Beautiful Bordeaux

August 2020
Testing the water during the pandemic with a few days in France.
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  • Day 1

    And we’re off!

    August 3, 2020 in Scotland ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    After almost five months in lockdown, I was beginning to really miss my trips abroad and developed a bad case of the travelling bug 🐜 . Our planned trips to Gdańsk and Porto were cancelled, but with France still being on the list of countries from which you didn’t have to quarantine on return (at the moment), I decided to take the plunge. At £20 each way, a trip to Bordeaux with easyJet seemed too good to miss, and with a few clicks the deed was done!

    I’d never seen Glasgow Airport so quiet - quite eerie in fact. Security was empty and I sailed through quickly. I had time for a meal in one of the few open eating places, and was pleased to discover I got 50% off my pizza and Irn Bru meal due to the Chancellor’s Eat Out To Help Out scheme which began today . So far so good.

    Arrived in Bordeaux in good time (1 hour 45 minutes flight). Took the local bus No. 1 to Gare St Jean where I was staying at the Ibis Styles Hotel. Although there were no problems travelling, it felt strange seeing everyone going about in masks. Look forward to exploring tomorrow.
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  • Day 2

    Exploring Bordeaux

    August 4, 2020 in France ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Although the Ibis Styles does have fairly small rooms, it has big beds, so it was nice to stretch out and enjoy a good night’s sleep. Breakfast was included and was the usual continental fare of bread rolls, cold meat, cheese, yoghurt and coffee. I did however indulge in a portion of Nutella. It was a lovely sunny morning which developed into a lovelier hot day. I bought an all day public transport ticket which gave me unlimited travel on the excellent modern trams, on buses and included the local ferry. Great value at 5 euros 💶 , and I certainly made good use of it.

    First stop was a visit to probably the most photographed spot in Bordeaux - the Place de la Bourse and the Water Mirror. The water was just coming on at 9.30am when I visited, so I got some good shots before it got busy with pesky kids splashing about and ruining the mirror reflection. I then took a trip on the free BAT ferry up the River Garrone and got a good view of the city from the water. The Garonne is a mighty river, as wide as the Thames, but is a chocolate brown colour, like molten Dairy Milk. Next stop, the magnificent Grand Theatre (no shows on at the moment sadly), and the mighty Saint André cathedral, adjacent to the Hôtel de Ville. This huge cathedral was regrettably closed - and I did so want to see where Eleanor of Aquitaine was married. So many references to Eleanor here - even the local sports centre was named after her - and having only recently watched The Lion in Winter, there was no sign of Katharine Hepburn having a go on the dumbbells!

    I realised this morning that in my efforts to economise and travel with a carry-on bag only, I had forgotten to pack any socks! I headed therefore to my favourite French department store - the Galeries Lafayette. I won a watch as they were having the last of their 70% off sale, and got 4 pairs of nice white ‘chausettes’ for 5 euros!

    Back to sightseeing, and I took in the flamboyant gothic style Basilica Saint Michel with its beautiful stained glass. Had to walk back quite a bit to get the whole of its huge separate bell tower in the photo! By contrast, the catholic Sainte-Croix church looked diminutive, but lovely in sunshine.

    A highlight was the famous Cailhau Gate, in the Saint- Pierre district which I climbed up via a tight staircase reminiscent of the Scott Monument in Edinburgh, and was rewarded with a lovely view of the river. And not too far, the Saint-Paul district had its famous gate too: the Grosse Cloche, another jewel of Bordeaux. What an impressive city for monuments!

    After a visit to see the ‘lion’ at Stalingrad (yes, that’s the name of the area), had a rest at the hotel before going out for dinner. In spite of the coronavirus, all the restaurants and pavement cafés were busy, so I took a tram to the quieter area of the Bacalan, where I treated myself to a nice French meal of pâte de fois gras, and tartare de boeuf (I had forgotten it was raw, minced steak!) All washed down with a nice glass of Bordeaux 🍷 - well, when in Rome...
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  • Day 3

    Where ya bound for this year, Eliza?...

    August 5, 2020 in France ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Took a trip on the fast SNCF TGV train to Biarritz, a place I had always wanted to visit since uttering the line ‘where ya going this year, Eliza? Biarritz?’ in My Fair Lady, just before ‘Wouldn’t It Be Luverly’.

    And luverly it was. Followed the suggested walking tour up past the Casino to the Lighthouse with fabulous views along the Atlantic coastline. Some magnificent villas on the way, although Empress Eugenie’s palace (turned hotel) is closed till next year for renovations. Had lunch of mussels and frites (and a half a litre of red wine) at Fisherman’s Port, before walking across to the Rock of the Virgin. Had a lovely swim in the sea which was warm and inviting - the warmest Atlantic swim I’ve had.
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  • Day 4

    Saint Émilion

    August 6, 2020 in France ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Went on another wee train trip today to the well preserved medieval town of St Émilion, famous for its red wine. Like many French towns, the station was a bit out of the centre and involved a 25 minute walk into the town. However this was very pleasant as it passed alongside the vineyards. Did a recommended walking tour around various churches and monuments which were lovely. However, it got too hot (35 degrees!) so I sat in a lovely wee shaded restaurant balcony and had a very leisurely lunch. The service was painfully slow, but the young waitress was smiling and friendly and doing her best, and I was in no rush. The food was delicious - a very tasty gazpacho, complete with a dollop of refreshing sorbet on top, followed by a lovely roast pork, all washed down with local wine and a much needed litre of sparkling water.

    The train back to Bordeaux failed to appear until 45 minutes after its scheduled time, by which time us passengers were melting in the searing heat at an old closed, unmanned station with no facilities. I tell you it was straight to the on board toilet when the train did arrive after that litre of water!
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  • Day 5

    The biggest sand dune in Europe!

    August 7, 2020 in France ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    Today was my last full day in France but, as my plane wasn’t due to leave until 10pm, I decided to take another wee train trip, this time to the seaside resort of Arcachon. The journey took an hour and, as usual, I checked at the ticket office if there were any special reductions or offers for seniors, rather than book at one of the ticket machines. This paid off as I got a 50% summer fare discount. Result!

    The main attraction at Arcachon is the Grande Dune du Pilat - the tallest sand dune apparently in Europe! It involved taking a bus from Arcachon station for 20 minutes (and one euro), but was well worth the trip. A pleasant shaded walk, lined with the usual refreshment stands, lead on to an increasingly sandy path. From there, a flight of steps took you up this amazingly high sand dune, and from the top there were fantastic views over the forest on one side, and the ocean on the other. Quite breathtaking! Although it was 38 degrees today, there was a very welcome breeze at the top, and it was nice to sit and enjoy the warm sand and the lovely views. The steps apparently are only for ascending the dune, and one had to walk, run or stagger down through the hot sand to descend.

    Back in town, I discovered that Arcachon was a delightful resort town. Very clean, with plenty of pavement cafés and restaurants, and a pristine beach with lovely sand, and lifeguards keeping a watch on bathers. I couldn’t wait to get into the sea, and enjoyed cooling off for the best part of an hour, before heading in for a late lunch - mussels, beefsteak and Basque gateaux - delicious. The train heading back to Bordeaux was packed - just like the Ayr train heading back to Central on a scorching hot day. The SNCF transport police were inspecting all the tickets (I did actually remember to stamp it on the platform before boarding), and policed the train during the journey, telling off folk who were not wearing the obligatory masks.

    Back to the hotel for a quick change and freshen up before catching the No. 1 bus to the airport. Not bad at 1.70 euros for a 50 minute ride. Next year hopefully the new tram line will be open.

    Well thanks, Bordeaux, it’s been great. I will be back as it’s such a good base for exploring this part of La Belle France 🇫🇷.
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