Saint Emilion

• 

• 

St. Emilion (pronounced "EHmeeleon") is a delightful town with mostly friendly people and outstanding wines and food. It dates from prehistoric times and is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with narrow stone streets and Romanesque buildings and ruins. Romans planted vineyards in this area as early as the 2nd Century AD. In the 8th century, a hermit named Emilion settled in a small cave with an underground spring. Over the next 500 years the cave was enlarged to make the world's largest monolithic (one rock) cathedral. Many of the ruins are atop the hillside and the town is laid out below in the shape of an amphitheatre. There are some very steep pedestrian streets. It's been amusing to watch some of the female tourists in high heels try to negotiate these roads (believe it or not, Dana is not one of them. She's been wearing flats every day since we've been here!).