Blogs from Bordeaux, Aquitaine, France, Europe - page 3

Bordeaux BoredX Some people go gaga about this region. It’s good. But I am a Burgundy bloke. So I won’t let Bordeaux off lightly. (For writing class critics - another sentence ending in ‘ly’) The Bordeaux region does produce good grape and a lot of it. But more of that later. The city of Bordeaux makes a great first impression with its six-lane ring road called the Rocade on the city’s thirty-four-kilometre circumference. And just like the one on the Rome’s girth, it works like a dream when it flows. But when it’s clogged, who wants to sit in a 34-kilometre long carpark. Unlike many of France’s cities, Bordeaux is relatively modern, with great sporting infrastructure and well planned industrial and commercial zones amongst some fairly modern housing showing some upwardly mobile affluence. We are a ... read more

Geo: 44.8374, -0.576144Today we met our home exchange hosts, Marie-Ange and Geraldine, for lunch in a suburb of Bordeaux. The restaurant was in a redecorated old home, and we ate on the lovely patio. Marie-Ange, who has lived all her life in Bordeaux, chose an excellent wine from Pessac Leognan. Like most French restaurants, this one offered a set menu, and we could choose from pork or fish. Each course was well-presented and delicious. We are trying to make the adjustment to the French custom of having a very large meal, with wine, in the middle of the day!... read more

Slow morning, got to chat with the kids just as they were going to bed so that was nice, then spoke with the adults as well. Caught up on the news in Melbourne including the prediction of snow in Ringwood. Hmm, it was cold here today as well, 25c. Never mind. Off to the trams today to do some city touring. Brunch first then away we go. Go to the new wine museum built last year. It resembles the swirl of wine in a glass, very trendy but at €20 to do a tour, not on. Wandered a bit then back on the tram and into the exchange to another line which takes us to ABC. Interesting church, then we wander down the main shopping street. Bit ordinary but worth the visit. Another church then another ... read more

Wake early after a restless night - aircon not great and quite noisy. Find out later we had the window open so noise was coming in that way. Go down earlier than we need so we can catch up with the others before they leave at about 0800. Get into the restaurant and they have seats together and there is another one as well. We ask if we can sit there. Waiter says it is dirty but we don't mind. Finally agrees and we get to chat which is nice. Time is up so we do hugs, etc. It has been great fun with all of them (our tribe as we were labelled). Finish breakfast with lots of the ship people slipping in or out. Meet the tour director who tells me he has had a ... read more

We started the day off with a Skype call home to daughter Erin,hubby Brent and an opportunity to see grandson Brayden before he went to bed for the night. We have been sleeping in well past the time we wake at home which must mean we are well into holiday mode. By chance we woke 1 minute before the alarm was set to go off to wake us at the pre-arranged time for the call. Skype is a wonderful facility to keep in touch from so far away and we wonder how we got by on previous travels. Although we can recall a trip to India in 1997 when our communication home was by FAX (who remembers that form of communication)! With the catch-up over after 45 minutes we started to get ourselves ready for a ... read more