Viking Marketing Executive Rebecca Leech set sail from Bordeaux last December aboard the stunning Viking Forseti. She explains why this gracious, UNESCO-listed city stole her heart and what she loved most about her sojourn.

In the lead up to Christmas with everyone in a festive mood, I joined the Viking Forseti for three nights midway through the Heart of Bordeaux cruise. I was incredibly excited to join the trip and get to visit a traditional European Christmas Market but also to participate in a little wine tasting – with this region being not only the crème de la crème of French wine, but also of Old World wine, this was an opportunity not to be missed!

I loved all the included excursions we got to go on but my favourite was visiting a vineyard in Sauternes where we learnt about how sweet wines are produced and the importance of Noble Rot. After which, the moment had come to finally taste a few of the wines produced by the vineyard and discover the different foods these can be paired. Surprisingly, this includes not only desserts (as is the common misconception) but also roast chicken, Blue Cheese and Fois Gras.

The guided tour of Bordeaux was really fascinating, as is the history of this Gallo-Roman city. Enjoying part of the tour on the coach and part of it as a walking tour meant that we got to see the best of Bordeaux. It was really interesting to find out about the industrial past and understand why the city is now so beautiful and white. After this morning’s excursion we arrived back on board to a warming cup of hot chocolate with brandy – what a treat!

All the food that we got to enjoy on the ship was fabulous from start to finish. Each meal a culinary journey! From the omelette station in the morning to the buffet at lunch and the three-course evening meal. All accompanied by lovely wine.

I couldn’t have asked for a more thoughtfully planned trip and I will definitely be returning to Bordeaux in the summer to experience some of the traditional French street cafes and watch the world go by.

Find out more about our 8-day Heart of Bordeaux cruise >

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