Bordeaux

Wander along the quais, eat ice cream from Sophia’s at Place du Parlement, picnic next to the miroir d’eau and people watch at the jardin public. This city is easily one of my favorite places to be in France… but favorite only from April until the end of October. If you travel from November to March, I advise packing an umbrella and some rain boots.

Wine Wine Wine!

This city’s buildings are stained black from pollution right now. They are re-beautifying the city and eventually many of the buildings will be washed white…so wait a few years to see it all cleaned up.

About 10 years ago

Stayed at the old and charming Bourdigalla hotel.

Had some amazing seafood downtown.

And had dinner at a creperie.

Saw the Asterix movie, in French.

Hired a guide for a day, and he took me to several vineyards, and I learned a lot about wine that day. It was a bit late in the season, so the places that were open gave extra attention and time.

Bordeaux is much more laid back and friendlier than Paris. In Bordeaux people like to stop and talk. Strongly recommended.

When in France, hurry up and get done with the museums in Paris, then hurry down to Bordeaux for some good livin’

I’ve lived here for more than 5 years now. Usually I don’t like to live in the city, because of noise and pollution. But I like this city. First because it’s rather a small city, 330 000 people I think nowadays. Maybe also because I live southern Bordeaux, not rich part but agreeable.

Bordeaux is a melting-pot city. Lots of people of different origins and colors live here, and close from one ot the other because it’s small, and yes, there are some tensions sometimes, but less than in ‘melting-pot’ cities. There are ‘quarters’ (I don’t know if it’s good, because quarters create tensions, but it also provides an enormous diversity,… if you go in respect it happens just fine), Arabic, Jew, Chinese (Asian), African, Eastern Europe, Indian etc, and as we also have lots of tourists, all seasons (he he the weather is mild), you can hear many languages on the street. For now I tested nearly all types of restaurant and food, and ambiance. Anywhere you go there’s food anyway. lol. There’re also some good Irish pub (yes we have Irish and English people too!), like the Connemara (soccer, rugby big screen, and beer and beer and beer lol), or the Frog and Rosbif, music! and beer and beer and beer… (lots of young people, from the languages university, with ERASMUS, or lecturers).

Bordeaux was/is a port (there are still big boat coming and stoping here, and there’s a ‘batman’ green ray in the sky, I think when they go. Sometimes, when the captain is fun, we can hear the foghorn to south). It was unfortunately very active in the black slave trades. It was a place for merchandising too, and so rich merchants and slave traders built the beautiful walls, and architecture of the city. Bitter beauty.

There are some spots I love, like ‘Les quais’, long with large sidewalks, in the eastern downtown, along la Garonne river. The center of Bordeaux is mostly beautiful, the ancient buildings that have been fixed and cleaned recently (I should add pictures hopefully). It’s a place for rich people, like I say lol, with the big apartments, the shops (St Catherine st.) theaters etc… but be careful, the better restaurants are not always in the center, you gotta search ;) the quarter St Pierre is very beautiful yet. And la PLace de la Bourse at night is very romantic. Northern Bordeaux is more about industrial areas. It’s cold and grey… eastern includes (to me) les quais, and the other side of la Garonne. I don’t know much although I know it’s rather rich. Western Bordeaux has for interest the stadium, and after le Parc Bordelais (and some rich around too), and southern Bordeaux is the more colorful, from the center to south you’ve got a good part of the Asian quarter, African quarter, Arabic quarter… and the station! One of the poorer part, but I like it :) You can go to the market (instead of the supermarket) les Capucins. And with the tram it’s 5 minutes from the center.

I’ve come to feel like home.