Day 14 Last day in Bordeau

Our last day was exactly what we’d wished for - sunny & warm. Our plan - head off on our bikes and visit places we hadn’t discovered as yet.

Stop one - Darwin Eco-Centre, an abandoned military barracks on the right bank that was redeveloped in 2011 to focus on environmental issues. The pics say more than I could. Love how they redevelop places that could have negative vibes and make them into positive experiences.

Other stops were to « people watch » - always good fun. Bordeaux brags about becoming the skateboard capitol of Europe. Loved seeing all the little ones there. Plus there were the bikers, runners, beach volley ball players, and lots of people strolling along the river and around town.

Other highlights included seeing all the cruise ships docked there - amazing how they get down the small Garonne river from the Atlantic. There were also smaller river cruise ships, which make more sense.

Interesting watching the Pont Jacques Chaban bridge open to let the huge boats pass - the whole middle section rose up, and slowly came back down again.

Bottom line - Bordeaux is well worth a visit. They seem to be doing everything right to make it a vibrant liveable city and keep their people active & heathy. In 2020 they had 27K of connected bike paths. 2024, they now have 40.5 K, plus more in the plans. Certainly our kind of place.

Tomorrow we head off to Spain - a whole new experience.Read more