My love of cycling in France is well known to my friends and family back in the States. Many of them are fairly avid cyclists and I’m always trying to convince them to join me for a short cycling holiday in Europe. Leah and Susie took the bait and we spent some time over the winter planning where to go and what to see. With some encouragement from me, we decided to begin in Bordeaux and head east through the Dordogne. They would rent touring bicycles in Bordeaux, which greatly simplified the logistics and minimized train travel with a trio of loaded bikes.
The TGV from Paris to Bordeaux left from Gare Montparnasse, a twenty minute walk from my apartment. We’d booked early enough to all get seats in the bicycle car, and Vivien George was the first bike to be strapped into the designated bicycle space. Though the area is reserved for bikes and clearly signed as such, it is also an excellent space to stow your luggage, something which is in short supply on the TGV. My seat was directly across from Vivien George where I could easily act as a gatekeeper to keep the space free for another bike. I eased up when it appeared that no more bikes were coming onboard, but made sure that everyone placed their bags carefully around Vivien George and they were getting off in Bordeaux, the first stop.
We arrived in Bordeaux around 2:30 and quickly found Jean, who was delivering the rental bikes for Leah and Susie. The bikes were in good working order and after some minor adjustments and instructions we set off for the hotel, just a short walk from the train station. Soon after checking in we set off on foot to explore Bordeaux and get a bite to eat. There was no specific destination and out journey is best told in the following pictures.
Vivien George enjoying views of the French countryside
Basilique Saint-Michel, a Gothic cathedral in the flamboyant style that is characterized by "elaborate stone tracery" on both exterior and the interior.
