We found a perfect and affordable way to see some of the best sights in Bordeaux. We bought a 24 hours city pass that included all transit, several museums and even a river cruise tour. This seemed the best option for the limitation that was still presenting itself with Leon’s back issues.

We took the tram and the bus to what used to be old submarine bunkers. The Nazis built them and they look solid! They have now been converted to the most amazing sound and light show. On the day we visited, the show was Le Petit Prince. I thought it would be childish but not at all! The inside is very dark and you walk on the concrete passages that surround the deep water where the subs would have moored. After adjusting my eyes, I was struck by the brightness of the colours of the images that are projected on the walls then reflect in the water and the high quality of the music. Some familiar tunes by the Beatles too. The exhibit is called Le Bassin des lumières, if you ever visit Bordeaux, it’s a must-see.

We walked from the Bassin to the Cité du Vin passing by a gentrified area with lovely apartments and a hotel that seemed to be attached to old silos. The Cité du Vin building is quite a sight! I thought the shape was supposed to be a carafe, but the architects have a better description: “Anouk Legendre and Nicolas Desmazières, the architects from XTU, designed a space shaped by symbols of identity: gnarled vine stock, wine swirling in a glass, eddies on the Garonne. Every detail of the architecture evokes wine’s soul and liquid nature: ‘seamless roundness, intangible and sensual’ (XTU Architects).”

We spent much of the afternoon inside the museum, looking at the various exhibits about wine, from an explanation of the regions to how modern labels and packaging are influenced. The museum entry includes a glass of wine to be enjoyed from the panoramic floor at the top of the building. Fantastic view! Another must-see museum.

Afterwards, we wandered over to Les Hangars for an early dinner. This gentrified area along the river Garonne is filled with shops and restaurants. We enjoyed watching people of all ages stroll, run, push a carriage or use a scooter along the walkway. Bordeaux’ version of Vancouver’s Seawall? People seemed hip and fit. It think this would be a lovely area to live in. The hospitality school is located right beside La Cité du Vin (you can see a number of students in white shirts and black pants in the above picture). We had stopped at Les Halles, located directed in front of the school for a cold drink before visiting the museum. We ate dinner as the sun set and went back to our hotel to rest for the next day’s adventure.

We still had a boat cruise to enjoy the next morning. Once again, we made our way to the waterfront by tram and boarded the tour boat for a 90 minutes of guided sailing along the Garonne. The sights were the same that we had seen the day before but with added explanations. After the cruise, we entered the old part of Bordeaux via the Porte Cailhau, one of the 6 gates into the fortified city, intent on finding a nice place for a leisurely lunch. It was quite hot outside, probably 32C or more in the sun. We found the loveliest bistro at Place du Parlement. The food was delicious and the pace was slow. This may be my favourite moment in Bordeaux and possibly this trip.

After lunch, we wandered to Ste Catherine street where the real shopping happens. All the usual international chain stores could be found, H&M, Sephora, Mango, etc. We were struck by how crowded the street was at this end, closest to the museums and Opera House. I think the river cruisers come to this area as part of their day excursion. At any rate, we bought nothing and walked until we came across Place Rohan where le Palais Rohan now houses the city hall and Cathédrale Saint-André (Cathédrale de Bordeaux) (where Eleanor of Aquitaine was married in 1137). You can see from the picture of the inside, that it is indeed very old. The tower that its prominent exterior features is known as the Tour Pey-Berland.

We decided to return to our hotel so we could rest in anticipation for the evening’s event – trying to spot le Mirroir d’eau and La Place de la Bourse. We took the tram across the Pont de pierre to the other side of the Garonne, hoping to have a drink as the sun set. There weren’t any riverside places that appealed to us but we did take some pictures of the sights reflected on the river. Unfortunately, the Mirroir d’eau was not lit up that evening. We got back on the tram, crossed the bridge and wandered along the waterfront, searching for the perfect bistro for a cool drink. There were a lot of younger people sitting at one particular brasserie. We later discovered it had an all-evening happy hour.