Bordeaux

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We arrived by train in Bordeaux after a journey through farmlands and fields with glimpses of rivers. The station, in the south of the city, was some distance from our accommodation, an apartment in the Chatrons area in the north. After persuading a young French girl to translate the direction from our host on the phone we boarded the tram, Line C, bound for the Place Paul Doumer stop. The apartment is a short stroll from the stop.

The ease of this journey illustrates one of the best things about Bordeaux; it's so people friendly. This is the easiest city in which to get about. Public transport is brilliant, with three modern tramlines making any journey a breeze. There are a huge number of cyclists and the city is compact enough to walk to any destination within the main part.

Another best thing about Bordeaux is the absolutely beautiful architecture. This city is as pretty as Paris but on a much more human scale. Lovely three storey apartment buildings dominate the residential areas of the centre, large open squares and stunning public gardens all set by the Garonne River.

Yet another best thing about Bordeaux is the history and wine, which are entwined together. Eleanor of Aquitaine is a prominent historical personality whose marriage to Henry Plantaganet, the future King Henry II of England, brought Bordeaux and the province of Aquitaine under the English crown. The English subsequently developed a taste for the region's wines, most of which were exported there, making the city rich. This situation persisted for three centuries, was an underlying cause of the Hundred Years War, which in turn led to Joan of Arc's famous exploits in restoring the region to France and evicting the English. In a last fascinating twist, Eleanor was the mother of Richard the Lionheart, King of England during Robin Hood's day, and his brother and usurper, King John, who was forced to sign Magna Carta and all that! As I said before, if you love history, France is the place to come and visit.

The weather has improved in the last couple of days. I have biked all over the city, across it's beautiful bridge, built after Napoleon was delayed at the Garonne River enroute to Spain for one his campaigns. He "suggested" that the city build a bridge to facilitate the movement of his Grand Army in the future. Another bridge right next to Napoleon's is a steel railway bridge built by Gustav Eiffel, of Eiffel Tower fame. The visage of the city from across the Garonne is one of the best sights we've seen. Bordeaux's river frontage is spectacular. Just Google it and you'll see the one kilometre of identical facades which line the river, the Place de la Bourse, the spires of St Michel, St Andre and Notre Dame cathedrals and the old city gates add to the view.

One more best thing about Bordeaux; the city is alive at night. The city centre is pulsing with people and the facades of the buildings are lit. There is a travelling fairground in the main square, a merry-go-round in another square (every French city seems to have one) and great restaurants and cafes. One restaurant had a queue about thirty metres long.

In our days here we... visited the wine growing regions of Sauternes and Barsac, tasted their wines and saw how they make them, got a feel for life on a French wine chateau, met a retired American TV writer from Manhattan doing a French language course, walked into a small antique furniture restoration business in a car parking space, met the craftsmen and his friend who travelled and working Australia for a year in 2006, walked Bordeaux from one end to the other and fell in love with this magnificent city.

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