St . Emilion France
 

What will we find in St Emilionm,, looks like we are scheduled for lunch at Amelia Canta. Also have some free time after our visit to a wine cellar-tour and tasting. Itinery does not say which winery we will be visiting. What can we do with our free time in St Emilion "old town"

Well, you can walk all over the "old town" in about 15 minutes, tops. You can buy macaroons, sample ridiculously expensive wines, and visit the monolithic church.

You could also skip the crèpes at Amelia Canta and head for Francis Goullée, the best restaurant in town, and mingle with some of the local wine barons.

Hello jj: You can also contact the local tourism office for a personal guided tour of the city, especially the churches both above and undergound. Gradyghost

quick question about touring the churches- above ground or underground-- Do you mean literarly underground or hidden churches? An honest question, as I have never been to France, much less ever been to Europe. So I am learning and enjoying the process. thanks

You can also buy an incredible cork extracter called by the name of Puigpull at a wine shop across from the "square" that will make you the envy of all your friends. Deborah

make that an extractor ;;) Deborah

I am sorry I missed the point on the last 2 replies. Can we start over please?

The point of my post was one of our best ever purchases in France was in St. Emilion at a small wine store that was directly across from the town square. It was a cork extractor called a Puigpull that has been the envy of all of our friends who have the latest and greatest in wine accessories. It works with a ratchet method and I wish I had purchased more than the two that I did at the time ;;) Deborah

If you have a car you explore the area, we visited several wineries. If you don't have a car you walk around which doesn't take much time at all. Sitting in the town sqaure, visiting the underground monuments, it's a beautiful town at night. Deborah

thank you thank you This is going to be my next post, what gifts can I bring back to my family and friends. (tradition I guess) I have my answer before I asked the question. Now I need to figure out my grandkids- how I would love to find a French talking doll or stuffed animal, thanks again

We were there in 2004 but according to the brochures I saved from the tourist office on Rue du Marche there is a shop called Quand Les Filles S'en Melent with games for children, decoration and art craftwork. Hopefully it is still there. There were many small art galleries and of course anything you could desire pertaining to wine. Have a great time. Deborah

Again, a tourist question-- the underground. Was the area flooded and rebuilt? I am on my way to Google the area to find out the history. Coming from the United States, we have visited the Portland Oregon and Seatte Washington areas which actually have an underground city due to flooding waters. I am not familiar with this area and will check it out. I will read all posts on the subject. thanks jyani

thank you DeborahAnn I am checking this out

I am looking at the brochure from the Tourist office. First of all it recommends that ladies avoid high-heeled shoes because some of the streets are on a steep incline and cobblestone. And believe me they do not exaggerate

The hermitage, the assuary, the catacombs and the monolithic shurch were all carved out of solie limestone rock, as were the dozens of kilometers of underground galleries. Certain of these are accessible to visitors and some were turned into cellars or museums.

The monolith church is one of the largest of Europe. The catacombs shelter a mass grave and tombs, with part of Emilian's life; the monk Emilion lived in a small hermitage cared out of a natural grotto, located nearby. The chapelle de la trinte, built in honour of Emilian is an excellent example of 13th century architecture, inside, the recently restored frescoes are remarquable as quoted from my brochure and I am responsible for all typos ;;) Deborah

Wow thank you I love history and am truely appreciative of this information, and any more than comes forth. thanks