Bordeaux today! Breakfast with new guests from Australia to add to our new friends from Belgium so lots of english spoken today. We had an exceptionally good night as Yves had found another lighter blanket for us and we both slept last night. It was now time for us to make our way into Bordeaux and it was relatively easy on this beautiful sunny day with expected temperatures in the mid-80’s. Driving in we got into a jam due to an accident and that made us a little late with our schedule but we found the Park & Ride for the tram easily enough thanks to the Belgium couple staying next door. As we approached the parking place we saw the sign that said “Complet” but we were already committed so the man told us how to find another tram Park & Ride station further out but just as I was getting back in the car another car was exiting so we were lucky enough that the man allowed us to enter and get the vacated space. Once parked we took the elevator to ground level and the tram ticket office where we bought a one-day unlimited ticket that included the parking fee for €9.20, what a bargain.
Boarding the tram we went several stops until we crossed the Garonne River and got off at the stop to transfer to another line that took us to the Borse, one of the most beautiful architectural wonders of the world. It was laid out in the 1700’s by Louis XV’s architect, Gabriel, to act as a dramatic frame for the equestrian statue of the monarch. UNESCO agrees as they designated it as such. The fountain of the Three Graces was built in 1869 so it is fairly recent. Across from the Borse the Mirror has hundreds of ground level spouts that create a pool of water larger than a football field where every 20 minutes mist starts coming from the spouts creating fog between the river and the Borse. The gardens at both ends of the Mirror are very beautiful.
From here another tram ride to the restaurant Iris had booked “Cote Rue”. We were only a few minutes late but they were very gracious and seated us where we had a view of the kitchen. We enjoyed a bottle of local rose and for a starter “Various tomatoes in a mozzarella de buffalo sauce” followed by a pork medallion with small broccoli flourettes and small wild mushrooms and a vegetable puree that we could not identify. The presentation was really beautiful. Iris had dessert of apricots, ice cream and tiny biscuits with apricot puree while Bob had a coffee served with fresh cherries and sweets.
Back on the tram we stopped at the Grande Theatre, built in the late 1700’s during the reign of Louis XVI by architect Victor Louis. This concert hall is still used today for concerts and opera but it was also the seat of the French parliament making Bordeaux the virtual capitol of France in 1870, 1914 and 1941.
Another tram ride and we were at the Cathedral St. Andre, also a UNESCO World Heritage site. Pope Clement V was the archbishop of this cathedral when he discovered he had been elected pope. Royal weddings have taken place here including Eleanor of Aquitaine’s marriage to the future king of France, Louis VII in the 1100’s. The first church on this site was started in the 4th century with the last major renovation in 1803-1811. This is old!
By now we had had enough so it was back on the tram for our return to our car. Slick, arrived, got our car, put our tram ticket into the machine, the gate went up and we were away back to our B&B. Great day!
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