We left Paris at 10am, taking the TGV to Gare St-Jean, Bordeaux. It was a 3 hour train ride, approximately 537 kms through some very lovely countryside. We arrived early enough to explore a bit of the area around the train station, stopping to check into our apartment hotel, about 1 km away. Leon was still not feeling his best, so we took it easy, stopping for groceries and finally just settling on some people watching at the bistro across from the station. We started with a drink but ended up deciding to eat dinner there. The weather was perfect for an evening meal alfresco. We retired to our room early so that we could rest for the coming days of exploring this city on the river. Just a little side comment about the weather – I knew it was going to be about 26C when we came to Bordeaux. Those warm thoughts kept me going on the coldest days in Vienna.

On day 2, we decided to buy a day pass on the transit system. It included trams, buses and water buses. At 6.50 Euro for 24 hours on the extensive network, we couldn’t go wrong! It was the perfect way to see a lot of area while not walking too much. The first stop was the Porte de Bourgogne, a medieval gate that marked the entrance to the city on the old road from Paris. We walked beyond the arch to see a bit of the neighbourhood. It had a middle eastern flavour, with lots of fruit and vegetable merchant and some interesting shops with djellabas, among other items. I could imagine that I was in some part of Casablanca. There are a lot of northern Africans who run businesses in France. This area represented one of them. And I suppose it harkened back to when Bordeaux was an important port city. When we walked back through the gate towards the river, we saw an enormous flea market, where local disadvantaged people sell or trade their very used goods. Unfortunately, when they leave at the end of the day, there is quite a bit of refuse left behind. Not a place we cared to stop and shop at.

Back on the tram, we stopped in front of the Place de la Bourse. You can see the Miroir d’eau behind Leon in one picture. It’s almost like a splash pad but more like fine mist. You can cool off, but the point is to reflect the beautiful buildings behind it. We tried returning the late evening just to see that effect but the waterworks and lights were not turned on that day. This enormous square is known internationally as the symbol of Bordeaux (according to their tourism office). It was built in the late 18th century, marking a break from the medieval architecture of earlier times. La Place de la Bourse used to be called Place Royale. In the center, was a fountain of King Louis XV. After the French Revolution, the fountain was removed and eventually, the current one, Les Trois Grâces, took the place of honour. The city has a great number of beautiful buildings and neighbourhoods, telling me that there was enormous wealth here in former days. I did learn on a boat tour that we took later in the week that Bordeaux had been the hub of the wine export industry going as far back as the Romans. There are also a number of cathedrals, marked by their spires, which I was determined to see close up, if possible.

We got to the Girondins monument at Place des Quinconces and walked around that area, close to the Tourism Office, which is housed in the Opera House building. The Monument aux Girondins consists of bronze fountains and a column with a statue of liberty breaking its chains on top. This bears witness to the Girondin political faction during the French Revolution (Bordeaux Tourism). We decided it was a good time to stop for our daily coffee (in this case, cold drinks) and do some people-watching. The hotel on the left of our view was the InterContinental. Very posh! You can see that this is a busy tourist area. Leon was not up to visiting further on that day but we did return later in the week. At any rate, the weather was glorious, so we continued walking back towards the river so I can see the Pont de Pierre. Connecting the left and right banks of the Garonne, commissioned by Napoleon and inaugurated in 1822, the “pont de pierre” was the first stone bridge ever built in Bordeaux. Until then, it was necessary to cross the river by boat.(Tourisme Bordeaux). I heard Napoleon wanted it built so he could access Spain better. The Spanish border is only about 200 kms away from Bordeaux.

It was a perfect time to take the water bus over to the other side and see the city from the water perspective. Once we got across, we just walked a few meters back towards the tram stop. I found my first marker for the Camino de santiago (Chemin de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle). I found other such markers later on the trip. Can I claim I’ve walked the Camino?

We boarded the tram back to the Gare (I would have walked over the bridge, but that was too much to ask on that day) and made our way back to our hotel. Dinner was Thai take-out from the restaurant next door. I was impressed with the number of prawns in my meal. Another quiet night in but that is the benefit of staying in one place for 5 nights.