8-NT Vineyard Vistas: An Evening In Bordeaux

The scenic Spanish city of Gijon is capital of the Asturias region of northern Spain, and looks over the beautiful Bay of Biscay, with the grand Picos de Europa mountain range as its inland backdrop.

Smaller than its neighbors St-Jean-de-Luz or Biarritz, Hendaye forms the political border between France and Spain on the Cote Basque, where the Pyrenees come down to meet the Atlantic. Politics aside, the whole area is culturally Basque, and the Basque language and flag are frequently heard and seen.

Bordeaux is the starting point for many exciting excursions into the surrounding wine country. The patricians of Bordeaux have always been merchants and shipbuilders. Under the Romans the city had a flourishing trade with Spain and Britain. In 1154, as a part of the dowry of Eleanor of Aquitaine, it became English and remained so until 1453.

Bordeaux is the starting point for many exciting excursions into the surrounding wine country. The patricians of Bordeaux have always been merchants and shipbuilders. Under the Romans the city had a flourishing trade with Spain and Britain. In 1154, as a part of the dowry of Eleanor of Aquitaine, it became English and remained so until 1453.

Ireland’s second-largest city, Cork takes belligerent pride in its history of rebellion. It was founded in the 4th century by St. Finbarr, for whom its first cathedral is named. Hardly less sacred to its citizens is the Cork City Gaol, where its rebel heroes often resided. Visit the Crawford Art Gallery for its collection of native Irish painters, and Blarney Castle for a look at feudal history. Further afield, nearby Cobh, formerly known as Queenstown, has an Emigration Centre tracing the history of the great Irish diaspora.

The dark waters of the River Liffey swirling beneath the Halfpenny Bridge appear to transport you to a different age, the literary Dublin of Yeats, Shaw, Swift and Wilde. From the smart surroundings of St. Stephen's Green, down bustling O'Connell Street, to the blarney welcome you'll find waiting in a hundred little bars and restaurants the craic, like the Guinness, is always good in Dublin.