Bordeaux: Port city of wine

The Road – Our home for the next year

Alive…on the open road
Life on a motorcycle
All I need attached
Nothing extra
Nothing goes unused
No distraction
Just living in the moment every day
Being present in the moment
Food, fuel and lodgement
Basic needs de jour the only thought

The melody of the whistling wind
The motor’s warm vibration
The push and pull of winding turns
The headlamps tunnelling through darkness
The sun punching beams through clouds
The winding blacktop ever extending
The breathtaking surrounding vistas
The pungent aroma of fall leaves
The earthen smell of fresh rain  
The fragrant perfume of floral hedges
The spiced scent of pine forest

All senses engaged, firing on all cylinders…Alive!

The path to Bordeaux

From the Marais Poitevin to Bordeaux we take the quiet roads. The way we roll is to set our Garmin Zūmo to avoid highways and toll roads. This keeps us on the slower path, winding through all the picturesque country towns you can imagine. Places like the lands surrounding Cognac. We had a feeling of elation as the vineyards entered our purview bringing back some great memories of Portugal, Italy and the Okanagan. At this point we were surely getting to warmer climes. I really enjoyed this area for its beautiful little acreages and enormous estates alike. 

Bordeaux proper

We came in through the ‘back way’ entering Bordeaux en-route to our reserved room near the Marché des Capucins.  The back way consisted of riding around and entering the city from the northeast skirting the shipyards and industrial works along the east bank of the Garonne. We crossed over to the west side at Pont Saint-Jean. Bordeaux felt like a much bigger place than we first imagined it would be. After some research Sam came to find out that more than 900K people call this place home.

The room

Our accommodation is conveniently located at the corner of Cours de l’Yser and Rue de Brezets. Séjours & Affaires Bordeaux is dorm room style apart-hotel which offers rooms for let by the day, week and month. They also have extraordinary secure gated parking. Our room came with a private bathroom, a well appointed kitchenette, table with chairs, TV, wardrobes and bed. It was the perfect studio apartment for us. All for ~$250 CAD – three nights including taxes and parking. (46 euro/night, parking 6 euro/day, tax 4.80 euro)

The essentials

We unloaded the bike completely and settled into our room. Next requirement was dinner and groceries. We walked around to get the lay of the land and ended up in a beautiful and lively public square. This square is home to the Porte d’Aquitaine and bronze sculpture de tortures. In the evening it is all lit up and filled with umbrella topped tables and people everywhere! A fantastic spot for people watching. This square became a pivot point landmark for our navigation over the two days of walking. 

In the square we decided on a busy cafe called Café Auguste. We sat in for dinner with a bottle of wine, an appy and shared a single set menu order with dessert. Plenty for the two of us. We were out on the town for a few hours but careful to make it back to the grocer before closing. There we picked up most of our provisions for the three nights and two day stay.

Walk to really feel the city

That night we charged up all our gear and researched what to do in the city. I came up with a list of ten places to check out. We didn’t make it to all ten in two days of walking. However, here is the list in case you decide to come to Bordeaux.

• La Cité du Vin
• Basilique Saint-Seurin
• Le Miroir d’eau
• Monument aux Girondins
• Jardin Public
• Marché des Capucins
• Port Cailhau
• Basilique Saint-Michel
• Palais Gallien
• Hangar Darwin

Day 1: Architecture and parks

On day 1 we were up with the sun for a leisurely breakfast in our flat.  We spent our time wandering the streets of Bordeaux taking in the sights and sounds of this vibrant metropolitan area which is centred around its wine industry. The city’s central district is lovely and well cared for. We saw trees painted in fall colours against the contrast of green grass. Around each corner a new cobble stoned rue, timeless French architecture and delights abound. 

The river front has gorgeous trails alongside the Garonne both at the water level and above.

Soaked but totally worth it

We passed through an open air antiques fair at the Place Des Quinconces. If we were restoring a country home here this would be an incredible place to buy the necessary furniture and decor. There were food vendors with seasonal local specialties such as warm wine available for purchase.

We were caught in the rain and of course I did not wear my rain jacket! Sam and I ducked into a pâtisserie for a coffee and treat.  Once dried out we continued along the Garonne river’s colourful stone promenade. 

We had packed our lunch and were ultimately headed towards the Parc Jardin. This spacious park was created in 1746 for the Bordelais people. It is a well used place of calm in the centre of a bustling town.

After a late lunch we navigated our way back to the tortoise square and on to our home du jour. We had a satisfying excursion having seen the waterfront, Le Miroir d’eau, Monument aux Girondins, Jardin Public, Port Cailhau and Basilique Saint-Michel.

We stayed in for supper, talked about our day and started to watch a fun Netflix series called Musketeers. A French theme to add to the ambiance of the trip! 

Day 2: Open air market and wine tasting

Day 2 in Bordeaux and another great lay-in until the sun came up. After a delightful homemade breakfast, we were off on foot to explore. Staying in the city of wine requires a trip to La Cité du Vin wine culture and civilization museum. On our way we had another stop to make.

Both Sam and I do enjoy the buzz, sights and sounds of a public market place. The Marché des Capucins offers this in spades. Intricate displays of nuts, produce, seafood, meat, charcuterie, pastries and breads. One joy with this kind of market is that a person can pull up a bar stool at a booth, enjoy a glass of wine and or a meal in the middle of shopping. If we had more time to spend in Bordeaux we would surely be back!

La Cité du Vin awaits!

We took the train from the Porte d’Aquitaine to the docks near our destination with no problem. The trip was only a couple of euros. The fully interactive tour and wine tasting at La Cité du Vin was an incredible experience. Although it is 20 Euro per person this is a must for wine lovers. The displays and audio tour devices worked well walking us through wine over the ages. I enjoyed the recorded video perspectives of wine producers from all around the world. The subjects for the videos were passionate descendants born into vineyards from every corner of the world. 

The views from the 8th floor tasting room gave us a new perspective of Bordeaux. There seems to be a lot of development and restoration ongoing with cranes rising above the skyline in all directions.

Lunch by the water

We were starved after our three hour tour. Just across from the museum of wine we found a great spot to stop in Le Familia. This impromptu choice turned into a delightful experience muddling through the language and devouring delicious food. I had a squid and rice stew with ground pork that was incredible; especially when coupled with Sam’s perfectly prepared lamb shank. A bottle of wine later and we were stuffed. 

We decided to walk the six or so kilometres back through the winding cobbled roads of Bordeaux. The bustle of quaint streets, high street shopping and even soldiers on patrol in the tourist areas were a sight to see. Halfway home, to rest our soles, we stopped at a little Italian shop for a cup of wine.

Departure stalled

The next morning we rose early, packed up Sassy only to find that her battery was dead. I have no idea how this happened with a small solar trickle charger wired in. (The panel has since been checked and is working) We did not ride her at all during our stay in Bordeaux. It was so flat that there wasn’t even enough power to prime the fuel pump so I could push or kick start the engine. I even tried a bump start down the long ramp from our second level parking area. In the end we had to call a tow truck for a boost. It was of course Sunday and so we were charged an extra call out fee for the boost. A 150 euro lesson learned and we were finally on our way to Poupas for a 5 week house sit.

Farewell Bordeaux

If you come to France I will say that Bordeaux should not be missed. If only to get lost in her delightful streets enjoying the people, parks and perspectives. 

Thank you for joining us, following, commenting and sharing in our experiences. This mid-life gap year idea of ours is off to fabulous start with many more adventures to come. Stay tuned and share our website link with your friends and families.

Take care and keep on travelling,

Dan&Sam

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