You might have noticed by now that I haven’t been ready to bid adieu to our Viking River Cruise in France. With each chapter posted in #MyVikingStory, the reality of our trip being over sets in a little bit more. And so I write this next post with heavy hands, as it documents the second to the last day of the journey. Our time in Margaux was a living fairytale (complete with castles)! I had packed the closest thing I own to a princess dress, just for such an occasion.

After a leisurely drive through the French countryside, we stopped at the beautiful Château Giscours, located in the Margaux appellation outside of Bordeaux. We got a tour of the vineyard and learned more about the winemaking process. The visit concluded with a tasting of three different wines. I wasn’t so much interested in the wine as I was with the Chateau itself… more specifically, how could I just live there? (Turns out they do have guest house accommodations!)

I had to press pause on my palace dreams as we headed to our next destination, Château Kirwan, where Viking had prepared a special dinner for all of the ship’s guests. The five-course menu included my favorite, French onion soup (which, since we were in France was just… onion soup) and filet mignon. They also paired each course with local wines from Margaux. Talk about royal treatment! Watching the sun set through the windows of the chateau, I couldn’t help but think that this was certainly a “happily ever after” moment, if I’d ever experienced one.