Bordeaux

Bordeaux means "edge of water" and the part of the city that we visited ran along the wide, cafe au lait coloured Garonne river. We spent two nights in this city famous for its robust red wines, its Gross Cloche and its limestone buildings.
On my Mom's birthday, we drove around Bordeaux for a city tour and when we passed le Grosse Cloche, a beautiful city gate I wanted to see, the bus barely paused. I was quite disappointed, but c'est la vie!
We toured on foot at the centre of town and saw a beautiful fountain. When we stopped for free time, Doug and our friends wanted to sit in a wine bar, so I decided to go for a walk and find my gate.
I made sure to verify my map orientation with our guide and off I went, suddenly free to explore! I headed down St. Catherine Street until I found an arch with two bronze turtles beside it. This meant I'd walked too far, but I think I was meant to see these turtles.
It was only an adjustment of a few blocks and there I was, standing in front of the Big Bell gate. It was worth the visit to this 18th century bell above a former dungeon for juveniles. This gate was one of two Middle Aged entrances to the city, built in the 15th century and this bell was installed in 1775.
After I returned to my friends, I still had an hour to walk and my group were not interested, so I went to the nearby Place des Quinconces and saw the Monument aux Girondist which had stampeding stallions that had mermaid tales and water streaming out of their nostrils. The steeds were held in check by a Goddess and her entourage.
Surrounding this Square was a huge flea market selling antiques. I enjoyed strolling through this treasure trove, dreaming of how I could decorate a villa with these vintage pieces.
What an experience discovering this city on my own!Read more