Bordeaux visit days

September 18, 2021 to September 19, 2021

A change is as good as a rest, the saying goes, but after this change from daily biking, we are exhausted - in a good way.

Our visit to Bordeaux happened to be the weekend of the Festival de Patrimoine when many arts and culture institutions are open and hosting free tours. We picked up the 30 page booklet and spent a few hours trying to figure out which things we wanted to see -and where they are in this unknown city.

Saturday started rainy so we headed indoors to the Musee de Beaux Arts, then for a tour of City Hall, which is in a palace taken over in the revolution, and a couple of churches. The highlight had to be a tour of the Grand Theatre including the costume ateliers up in the attic, the outer balcony with an amazing view of the square below and the ornate theatre space with its gilded boxes and painted facades. Sunday's sunshine was perfect for watching medieval combats and elegant dancers perform in front of historic sites as well as visiting more churches, converted palaces, exhibits and simply riding around the city finding these places took us along picturesque cobble streets is an immersion in cultural patrimoine.

The last event on our list was a concert in the Jardins Botanique, but we needed caffeine fortification. There was one empty table at the appropriately, but very English named, French Coffee Shop, where we savoured the best (and most expensive) cappuccinos of the trip. We slid into our seats just as four trumpeters opened the concert with a lovely rendition of Pachenbel's canon. An outdoor concert is always weather dependant and, sadly, 20 minutes into the show, the clouds burst with pelting rain, forcing the patrons to shelter under trees and the musicians to load up the trucks.

Too tired to appreciate a restaurant meal, we meandered home, stopping to buy a few groceries that Ann managed to transform into a delicious, simple dinner while Steve wrote this post. Tomorrow we leave Bordeaux, utterly satisfied, to travel down the Garonne estuary and into Médoc.

Admiring an 18th C painting of the Quai de la Bourse

Civil marriages are officiated in this former palace reception room at city hall.

Costume atelier in the attic with lots of natural light. Note the roof beams.

Today's ride: 25 km (16 miles)
Total: 718 km (446 miles)

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bill wearyLove the coffee ann - worth the big $$ i am sure
Love the dresses - like scarlett
and adore Singing in the Rain
what an adventure
xxxJ
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3 years ago

Rob WearyI am glad to see you guys taking a cultural break. That painting of the "Quai de la Bourse" compared to modern-day is fascinating! Much like the layers of the rebuilt homes from St-Émilion, it's always cool to see the contrast of old and new in painting, architecture, and culture!
The two nights in armour reminds me of the medieval festival we saw in Linz!
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3 years ago

Margaret Anne CameronAnother wonderful post! Quite a day.
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3 years ago