Bored Oh (Oops, that's Bordeaux)

Monday we left the lovely region of Dordogne and its caves headed for Bordeaux for other kinds of caves (the French word for wine cellar).  The Bordeaux region is famous for some of the most renowned wines in the world - St. Emilion, Margaux, Pomerol, for example.  However, our visit here would not entail exploring wine villages or even wine tasting - there isn't time.  Instead, we visited the city of Bordeaux.  It was a prefect place to drop our rental car before we head back to Paris as I had never been to this city in spite of being in the region a couple of times.

Our Little Nissan Jute - Fun and Easy to Drive!

So, Monday afternoon, we started to explore Bordeaux, hub of the famed wine-growing region.  It is a port on the Garonne River and there was actually a large cruise ship docked there when we arrived.  The population is about 1/4 of a million people.  It is known for its Gothic Cathédrale Saint-André, 18th- to 19th-century mansions and notable art museums such as the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Bordeaux.  Public gardens line the curving river quays.  

We took a tram into the centre from where we are staying near Gare Saint Jean (this is the station where the TGV leaves for Paris).  The area around the station is a bit "dodgy" but the Hotel Campanile is a short walk from the station (about 5 minutes) and easy.  The hotel is part of a chain and I have stayed in Campanile hotels often when I have been in France.  They are reliable 3-star hotels and usually have a restaurant which offer regional dishes.  There was no dinner served in this one, aside from some snacks, salads and reheated dishes you could get at the bar.  

The tram ride was only about 10 minutes, if that, to the centre.  We  got off at the grand Place de la Bourse which is an impressive square centered on the Three Graces fountain and which overlooks the Miroir d’Eau reflecting pool, the largest water mirror of its kind in the world apparently.

Place de la Bourse

The Miroir d'Eau (I took another one in the sunshine - below - which looks better)

From there, we wandered along the pedestrian shopping street called Rue Saint Catherine where, between Cours Victor Hugo and Place de la Comedie, you can find many of France's regular high street brands plus some other "standards" such as Etam, Zara, Mango, Manelli, and Claire's.  Of course, there had to be a McDonald's on one of the corners and, naturally, it was packed!  Galerie Lafayette, the famous French department store, can also be found along here.
    
The historic centre of Bordeaux is surprisingly concentrated and it is a very easy city to visit on foot.  We were not at all tempted to do a Hop On/ Hop Off bus tour.  We had given some thought to a guided walking tour but, at the tourist information, we picked up had sufficient information for us to do a self-guided one if we wanted to.  All the streets are adapted for pedestrian traffic - although that doesn't mean you don't have to watch out for trams, motorbikes and cyclists - and the streets offer great examples of classic French architecture throughout the city.  At the TI, we also booked a river cruise for the following day as we thought it would be good to see the city from another perspective.  We also checked out the relatively new Cite du Vin, Bordeaux's premier wine museum.  I had been interested in seeing it but the 20 Euro entry ticket seemed a bit expensive, particularly when I found out the museum is focused on Bordeaux wines which are not particularly my favourites - and, yes, I know they are some of the best wines in the world! 

After we had a drink in a little square, our next challenge was to find somewhere to it.  It was a Monday evening and many restaurants close on that day in France.  We wandered in a couple of directions before finally finding an area with a few ones that were open.  We settled on one called L’Agneau a la Braise where the meat was prepared over an open fire.  The only other restaurant like that I have seen is in Paris and it is called Robert et Louisa although I don't know if it is still open as Robert passed away a few years ago.  

The following morning, we took the tram to Saint Michel because we were told there was a market near there in the square in front of the church.  We found something that was trying to pass itself off as a market but it was a run-down sort of flea market without many tables or people.  Those who were there looked more drug addicts or homeless people.  It wasn't very pleasant.  The church is quite pretty, however.

The rather pathetic flea market

Eglise Saint Michel

It was around then that we started sharing our thoughts about Bordeaux.  Neither of us were particularly taken with this famous city.  Certainly, the area around Gare Saint Jean is run down.  However, it seemed to us that much of the downtown core was like that as well.  There was litter all over the streets; you had to watch where you stepped as there was often dog shit on the pavements; garbage bins were overflowing everywhere; and, all the main streets had beggars on them - one, was passed out lying across the main Rue Saint Catherine and he was there still when we walked by hours later.  The whole situation did not make for a very good impression.  

On our way from Place Saint Michel, we happened upon La Grosse Cloche.  Named after its key feature, its "fat" bell, this beautiful 13th century bell tower is one of the few remaining vestiges of the middle ages in Bordeaux.  We also saw Place de Bourgogne, one of four 'arcs-de-triomphe' or 'portes' found throughout the city.  We could also see the Pont de Pierre, a stone bridge across the Garonne built on the orders of Napolean Bonaparte in the early 19th century to permit the passage of his troops.

That day, we stopped for lunch at a cafe on the river front called Grand Bar Casten.  While we were there, I received a phone message from the TI telling us our boat trip had been cancelled.  When we went to get our refund, the reason given was that there weren't enough people.  Again, that didn't impress us very much, especially as we had planned our day around that.  However, on the way there, we did stop at Place des Quinconces which is a vast esplanade with two beautiful columns (no photo of those) at one end and the colossal Monument aux Girondins at the other.  This honours those inhabitants of the Gironde region who gave their lives during WWII.  There is a beautiful fountain at the base of it.

Since our boat trip had been cancelled, we just went back to the hotel for a bit before heading back into town for dinner.  Like the previous evening, we still had trouble finding a hotel that appealed to us, in spite of most of them being open.  We did see the impressive Porte Cailhau when we were wandering around.  Like the Grosse Cloche, it was a medieval gateway to pass through the city walls.  Also, as it was sunny, the "Water Mirror" looked very pretty.  We actually ended up eating dinner in an Italian restaurant.  What does that say?

I have no doubt that many people adore this city but its appeal is totally lost on me.  I doubt I will ever be back - although, as I have learned, never say never!





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