The Water Mirror, France Travel Journals & Blogs

Traveler European 5000&Mountain Summit
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- Sep 16, 2019
- ☀️ 27 °C
- Altitude: 26 m
- France Nouvelle-Aquitaine Bordeaux The Water Mirror 44.841512, -0.57074144°50’29” N 0°34’15” W
Day 10
Tag 9: Von Pamplona nach Bordeaux
September 16, 2019 in France ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
Heute ging es von Pamplona nach Bordeaux. Den ersten Stop haben wir in San Sebastian eingelegt. Und waren total begeistert von der Stadt. Tolle und gepflegte Gebäude, der rauschende Atlantik und der Hafen. Eine tolle Mischung! Wir wären gerne länger geblieben...aber irgendwie waren wir etwas spät dran. Wir sind trotzdem auf den Urgell gestiegen und wurden mit einem fantastischen Blick über die Stadt und auf den Hafen belohnt. Danach ging es weiter nach Biarritz. Ganz anders, aber nicht weniger schön. Wir sind ein bisschen über die Strandpromenade gebummelt und haben uns eine Cappuccino Pause gegönnt. Aufgrund der Zeit mussten wir dann leider auf direktem Weg nach Bordeaux fahren. Hier hatten wir ein schönes Hotel direkt in der City und haben den Abend in einem netten Restaurant mit leckerem Bordeaux ausklingen lassen.Read more
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MaryGrace Schumacher Bordeaux AmaDolce
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- Aug 23, 2023, 9:48pm
- 🌙 32 °C
- Altitude: 20 m
- France Nouvelle-Aquitaine Bordeaux The Water Mirror 44.838966, -0.56695244°50’20” N 0°34’1” W
Day 8
Last day in Bordeaux
August 23, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌙 32 °C
Beautiful morning for a bike ride through Bordeaux and to the market for meat, cheese, oysters and of course WINE. Just a little because we had to bike back to the dock. Light lunch including wonderful eclairs then off the the wine museum to learn a little more about French wine making. Completed the tour on the 8th floor with a wine tasting and lovely view of city by the river. Farewell cocktail party and a great dinner. Now we have a illumination cruise then off to bed. We have a 330am wake up call for our 6am flight to Paris connecting to our direct flight to Raleigh. Good Night!Read more
Traveler What an awesome adventure the two of you had in Bordeaux!
8/24/23Reply
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Olddustyboots.com Belgium, France and Holland
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- Apr 24, 2023, 9:30pm
- ☁️ 13 °C
- Altitude: 23 m
- France Nouvelle-Aquitaine Bordeaux The Water Mirror 44.843211, -0.57490744°50’36” N 0°34’30” W
Day 22
Bordeaux
April 24, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
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
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Marokko Motorradreise
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- Oct 10, 2023, 1:13pm
- ☀️ 24 °C
- Altitude: 14 m
- France Nouvelle-Aquitaine Bordeaux The Water Mirror 44.842169, -0.56917544°50’32” N 0°34’9” W
Day 52
Frankreich - Bordeaux
October 10, 2023 in France ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C
Am vorletzten Tag ging es mit den Motorrädern nach Bordeaux. Dort ging es zu Fuß durch die Altstadt Bordeaux's. Unglaublich wie sauber und gepflegt eine Stadt sein kann, selbst im Stadtpark ging es zivilisiert zu ... Etwas was man in Offenbach nicht unbedingt findet.

Auf dem Rückweg ging es noch beim örtlichen Yamaha Händler vorbei, um für Tims Tenere neue Hinterrad Bremsbeläge und einen neuen Luftfilter zu organisieren. Praktischerweise gab es direkt nebenan einen Laden für Motorradzubehör, wo wir neues Kettenspray kaufen und sogar Helme und Lederkombis bekannter MotoGP Fahrer bewundern konnten. Sowas bräuchten wir auch daheim.Read more
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Traveler Vive la France I
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- Sep 26, 2019, 2:36pm
- ⛅ 23 °C
- Altitude: 26 m
- France Nouvelle-Aquitaine Bordeaux The Water Mirror 44.84038, -0.5715444°50’25” N 0°34’18” W
Day 4
Hoch hinaus
September 26, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Mit seinen 114 Metern Höhe ist der Flèche Saint Michel (Pfeil) das höchste Gebäude in Bordeaux. Besonderes Merkmal ist, dass er wie der Pey Berland, also der Glockenturm von Saint-André, frei und abseits der Kirche steht, damit die Erschütterungen bzw. das Vibrieren durch das Läuten der Glocken der Bausubstanz der Kirche nicht schaden.

Von oben hatte ich eine phantastische Aussicht auf die Stadt und nur wenige Menschen haben sich die enge Wendeltreppe hochgequält, sodass es schön ruhig war. Besonders eindrucksvoll neben dem weiten Blick über die Dächer fand ich die Glocken und die hohe Kuppel.Read more
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Traveler Vive la France I
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- Sep 26, 2019, 3:00pm
- ⛅ 23 °C
- Altitude: 29 m
- France Nouvelle-Aquitaine Bordeaux The Water Mirror 44.84036, -0.5715144°50’25” N 0°34’17” W
Day 4
Streifzug durch die Altstadt
September 26, 2019 in France ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
Ich liebe es, mich treiben zu lassen und so habe ich auch ohne Stadtplan die wichtigsten Bauwerke entdeckt und mich zwischendurch dem Genuss hingegeben. Weißer Bordeaux schmeckt mir ebenso gut wie roter, ich mache das von der Tageszeit abhängig. Immer dagegen geht eine Süßigkeit und davon verstehen die Franzosen so viel wie die Belgier. Ich hatte ein Schokoladentörtchen und das war sowohl optisch als auch kulinarisch ein Hochgenuss. Die Port der Cailhau und die Grosse Cloche zählen übrigens zu den bekanntesten Sehenswürdigkeiten hier und sind auch einen Besuch und ein Foto wert, aber zum Verweilen laden sie eher nicht ein.Read more
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Traveler France 2022
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- Oct 9, 2022, 11:00am
- ☀️ 17 °C
- Altitude: 11 m
- France Nouvelle-Aquitaine Bordeaux The Water Mirror 44.840809, -0.568444°50’27” N 0°34’6” W
Day 26
Bordeaux, easy city to loose yourself in
October 9, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
We had a late start to the day. It was really nice to just lounge about in the apartment and (try) to catch up on the blog. Once out the door, we walked along the Garonne river to the Miroir d’Eau (water mirror) to take some photos of the reflections of the buildings, but there were several kids splashing about and it was a bit difficult to get the perfect shot. We then wandered past the Place de la Bourse and spotted the restaurant L’Observatoire Du Gabriel, where we are having dinner on Monday night. We wandered down Rue St Remi where there was an abundance of restaurants to choose from, and settled on a place called ‘Le Bistrot’ that had some interesting starters. So, we parked ourselves outside, and ordered some wine and three entrees to share for lunch.

We chose the panna cotta with tomatoes and basil, the poached egg in a corn emulsion with roasted corn and crisp bacon bits, and a vegetable tart which comprised of eggplant caviar, roasted courgette, roasted capsicum, spring onion and herbs - it was all bloody delicious, and not at all expensive. We will try and recreate these dishes once we get home.

After lunch we wandered around a bit more before heading back to the apartment to crack open one of the reds we had acquired in the Medoc. Before going home we stopped by our local boulangerie to pick up a baguette. It was piping hot and smelt divine, so I had to nibble the end off on the way home - it is the French way! We had the baguette with cheese and charcuterie for dinner, washed down with a bottle of 2017 Château Dauzac red. We sat out on the balcony watching the world go by. This included a protest march for a Kurdish freedom fighter who has been imprisoned but not charged.

It was nice to have a day that is a bit more relaxed and at a slower pace. It is important to recharge the batteries and stop and smell the roses and sip the wine. Once again we ate in - just fruit, cheese, Jamon and bread together with one of our reds from Château Dacauz.Read more
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Viajando cuatro
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- Dec 7, 2023, 3:36pm
- 🌧 10 °C
- Altitude: 24 m
- France Nouvelle-Aquitaine Bordeaux The Water Mirror 44.841438, -0.57048344°50’29” N 0°34’14” W
Day 76
Burdeos
December 7, 2023 in France ⋅ 🌧 10 °C
Llevábamos tiempo queriendo venir aquí. Había vuelos directos de Fuerteventura y unas cuantas horas en coche desde Castro, o incluso guagua. No pensábamos nunca que iríamos en furgoneta 🚐, pero allí estábamos. La lluvia 🌧️ esta vez nos acompaña y la verdad es que Burdeos o Bordeaux es preciosa da igual la climatología. La majestuosidad de sus edificios te enamora desde el primer instante en el que te sumerges en ella. La siesta de Unai e Izei nos dejan libertad “mojada”, y nos deja ganas de volver sin duda a verla durante otra estación. Hasta pronto, Burdeos.Read more
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Traveler FDA TRIP OF A LIFETIME
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- Jun 29, 2022
- ⛅ 25 °C
- Altitude: 22 m
- France Nouvelle-Aquitaine Bordeaux The Water Mirror 44.838619, -0.56901744°50’19” N 0°34’8” W
Day 134
Cycle Toulouse - Bordeaux
June 29, 2022 in France ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Another big item on our Euro bucket list - an A-B cycle across France with nothing but 2 panniers. ✅ I was a little nervous as had taken on the time of route and accom planner and had gone a little off piste…

Day 1: Toulouse > Moissac (75km)

After a LOT of planning and logistics, we had our rented bikes and were on the road for day 1 - 75km along the famous Garonne canal out of Toulouse. It was cloudy, a little chilly and a little monotonous, but we were just so excited to be on our adventure. The bikes were heavy, so we were grateful for the flat start to ease us in. A gorgeous lunch in Moissac awaited us, a quick train to Marmande (we had limited days so decided to skip a bit of the canal to have more time in the wine countryside), and a lovely, if not basic local farm stay at the end where we all bunked up! Wine. Pasta. Sleep. Reset.

Day 2: Marmande > Sainte Foy La Grande (48km)

The sunshine was back and this was the most gorgeous ride through the French countryside. Quaint little towns, winding country roads through vineyard after vineyard and fields of sunflowers. 🌻 Dreamy. A quick wine tasting, a few wrong turns (sorry James) and a spot of off roading and we were in the lovely town of Sainte Foy La Grande munching on steak and sipping wine by the river at Brasserie Du Boucher. A cracking find! The accom this night was the best of the trip - La Carreterie - Maison de Famille - a gorgeous guest house in the fields with a pool, massive garden, beautiful French style rooms and amazing breakfast. Heaven. We chilled by the pool, cycled back into town for a local dinner, then joined the local party with 4 bottles of wine in hand. 🥴

Day 3: Sainte Foy La Grande > Saint Emilion > Château La France (76km)

Another beautiful ride, this time through the amazing Bordeaux chateau wineries to the gorgeous wine town of Saint Emilion. It certainly lived up to the hype with winding cobbled streets, great cafes and restaurants and wine shops on every corner. A long boozy lunch here made for a very tough 20km to our accom in 30 degree heat! 🥵 This was the toughest part of the 4 days for sure, but the wonderful Chateau La France awaited us…well the guesthouse of the Chateau did. 🤫

Day 4: Chateau La France > Bordeaux (26km)

The final day and we hit the road early to get to Bordeaux in time for lunch. A short one to finish, well it could have been shorter, but I was on directions and we all know how that ends… in the back of a national park hiking our bikes up hill apparently!! You can only imagine James’s disgust. 🙈 We absolutely loved Bordeaux. Full of culture and amazing architecture, it was buzzing. A quick bike tour and we finished with a huge seafood lunch, because why not! 🦀

James was off back to Toulouse on the train and Dan and I had a lovely night in Bordeaux.

THE MOST AMAZING ADVENTURE!! 🇫🇷🚲Read more
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InterRail 2022
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- Jul 31, 2022, 12:44pm
- ☀️ 28 °C
- Altitude: 19 m
- France Nouvelle-Aquitaine Bordeaux The Water Mirror 44.841417, -0.57147244°50’29” N 0°34’17” W
Day 31
Bordeaux
July 31, 2022 in France ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Sunday funday.

Do you remember when I mentioned how crucial it is to do the TGV reservation days in advanced. Well on Sunday I stepped once again into the same trap. The train to Dijon was fully booked. The reservation of my hotel in Dijon was not refundable and there where literarily no more trains out of Bordeaux on this day as it appeared on the InterRail reservation platform.

So in the morning we quickly went to the train station to see if I can buy a first class ticket to Dijon and behold, the machine showed me, that there is still tickets available so I entered birthdate, email, mobile number, full name and clicked through 7 layers of pre-settings until I was asked to pay. I held my phone on the contactless payment system witnessed how it failed.

We sadly returned to the city center bought a souvenir, cheered ourselves up with an iced cream and maundered through the streets. An hour before the train departed we returned to the train station to buy the crazy overpriced first class ticket to Dijon but…
No more tickets were available. I started looking for a train to Montpellier, but InterRail told me that there is no free slots anymore. Narbonne the same and the worst nightmare was Paris. There was not one available seat to Paris.

In the end I decided to go to Nantes since the train towards Paris allowed me to book a seat from Bordeaux to St. Pierre de Corps and then a connection train to Nantes. I paid the overpriced ticket and booked an accommodation. I said goodbye to my amazing islander girl, since she had to catch a flight back to Menorca. I sat down in Bordeaux dirty and hot train station and waited the 1.5 hours until the train was supposed to arrive. It did not. First it showed a 30 minute delay which turned into a 1h 20 minute delay due to an accident on the railroad. Due to this delay I was not able to reach the connection train in St. Pierre de Corps so I just decided to stay in the train, inside the fist class voiture and I continued my journey to Paris. Luckily not one single ticket inspector appeared during the entire trip from Bordeaux to Paris.

I arrived in Paris at 11.30pm where I had to find for a second hostel option, the one I found earlier in the train was not available anymore. With an eScooter I drove to the hostel and at the reception was a nice Chilean guy who let me check in even after the official check-in hours. I had a cold beer at the bar which was attached to the hostel and then I dropped my stuff in the dorm and took a eScooter to La Tour Eiffel. I booth two more tiny beers from a Indian street vendor and enjoyed the view. Around 1.30am I went back to the hostel and fell asleep in a undercooled dormitory.

I got up around 8 in the morning, took a shower, checked out, had a croissant and a cappuccino, hopped into the metro towards Concorde, walked through the square and took a train to Disneyland where the TGV which started in Nantes was stopping. Since I already had the reservation from Nantes to Switzerland I thought it would be best to take this train and not loosing once more some money.

La fin.Read more
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