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PyrActif recommends:
Tour of the Vineyards
The location (about 30km South-East of Bordeaux) puts us slap bang in top-class vineyard country. Our accommodation is a beautifully restored farmhouse within the grounds of a working wine Chateau. The owners are Brits and alongside the occasional complimentary bottle of their local produce, they will also provide us with a guided tour of the vines & wine-making process (which include sampling the various stages of production).
Upstairs, the farmhouse has 4 double rooms & 3 bathrooms (1 en-suite). Downstairs is open plan, with a huge lounge/diner, 8-seater dining table & well-equipped kitchen. Outside is a swimming pool, barbeque, patio & orchard (where we hold a Petanque 'championship' each year!)
The riding terrain is a good bit flatter than the Pyrenees & our outings on the bike tended to be a little more like 'leisure/fitness riding' rather than full-on col conquering. There's even a 50-60km cycle path which runs out of Bordeaux and passes within 2km of the farmhouse.
The 2012 itinerary will pan out roughly as follows (albeit we’re very happy to flex this to suit what guests would want):
Friday mid-day - airport pick-up from Toulouse (the farmhouse rents on a Fri-Fri basis) & drive across to the chateau. Some guests might head out for a short 'test ride' late in the afternoon, but many will be happy to chill out, settle in and relax ahead of dinner.
Saturday - 70km round-trip ride to Cadillac & then Sauveterre. We climb about 400m in total.
Sunday - slightly longer ride out to the leading wineries at Pomerol. 85km/450m of climbing.
Monday - minibus day-trip to Bordeaux for sight-seeing, shopping & culture.
Tuesday - relaxed ride out to the famous wine village of St Emilion. Lunch in the village square & an even gentler ride home. 55km/350m climbing.
Wednesday – vineyard& wine-making guided tour (a.m.) then optional golf or cycling in the afternoon. If there’s demand, we may even be able to book a Beginner’s Session at the internationally renowned Bordeaux Velodrome.
Thursday - the 'grand finale' ride. Upping the distance to around 120km and simply touring around 3-4 of our favourite villages, stopping for coffee &/or lunch every 90 minutes or so.
Friday - transfer back to Toulouse airport
For 2012, we're planning to run this trip in the week of Fri 5-12 Oct (albeit Fri 12-19 might also be possible). That puts us on-site just after grape-harvest time, which is a very interesting time of year to be at the vineyard & should also get us decent weather if 2010 & 2011 were anything to go by. The trip is priced at £529 per person, inclusive of 7 breakfasts & 5 evening meals.
Below are a couple of photos of the farmhouse & chateau. If there are any other specifics you'd like to know more about, just drop us a line.
To secure your place on this tour, contact us at pyractif@gmail.com
