A Visit to Bordeaux ~ October 2, 2019

A Visit to Bordeaux ~ October 2, 2019

We got a late start this morning -- the plan to be up and out by 8:30 was foiled by the fact that Jeff and I did not wake until 9:30!  Maureen popped over to give us a multitude of directions for our day's activities, and by the time we left Les Vendangeurs it was close to 11 a.m., and while we attempted to go to the market in Créon, we failed to find a place to park and before we knew it, it was noon - the time that Maureen had told us the market tends to close up.  So we simply drove on to Bordeaux.  After finding the parking garage that Maureen recommended, we found the restaurant that she had suggested because it served oysters - Betty Lou's favorite.  The restaurant, Brasserie Des Douanes (literal translation = Customs Brewery), was right on the river and across from Le Mirroire.  It was fun to people watch as we ate our lunch

Jeff enjoyed a French beer, 1664, and I (of course) had a great glass of white wine.  My chicken Caesar Salad was truly delightful.

Betty Lou enjoyed her plate of oysters and also had some sort of fish stew.  All in all a great place to enjoy lunch.

And Jeff enjoyed his dessert of Creme Brulee.  

It was a great start to our visit to the city of Bordeaux!  We wandered down by the river - the Gironde, and then walked up to the Office de Tourisme ... which was really not terribly helpful.  

We wandered back to the river through a pretty tree-lined park.  As we walked along, a group of college students came up to us and wanted to take a picture with us in it holding our fingers in a picture frame type way.  We have no idea why they wanted us to do this, but, we obliged them.

This monument, Le Monument aux Girondins, was built between 1894 and 1902 in memory of the deputies Girondins, victims of the Terror.  According to Wikipedia, the monument consists of a large base framed by two basins, decorated with horses and bronze groups, and surmounted by a column of 43 meters where culminates (at 54 meters height) the bronze statue of Liberty breaking its chains.

The following groups are among the sculptures  :

• to the Grand Theater: the triumph of the Republic. At the foot of the chariot and its horses: Ignorance, Lie and Vice. The quadriga of the sea horses is a representation of Happiness;
• towards the Chartrons: the triumph of Concorde  ;
• towards the river: the Tribune with the Gallic rooster, on its right: History, and on its left: Eloquence (two seated people);
• to Place Tourny: the city of Bordeaux sitting on the bow of a ship with a cornucopia. To the right of the base, a fluvial allegory: the Dordogne, and on the left the Garonne.

It truly is a magnificent monument.

Miroir d'Eau is the world's largest reflecting pool.  Located on the banks of the Garonne in front of the Place de la Bourse, it covers 37,100 square feet.  It is made of granite slabs and covered with 2 cm of water.  We saw dogs chasing balls, students pretending to swim across it, and the occasional male streaker running from one end to the other!

 Every twenty minutes, a spray comes up from the bottom, creating a foggy mist across the miroir.

Le Miroir d'Eau with Place de la Bourse in the background

Fountain on the Place de la Bourse

An Ice Cream Stop

We rode the Bat, a water taxi, across the river -- just for the fun of it -- before making our way back to the car for the ride back to Les Vandangeurs.  A quick stop at the supermarché to pick up some food for dinner, and back to our pied-à-terre.  We enjoyed some bread and cheese along with the gift of sparkling rose from our hosts, followed by a chicken stir fry.  

Our first full day was both frustrating (for me, as I failed in my role as navigator and we had to turn around and wend our way back to the Place de la Bourse) and a complete and utter delight.  

Tomorrow we head to Saint Emillion.  À bientôt!