Today’s grape, Shiraz! Terraced vineyards surrounded us as we docked. Such a contrast to the previous day and such a contrast to everything we’ve seen before in Italy and Greece. 

  
We began with a wine tasting in the vineyards, took 2 bottles to go and it was off for chocolate tasting, at Valrhona chocolatier. Let me say it was like walking into Willy Wankas – free chocolate samples – EVERYWHERE. And let me tell you none of us held back.  

    
We gorged, all of us, and then we felt ill. It was like we had never seen chocolate before. A chocolate haze settled over the group.

It was time to travel back to the boat through the French countryside and prepare for dinner. Dinner was delicious as usual and promoted the table to break out some of the wine purchased previous at Chateaupneuf Du Pape.

    
Then it came, the decree by the chef that we were to report to the gangway in 20 minutes because it was party time again tonight! Yeah, that’s what we need, more libations. Game face firmly in place, off we went with friends and crew to the center of town.