July 5, 2022 - Bordeaux, France

Although it is now actually July 6th here (I fell asleep before I was able to finish this blog), I thought I should write up a post since it has been a couple of days since my last one.  There wasn’t much to report on Monday, as I spent the day in train stations or on the train going from Chartres to Paris and Paris to Bordeaux.  One observation that I’ve made about France is that all the buildings - and I mean ALL of the buildings are beige.  Most are made of stone, but if it’s plaster, it’s painted beige like the stone.  What make most of the towns colorful are the many vibrant colors they use to paint trim or shutters and all the flowers in gardens or in pots along the sidewalk or in window boxes.  

I’m in a lovely apartment in the old town of Bordeaux.   I have been immensely blessed with my accommodations - great AirBnB locations and hosts.  I planned a week in Bordeaux as I’m interested in slowing the pace a bit, relaxing more and enjoying my surroundings.  There is definitely a thing called “travel weariness” when you move from town to town and try to see and do everything.  Even though I had scheduled to be here in Bordeaux for a week, aside from being well known worldwide for its wine and gastronomy, I really wasn’t sure what Bordeaux, as a city, had to offer.  I am being pleasantly surprised.

There have been settlements in Bordeaux, originally called Burdigala by the Celts, since 300 BC.  Romans ruled the city and surrounding area from around 60 BC and it became an important commercial center for tin and lead.  But Bordeaux remained relatively obscure until the 12th Century when William the Conqueror became King of England and Duke of Normandy.  His conquests through war, marriage, and heirs became known as the Angevin Empire which encompassed most of the British Isles and half of France down through Bordeaux to the Pyrenees.  It was during this time, beginning in 1157 for about 100 years, when Bordeaux flourished. 

I am living/staying in the midst of all that flourished 900 years ago.  Similar to my stays in southern Spain, there are narrow streets and tiny shops everywhere.  The most common shops are food related - cafes, pastry, gelato, spice, tea, cheese, wine, bars, and restaurants, as well as very small grocery stores - kind of like the roadside stand at a farm at the end of the driveway when you drive through the country.  But, here, the cart has been pulled into a tiny shop in town.  Although Bordeaux is the 6th largest city in France, it holds the 2nd most UNESCO identified historical buildings; 2nd only to Paris.  I found a map generated by UNESCO and the tourist trade that suggests a walking tour of many of those sites.  The self-guided walking tour is about 4 hours long.  I thought I’d do part of it on Tuesday and the rest Wednesday, but once I began I ended up doing the whole route.  There are a few outliers, not part of the walking tour, that I might try to see on Wednesday.

Below are some of the pictures I took.  Yes, there are more cathedrals/churches.

This is the Grosse Cloche - the historic town belfry and the only remains of the wall that was built in the 13th Century.  On top is a golden weather vane of a lion, representing the Kings of England.  The current bell was cast in 1775 and weighs over 17,000 pounds!  I’m staying on a side street just off this one.

Not far from Grosse Cloche, is another gate called Porte Cailhau, built in 1493 at the site of the old gatehouse and the main point of entry into the city.

Eglise Saint-Pierre:  This church dates to the 14th/15th Century where it replaced a previous Roman temple.  It was completely rebuilt in the 19th Century, but they tried to keep as much of the original as they could.  The church was not open when I went by.

Place de la Bourse and the Three Graces Fountain.  Originally this large area was called the Royal Square, flanked by the Stock Market Building and the Bordeaux Patrimoine Mondial, a discovery center on Bordeaux’s history.

Sanna, a cast iron sculpture that changes size and perspective, as well as what she is looking at, as you walk around her.  Talk about Mona Lisa’s smile, this one has you wondering, as well.

The Grand Theater, known as one of the most beautiful theater’s created in the 18th Century.  It has been fully restored to its former glory.  It is currently the home of the Bordeaux Opera.

Eglise Notre Dame, the only remains of a Dominican Convent.  I really liked this church.  It was simple and yet beautiful.  The choir box is small and set on the side.  The alcoves down the sides of the sanctuary are all shell shaped with trompe l’oeil paintings.  The organ chimes are topped with gorgeous wooden carvings and the pulpit is made of both wood and marble.

Porte Dijeaux, a gate leading into the city from the West during the Roman era, but had been rebuilt in 1748, during Louis XV’s reign and was called the Dauphin’s Gate in honor of the French Dauphin, the future King Louis XVI.

A slight divergence for Olive Trees - I’m determined to try and grow one or more olive trees once I get back home.  Cheese - of course; after all I’m in France, cheese is necessary!  And a Tram; the juxtaposition of the old buildings being passed by the modern Tram is interesting. 

I coudn’t get a good picture of the building behind this wall due to the position of the sun, but this is the Palais Rohan, originally the Archbishop’s Palace, then the Imperial Palace, then the Royal Residence, and now the Hotel deVille, or City Hall.

My last church pictures for today.  This is St Andrew’s Cathedral.  I love the sculptures in this church and the stained glass windows were beautiful - I took pictures of them all!  Not nearly as ornate as churches in Paris or London.

The Bell Tower - built in the 15th Century and built separately from the Cathedral so as to not compromise the integrity of the church due to the height and weight of the tower.

For lunch I stopped by a place very close to home - I ordered Gazpacho and something that had chicken in it.  Most of the words I know in French are related to food, so I feel more confident ordering food than I do with anything else.  But lunch was a bit of a surprise.  The soup was delicious, but I have no idea what was in it - definitely not tomatoes!  The Rosemary Chicken was outstanding; however, I’d let the Italians do their pasta.  This pasta was taking “el dente” a little far - it was chewy and the sauce on top was very salty.

For Dinner I wanted/needed a salad, so stopped by a local “fast food” type of place for a great salad bowl. Came home and had some of the cheese I had purchased.  I purchased the cookie at a tiny corner shop.  He only sold cookies, tea, and coffee.  I have no idea what the name of this cookie is, but it tasted like it was made from a combination of almond and coconut flours with lemon zest and extract.  It was delicious!