Bordeaux, arrive Sunday July 24 depart Sunday July 31-- Part one
ps - I've also sent a picture of a huge concrete structure in some water. it's now a exhibition hall but the Nazis built it as a submarine bases and it's pretty indestructible. many Italians were stationed here.
Bonjour! So wonderful to hear from those of you who have written. We’re so glad you’re enjoying the blog. It’s been a great way for us to go back and remember some of the things we’ve done.
On the last Paris entry, I wasn’t sure why it market was the Marche des Rogues Enfants. Turns out there was an orphanage located in the area in the 1500’s and the red clothes they wore meant they were supported by Christian charities. The market was newly revived about 20 years ago and now it’s quite the popular shot for tourists and locals. We highly recommend it. I even saw a gluten free kiosk.
We left Paris on Sunday morning by TGV. We left at 9:46 and arrived in Bordeaux at 1:47. All of the pictures we have seen of Bordeaux have been beautiful so we were a little questioning when we arrived at the train station and the rental car location. It’s obvious there is a lot of work going on in these areas, but they have a long way to go and it’s a little concerning. However, once you get to the Cite Center, you see the beautiful pictures. It is a charming city. I can’t wait to come back, and not just because of the fantastic wines. It’s like being in a foreign Napa, but with a more centralized area. We were going to spend one night at the Intercontinental, Le Grand Hotel and the next day drive to Gascony, a rural farming area for twonights. Instead once we checked into the hotel, which is indeed the “Grand Hotel”, saw the exquisite room with air conditioning, we abandoned to the plans to go to Gascony and decided to stay here two additional nights. Excellent choice! I highly recommend this hotel. They will spoil you rotten. Plus, we would have missed so much in Bordeaux if we had decided to leave.
As with most large cities in Europe, it’s settled on a river, the Garonne which is the color of coffee lait, was originally settled by the Celts and then settled by the Romans. They took wine making to an art in the 1500’s and were one of the richest cities in Europe during that time. It was also a huge shipping port.The sun is hot during the day, but no humidity, but cool at night, perfect for growing vines. They were in the Aquitaine area of France and the marriage of their Queen Eleanor (always one of the historic individuals I’ve always wanted to have for dinner), they became closely allied with the English. This lasted about 300 years. Some unfortunate events happened and they fell on hard times. Through the leadership of their mayor in 1995, who should not only have a bridge named after him, but be given sainthood status, they began a cooperative effort to put Bordeaux back on the map and they have succeeded in a major way. The buildings have all been cleaned and much if it is pedestrian. They have also built an amazing “mirror” water front park parallel to the river which uses 2 km of water. It first produces a mist and then produces a small layer of water. Everyone comes and plays in this beautiful park. There is a lot of renovation and construction happening in the area. They’re in the process of laying new water pipes new the hotel so some of this feels very familiar. After Mexico, they are the second most visited place in the world for 2015 according to the NY Times. I imagine they could be number one before too long.
The hotel is known for its amazing roof top bar. The 360 degrees view of this beautiful city is definitely worth one if not more visits. After drinks on the roof, things got-off on the right foot at dinner Sunday night at the hotel’s Gordon Ramsay brasserie, we ate outside and had snails as an appetizer, Beef Wellington for two as our main dish and superb Bordeaux wines, one of the best dining experiences ever. Monday July 25 we spent getting to know the town, we took the petit train ride around the historic center of the city, then went to the famous Maison du Vins for lunch and wine tastings and then in the afternoon we went on an hour and a half boat ride on the Garonne River, all very informative and fun. Tuesday July 26 we spent all day (from 11:00 to 5:30) at the just opened in June 2016 La Cite du Vin. It is located at the other end of town from the historic center and is an eight story, very chic designed building, devoted to nothing but telling the story of wines from across the world. There is too much information to detail on this blog but suffice it to say whether you are unknowledgeable or an expert on wine you would enjoy this facility. The view from the eighth floor and the lunch were both very memorable.
Our bags are packed and we’re now ready for Part Two of the Bordeaux adventure. Our friends, Betsy and Alan Towne from Richmond, are arriving on the 12:30 and we are picking them up at the train station. We are sadly saying good bye to the Le Grand Hotel and moving to our Airbnb apt in a very fun area of the city, not too far away from our current location. We are going on an extensive private wine tour tomorrow (Thursday) and a private oyster estuary tour in the Arcachon area on Friday. The Townes are leaving us on Saturday to have their own biking adventure in the Dordogne river valley. We’ll spend one more night on Saturday and then leave on the train for Carcassone for one night and then head to Avignon for four.
Thanks for keeping in touch. We also thank you for your continued prayers for safety. I would be lying to say it isn’t always in the back of our minds, but we feel like we are blessed with this journey and will continue to enjoy it.
Until later!
Edie and Cham
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