Ever since our first big trip to the US in 2013, I have carried a letter from my doctor and several medicines made up ready to administer. When 6 year old Sam wouldn’t stop vomiting in the Grand Canyon, I had to beg a pharmacist to give me Zofran without a prescription – he gave me 10 for US$110! (And Sam promptly vomited one up as I gave it to him – which I haven’t let him forget since!)

Since then I have taken supplies from home on every holiday and not needed much of them. I think last year in Japan I might have handed bandaids to Tom and Jess, and our kids never needed anything. Bordeaux has produced a different story! As of tonight, I think Beck and Ollie are the only ones who are still healthy. Several of us woke with a temperature and chesty cough (I didn’t bring any suppressant, just antibiotics).

Belle is also still unwell but we convinced her to take the short drive with us to the citadel in Blaye City Centre down the road. She didn’t feel well enough to climb it, so stayed in the car while we explored.

Built in the 16th century, it is an amazing structure that has accompanying citadels in Medoc and a man-made island in between; the three citadels meant to protect the French from Vikings, the Spanish and the British over time. Most surprisingly, once we entered the arch in the wall, we found a small village operating – a hotel, camping ground, restaurants and shops!

We explored it for about an hour and then returned to the boulangerie outside the citadel where we had lunch on the first day here to get today’s lunch. Ross looked worse than Belle by then, so we returned to the chateau and I put them both to bed with more Panadol (which I may run out of by the time our holiday is over!).

The chateau is excellent, but the only bathrooms are in each bedroom, and there are so many other rooms it is easy not to know where everyone is. Cooper and Sam had talked about having a quick dip in the pool, but I did not encourage that today as Sam is another one that has fallen sick. He was well enough to walk home with Jarrod from the city centre though – they wanted to explore along the way, and walked through some vineyards and a graveyard on their walk back.

(Update: Sam did jump in the pool after all…..at 8.30pm 🙄)

I think the kids this afternoon have been resting, sleeping, scrolling and playing games together, but as I now have a high temp and have slept the afternoon away, I haven’t checked 😬

Ross and Luke were not as keen to cook up a storm in the kitchen after all their efforts over the last few nights, so took the kids to McDonalds 2km away to supplement the bacon and eggs they haven’t used yet.

We are very sad we have to check out tomorrow! The Bordeaux region, Blaye, and our chateau Maison Borgeat, have all exceeded our expectations. Despite the fact we now seem to be dropping like flies, we have had a beautiful few days here and have made some beautiful memories.