After a horrific experience on the train from Paris to the southwest of France, we arrived in Libourne and were greeted by John-Laurent's sweet crowd of grandparents. On Sunday, we finally got to sleep in and started the day with lunch at Chez Tronche. The "lunch" Leslie was expecting lasted 6 hours and included 6 servings of food. After such a huge meal, we decided to walk through the famous vineyards of Pomerol. We enjoyed the greenery after 4 days of the big city. Leslie got a first glimpse of the developing grapes that are oh so important to the region.

We started the day a little late and decided to spend the afternoon exploring St. Emilion. When we arrived to the city, we hopped on a little train which tours the vineyards surrounding the village. Chateau Rochebelle was one of the vineyards along the train route. We stopped there for a quick tour of the winery. The view from Rochebelle was very beautiful. We had a small taste of the wine, bought a bottle and boarded the train again to return to the city. We walked around St. Emilion for awhile and enjoyed the nice weather and local people. Before we left, we stopped at a cafe in the middle of the city for Leslie's first crepe. Of course, she went all out and ordered one with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. We drank a couple extremely strong espressos as well. Photo #2 John-Laurent was content with his strong coffee and plain crepe with sugar.

We got up earlier than usual to visit the Libourne market, which takes place every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. You can find a lot of things in the market, from jewelry to fruits and vegetables, fresh fish, and things only the French would eat. Leslie got some Fraises Mara des Bois, a type of strawberry known for its stronger taste. John-Laurent bought things Leslie wouldn't dare eat: whole chorizo, anchovies in oil and house-made merguez, a spicy North African lamb sausage. After visiting the market, we walked over to M. Lopez Patisserie and bought a chocolatine, a miniature gateau Basque, an eclair and a tarte aux fraises.

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! Unfortunately, this date doesn't mean anything to the French. Hot dogs, baked beans and Bud Light are nowhere to be seen. But that doesn't mean we can't wave the stars and bars at the beach. We cooked and ate some hot dogs before heading to a bar seat at the Hotel De La Plage. Que bonita!