Bordeaux, the city
Probably most Americans do not know that Bordeaux is also a city not just wine country, with mile after mile after mile of rows of vines, out to the horizon. However, after doing our trip research, we found that Bordeaux is a vibrant, interesting place to visit.
Bordeaux, which gets its name from the two rivers originally bordering the area, is on the river Garonne. The other river of the two is the Dordogne.
It is the ninth largest city in France with a population of roughly 250,000. It is located in the larger area called Aquitaine.
History buffs will remember Eleanor of Aquitaine as one of the richest and most powerful women of the Middle Ages. She was also one of the most educated women in Europe. In a much abbreviated version, here is her story.
At the age of 15, she inherited a vast estate, making her the Duchess of Aquitaine. The king of France, quickly put her under his "protection" and betrothed her to his son. They were married soon after and on Christmas Day of that year, they became King Louis and Queen Eleanor upon the death of his father.
Louis and Eleanor had a bumpy marriage for various reasons and Eleanor was granted an annulment, giving up her title as queen. Two months later, still much sought after, she married Henry, Duke of Normandy; and two years later, they were crowned King Henry and Queen Eleanor of England. This marriage didn't last either, even though they had eight children together. At last, she moved out of the castle, gave up being queen (again!) and moved back to her home territory of Aquitaine where she plotted with her son Henry to overthrow her estranged husband. And, her story goes on and on. She was probably one of the most illustrious characters of the Middle Ages.
To say that we were impressed by this city is to put it mildly. We loved this place. It has a wide open waterfront where ugly warehouses once stood, evidence of the importance of shipping to the city. The current mayor (in office since 2006) successfully lobbied to have the warehouses removed and replaced them with a plan of open spaces for the enjoyment of the public.
On our Sunday afternoon stroll down the waterfront, we could observe that this space is well used by the public. There were many bike riders, couples pushing strollers, people riding electric scooters (not the kind like a Vespa, but the kind like kids have). There were also several guys perfecting their skills at roller blading. This guy was putting the finishing touches on his passes through the cups that he had set up. He had great style and finesse.
One of the main features of the waterfront is the Miroir d'Eau which is only a few inches deep. There are several of these shallow water reflecting pools in France; Paris, Nice, Nantes, Montpellier, Beauvais, Lorient, and this one in Bordeaux which is the largest of them all.
The water cycles up through the spaces in the pool to drain back down and then recycle. During the quiet period when the water has settled down from being pumped back up again, the water takes on a glassy surface and mirrors its surroundings, as it does here. I grew impatient waiting for it to become perfectly calm so my photos show a few ripples.
The Miroir d'Eau was great fun for people of every age, little kids and adults, to walk, run, jump and ride through it. I'm not sure that I understand the fun of that (getting soaking wet, etc) but lots of people were enjoying themselves doing it.
Bordeaux has many old beautiful buildings, including this gate with its very fairy-tale cone towers. All that is missing is the pennants flying from the tops of the towers.
You can see where there was a wall that has since been taken down to enlarge the city. Here's the other side of the tower (actually the outside of it).
Midway along the waterfront is a vast open space, Place les Quinconces (the largest plaza in France) which was originally used as the primary import/export market for goods coming and going by ship. Today, no longer needed for commerce, it is a park for public enjoyment and is used for pop-up markets, festivals and carnivals.
At the far end of the park is a very large monument with fountains on each side of it.
On the day that we were there, there were few people around, but I can imagine that in the height of summer, this place would be mobbed with tourists.
Just a couple of blocks from our apartment was a busy square whose primary occupant is a church, Saint Pierre.
Naturally, we stopped in for: 1. a look around, and 2. a rest.
One thing that struck me was that the lectern, which I've always seen as being attached to a massive pillar, was completely free standing. Someone did a very nice job of designing it.
Churches are always low light situations, presenting a challenge for the photographer. This was no exception.
Another thing that struck me about this church was that it had real prayer candles. Most churches in Europe use electric candles these days -- something that I found a bit shocking the first time that I saw them.
Here's proof that Larry is on the same trip with me.
And, this is the shot that is on the postcards at the visitor's center.
Bordeaux has a lot of parks and other open spaces which overall give the city a feeling of fresh air. Besides the paved waterfront and the plazas, there are several parks within the city, usually just around the corner if you know where to look.
One that we passed by or through frequently, Jardin de Publique, was a couple of blocks from our apartment. Being that this is November, not many flowers were in bloom, but using my imagination I can "see" the flowers everywhere.
Tuesday, November 13
Our last day in Bordeaux. On our wanderings through the city, we stopped at this gate, the Porte d'Aquitaine, which was the gateway on the way to Spain for the pilgrims (no, not the same pilgrims that went to America) during the middle ages.
Somehow, I thought it to be ironic that in the same square, the Place Victoire, there was a recruiting station for the French Foreign Legion. Who knew that there was still a French Foreign Legion? Well, there is and here is the proof.
I didn't feel the need to enlist. Nor, did anyone else while I waited there for Larry to take photos.
Yesterday, when it was drizzly, we took a walk through the park and to the Roman amphitheater, so naturally on a gorgeous day like today, we are going to spend the afternoon inside a museum! That sounds like a structured tour schedule; go do what's on the schedule regardless of the weather.
With only the afternoon left to see this wonderful city, we decided to visit the Musee d'Aquitaine which is the museum of the history of the area.
It started, as all history museums do, with the formation of the soil, the various prehistoric periods, archeological findings, etc. Then it went on to the merely ancient times. Although I am glad that I went there, it was not maybe as interesting as I had hoped.
I totally love intricately carved statues, preferably made from marble, and lavishly incised to approximate fabric. This one at the museum did it for me. Just look at those tassels, the fabric folds, the embroidery. If I were richer than rich, I would have a marble sculpture that I could look at every day -- and even touch!
This marks the end of our stay in Bordeaux. We loved it and would recommend it to anyone interested in French cities.
Tomorrow, we take the fast train to Paris. It takes just under three hours to go 360 miles. Amtrack, can you do that?
***
History buffs will remember Eleanor of Aquitaine as one of the richest and most powerful women of the Middle Ages. She was also one of the most educated women in Europe. In a much abbreviated version, here is her story.
At the age of 15, she inherited a vast estate, making her the Duchess of Aquitaine. The king of France, quickly put her under his "protection" and betrothed her to his son. They were married soon after and on Christmas Day of that year, they became King Louis and Queen Eleanor upon the death of his father.
Louis and Eleanor had a bumpy marriage for various reasons and Eleanor was granted an annulment, giving up her title as queen. Two months later, still much sought after, she married Henry, Duke of Normandy; and two years later, they were crowned King Henry and Queen Eleanor of England. This marriage didn't last either, even though they had eight children together. At last, she moved out of the castle, gave up being queen (again!) and moved back to her home territory of Aquitaine where she plotted with her son Henry to overthrow her estranged husband. And, her story goes on and on. She was probably one of the most illustrious characters of the Middle Ages.
***
Sunday, November 11To say that we were impressed by this city is to put it mildly. We loved this place. It has a wide open waterfront where ugly warehouses once stood, evidence of the importance of shipping to the city. The current mayor (in office since 2006) successfully lobbied to have the warehouses removed and replaced them with a plan of open spaces for the enjoyment of the public.
On our Sunday afternoon stroll down the waterfront, we could observe that this space is well used by the public. There were many bike riders, couples pushing strollers, people riding electric scooters (not the kind like a Vespa, but the kind like kids have). There were also several guys perfecting their skills at roller blading. This guy was putting the finishing touches on his passes through the cups that he had set up. He had great style and finesse.
One of the main features of the waterfront is the Miroir d'Eau which is only a few inches deep. There are several of these shallow water reflecting pools in France; Paris, Nice, Nantes, Montpellier, Beauvais, Lorient, and this one in Bordeaux which is the largest of them all.
The water cycles up through the spaces in the pool to drain back down and then recycle. During the quiet period when the water has settled down from being pumped back up again, the water takes on a glassy surface and mirrors its surroundings, as it does here. I grew impatient waiting for it to become perfectly calm so my photos show a few ripples.
The Miroir d'Eau was great fun for people of every age, little kids and adults, to walk, run, jump and ride through it. I'm not sure that I understand the fun of that (getting soaking wet, etc) but lots of people were enjoying themselves doing it.
Bordeaux has many old beautiful buildings, including this gate with its very fairy-tale cone towers. All that is missing is the pennants flying from the tops of the towers.
You can see where there was a wall that has since been taken down to enlarge the city. Here's the other side of the tower (actually the outside of it).
Midway along the waterfront is a vast open space, Place les Quinconces (the largest plaza in France) which was originally used as the primary import/export market for goods coming and going by ship. Today, no longer needed for commerce, it is a park for public enjoyment and is used for pop-up markets, festivals and carnivals.
At the far end of the park is a very large monument with fountains on each side of it.
On the day that we were there, there were few people around, but I can imagine that in the height of summer, this place would be mobbed with tourists.
Just a couple of blocks from our apartment was a busy square whose primary occupant is a church, Saint Pierre.
Naturally, we stopped in for: 1. a look around, and 2. a rest.
One thing that struck me was that the lectern, which I've always seen as being attached to a massive pillar, was completely free standing. Someone did a very nice job of designing it.
Churches are always low light situations, presenting a challenge for the photographer. This was no exception.
Another thing that struck me about this church was that it had real prayer candles. Most churches in Europe use electric candles these days -- something that I found a bit shocking the first time that I saw them.
Monday, November 12
Like most European cities, Bordeaux was a Roman outpost, up until around the 3rd or 4th century when Rome lost its seat of power. There are not many Roman-built edifices left because they have been torn down to make way for the growing city over the next few centuries. One of the few examples still standing is this partial side of an amphitheater called Palais Gallien. It happened to be just a five minute walk from our apartment, down a side street. It would have been so easy to miss without a street guide.
You can see how the city grew up immediately around it, and actually in it. Stones were removed from the amphitheater to use in building other buildings in the area. That was a common way to get building materials without having to quarry new stone blocks and transport them to the building site.
Today, we might think of it as creative, responsible recycling. However, I wince every time that I see such destruction.
Here's proof that Larry is on the same trip with me.
And, this is the shot that is on the postcards at the visitor's center.
Bordeaux has a lot of parks and other open spaces which overall give the city a feeling of fresh air. Besides the paved waterfront and the plazas, there are several parks within the city, usually just around the corner if you know where to look.
One that we passed by or through frequently, Jardin de Publique, was a couple of blocks from our apartment. Being that this is November, not many flowers were in bloom, but using my imagination I can "see" the flowers everywhere.
Tuesday, November 13
Our last day in Bordeaux. On our wanderings through the city, we stopped at this gate, the Porte d'Aquitaine, which was the gateway on the way to Spain for the pilgrims (no, not the same pilgrims that went to America) during the middle ages.
Somehow, I thought it to be ironic that in the same square, the Place Victoire, there was a recruiting station for the French Foreign Legion. Who knew that there was still a French Foreign Legion? Well, there is and here is the proof.
I didn't feel the need to enlist. Nor, did anyone else while I waited there for Larry to take photos.
Yesterday, when it was drizzly, we took a walk through the park and to the Roman amphitheater, so naturally on a gorgeous day like today, we are going to spend the afternoon inside a museum! That sounds like a structured tour schedule; go do what's on the schedule regardless of the weather.
With only the afternoon left to see this wonderful city, we decided to visit the Musee d'Aquitaine which is the museum of the history of the area.
It started, as all history museums do, with the formation of the soil, the various prehistoric periods, archeological findings, etc. Then it went on to the merely ancient times. Although I am glad that I went there, it was not maybe as interesting as I had hoped.
I totally love intricately carved statues, preferably made from marble, and lavishly incised to approximate fabric. This one at the museum did it for me. Just look at those tassels, the fabric folds, the embroidery. If I were richer than rich, I would have a marble sculpture that I could look at every day -- and even touch!
This marks the end of our stay in Bordeaux. We loved it and would recommend it to anyone interested in French cities.
Tomorrow, we take the fast train to Paris. It takes just under three hours to go 360 miles. Amtrack, can you do that?
***
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