astle hotel near Saint Emilion. I was feeling decidedly grizzled after the previous night's 2 bottles of red wine complete with 4-hour bacchanalia of red meat, cheese, and chocolate. Oy vey.After saying goodbye to Jean Marc at his stunning Château (see photo), I headed northeast to Saint Emilion. The village is a UNESCO world heritage site and I always enjoy driving there although the roads are ridiculously narrow as my battle-scarred van can confirm. On the roster was a day of ride planning and some other mundane details such as paying deposits for our guides' hotels, and confirming some final non-riding activities such as the cooking class and a walking tour. Most tourists are so interested in shopping above ground in Saint Emilion that they completely miss the endless underground caverns carved by generations of monks. Former Spyns clients gaped at the underground cathedral and I can only imagine how long it took the poor, half-starved, medieval monks to create it. Spyns Tour de France clients will discover the secrets next July. The sun peeked out so I couldn't help but take a few snaps of things Spyns clients will see while exploring this great little town.
After that, I was off to Bordeaux (about 13 miles due west of Saint Emilion) to prepare a little surprise for our clients when they see the Stage 19 time trial. I also met with our bike mechanics, almost tore the roof of the van because of a botched underground parking attempt, and drank a freshly-squeezed orange juice while wolfing down homemade cookies at the Hotel Regent tearoom across from Bordeaux's Opera House. All in all an excellent day.
I'll be sad to leave this beautiful region, especially with the vines all turning golden yellow. But it will be nice to see my wife and kids again - especially little baby Spencer who just celebrated 10 months. Before heading home though, there is more work to be done and I have a busy day planned tomorrow including wine tasting confirmations, some riding if the weather is good, and interviewing a potential guide who lives in the area.
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