Cognac

Our drive today took us to Cognac, which is not only a spirited libation, it's also the town where Hennessy is headquartered.  The chateau is impressive, and our tour began with a boat ride to the other side of the Charente River, there we were shown a video and then toured the cellars.  The grapes for cognac come from this area, and there are strict requirements as to how the cognac is made. 

Hennessy was founded in the 1700s by an Irishman with forward-thinking ideas about commerce and sales.  His Cognac was the first sold to the American colonies, and the rest is history.  Hennessy is sold around the world, with some types only sold in various areas to complement the tastes of their customers, such as the Pure White sold in the Caribbean. 

Hennessy employs its own masters to create their barrels, which are reused, and repaired in their cooperage. 

You can see how precisely the barrels are placed here in the cellar.  When a new employee lays down a line of barrels, the others will put a bouquet of flowers over the front barrel to applaud their new co-worker, as well as labeling the side of barrels in that row to identify the employees' hard work. 
There are 3 calligraphers employed by Hennessy to write on the barrels.  Every step is geared toward tradition as well as history. 

After a tasting, we were let loose in the retail store, showcasing the interesting shapes and designs of their bottles.  Of course, there are the traditional bottles as well. 

After our tour, we headed off into the countryside for our next nights' stay near Bergerac.  Finally, in the Perigord, we are at a beautiful chateau where we enjoyed a delightful dinner with our group. 

View from our room

A few classics

In the Dordogne at last, foie gras

Beautiful vegetarian starter

Ah, duck breast

Dessert-sort of creme caramel with fruit

After this delicious dinner, we decided it was time for bed, and a late morning wake-up call, since our drive, will only be 70 miles and we can laze around in the morning.  Off to St. Emilion sometime after 11 tomorrow.  Ciao for now. 

The Goodwood Revival

At the end of our Aston Martin rental we decided to attend the Goodwood revival.  Goodwood is a huge deal here in Britain, there is a horse racing course, a car racing track and an estate.  People come from all over in their classic cars to see the spectacle that is the Goodwood revival.

Attendees dress up in period costumes; many men in RAF uniforms, and tweed jackets, women in 50's and 60's clothing, and there are hairdressers on site to give you that period look.

High Street, where everything is for sale

It's all great fun, and there are hundreds of stalls with people selling all manner of revival clothing, cars and parts, and anything that could be considered vintage.  There is even a Bonham's auction of classic cars.

A little vintage Kitsch

Dr. C. wanted to watch a few of the races, and so armed with ear plugs (these cars/motorbikes) are LOUD, we sat in the grandstands, and watched a few races.

Vintage motorcycles

 Young women were dressed up in mini-dresses, and stood on the track to mark the places where the cars should start.  I came to the conclusion that there is a reason these dresses went out of style.

After a long day, we headed back to the Coach House, and turned in early, since we needed to get the Aston Martin back to its owner.  After spending the day in Goodwood I'd recommend it as a bucket list for car enthusiasts.  Heading to Spello for 6 weeks and more adventures, this time in an Alfa Romeo Giulia.  Ciao for now.