-rated French restaurant, one mentioned in the Michelin guide. It was the type of place where all the wait-staff were in jackets and ties, or dresses, where napkins were wrapped with leather, and where your water glass was always filled. The food was fabulous and full of surprises – and I share pictures with most, but not all of my courses. The entrée looked a bit plain at first (no photo) but was full of hidden delights. An altogether enjoyable experience on this rainy day.
The view from my apartment window. Red skies in morning.....
I almost didn't, but then did, have the cheese course. This change of mind caused a bit of consternation in the kitchen, first saying it was not possible as my dessert was being prepared. Then they relented and brought a wonderful cheese board to my table, from which I chose (in consultation with the server) four distinct cheeses.
Counter-clockwise from lower right (the suggested order for eating), the cheeses are: gouda; senneterre; saint-martin-en-haut (I think - it's a soft goat cheese); and roquefort. Accompaniments include pecans and fig jam
Watching people struggling up and down the tertres in the rain, I was so thankful I had taken another day in Saint-Emilion and was not somewhere in the countryside with Vivien George and Vincent
