A GRAND TOUR
My waders suction to my shins as I edge towards the centre of the waist-deep pond. I hadn’t planned on visiting a sturgeon farm during my time in the south-western corner of France, but when the heavens opened and our plans for walking the limestone streets of Libourne were washed out, a little voice inside my head said, “On y va.” So here I am, at a breeding farm on the Isle tributary of the Dordogne, ready to show the rest of my group how an Australian catches a fish. “Grab the tail firmly, and always with two hands, otherwise it might bite,” says Yoann Garitey, sales director of Caviar de Neuvic, nonchalantly. Later, over a whip of caviar butter on baguette, I realise sturgeons don’t have teeth. But I’m going to need a few Grands Crus Classés to recover, regardless.
This is one of the more adventure-fuelled stops on the eight-day, round-trip Grand Bordeaux river cruise, devised by luxury cruise operator APT. The trip guides 144 guests through the region’s prestigious wine country and its renowned châteaux, medieval castles, historic hamlets and other, less conventional, adventures for those willing. As we potter from the city of Bordeaux along the, one of eight AmaWaterways river-cruise ships operating in Europe.
