Sightseeing in Bordeaux

Thursday, June 19, 2014
Bordeaux, Aquitaine, France
We all seemed to be a bit fresher this morning. Instead of eating breakfast in the hotel, we went to the nearby shopping centre and had breakfast at the Brioche Dorée. We had various combinations of yoghurt, fruit, coffee, tea and decadent croissants and the like.

We walked to the starting point for our private walking tour of the Landmarks of Bordeaux, buying all-day transit passes on the way . Our guide, Hela, met us on time at the Place de la Comėdie. She told us she was an Egyptian who studied at American universities and married a French man and now lives in Bordeaux.

We had a leisurely 2.5 hour walk around the central part of the old city, seeing remnants of early Roman gates and walls, medieval narrow streets, and the wider tidy avenues of the 18th and 19th centuries. Hela was very informative, passionate and entertaining and we all enjoyed the walk. But by the time we were finished, we were ready for another leisurely lunch outside in a restaurant by the Garonne river. (In Bordeaux, the Garonne river is still tidal and is brown from the silt that is stirred up by the flow of water from the Atlantic).

We split up after lunch (which lasted over two hours), some of us taking the trams back to the hotel and others doing a bit of shopping. (In my case, for more underwear, socks, shorts, swimming trunks, pajamas and a bag to put them all in just in case my suitcase does not find me in France) .

After several calls to Air France today, I still have not received confirmation that Air France has put the suitcase on a flight to France yet. It appears that a baggage tag was never put on the suitcase in the first place. It was only because I had my cell phone number on my luggage tag that they were able to call me to let me know where the bag was. It is now over 24 hours since I told Air France where the suitcase was but their website still says they are trying to trace the suitcase. Just to add to the situation, apparently there is a strike of Air France baggage handlers at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.

This evening, after a large lunch, we decided to go for a light dinner at a nearby restaurant in a quiet car-free street. It was very pleasant eating outside on a warm June evening and somehow the light dinner turned into a long dinner with lots of food and desserts! The owner was very friendly and even gave Sally a dessert for free when she didn't pick one!

We returned to the hotel after a pleasant day in Bordeaux. We are all impressed at a how great a city Bordeaux is for walking, eating and shop gazing. It does not appear to be on the itinerary of many tours for North Americans but is popular with the French themselves.

We are looking forward to a day out of the city tomorrow to visit the Atlantic coast.
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Comments

chris hammill
2014-06-20

Hope you get your baggage soon, Peter!

We went to the Probus meeting today and Mike Filey was as entertaining as ever.

Will miss you all at Pub night tomorrow.

David
2014-06-21

Sounds like a very leisurely trip so far compared with that first day in Delhi. Those beers look like lagers, any ale available? Only Cliff, Chris and I went to Scruffy's yesterday. They've discontinued Murphy's stout. And the Badger discontinued Spitfire. I'm getting paranoid. Peter, you can always buy some things at the Good Will and return them when your bag arrives.

2025-02-10

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