Feeling at home for the first time in charming Blaye, France, situated in the middle of Bordeaux wine country.

During my recent trip I finally found my comfort zone in the picturesque town.

I now have my favorite place for espresso, baguettes, croissants and an established walking trail.

We discovered La Cave De L’estuaire, a delightful evening hangout which serves delectable small plates. The caviar, escargot, frites, tempura shrimp are all stellar and owner Sebastian serves his own very drinkable wines.

We met a beautiful, soulful woman from South Africa and shared many a glass of wine and great conversation.

A renowned artist, Thierry Bisch, lives in Blaye and is absolutely enchanting. Checkout his website to see his impressive endangered species artwork (thierrybisch.com).

I adore the biweekly market which showcases incredible produce, local cheese, even adorable socks.

We explored nearby communities and found a very good lunch place in Bourg.

We now know our way around Bordeaux which has an impressive old city, a World Heritage church and many excellent museums and restaurants.

St. Emilion, our nearby neighbor, is a scenic community with wonderful restaurants.

Blaye is only a 15 minute scenic boat ride away from Medoc which is arguably the most famous red wine district in the world, home to many of the greatest and most renowned names of Bordeaux. 

The citadelle demands exploration.

The highlight in Blaye is the daily sunset over the Gironde River to be embraced with a Pastis outside  at the La Petite Cave which showcases an impressive array of wines and wine experts, including owner Les and affable store manager, Stephane.

The Cave has delightful, impromptu cabaret evenings. Our time in Blaye featured local, Lola, who has a voice of an angel.

I just need to improve my French and then it will definitely qualify as home.

BTW, Blaye is most assuredly worth a visit and offers beautiful rentals at unbelievably reasonable prices through Bordeaux Village Blaye on Rue St. Simon in the heart of charming Blaye.