Blogs from Bordeaux, Aquitaine, France, Europe - page 2

A short drive from the Atlantic coast is Dinan, a quaint, cobblestoned, village. Our B&B was built in the 15th century facing the village square which is very centrally located. Debra did a great job in booking our accommodation as most of the places have been in convenient locations, clean and comfortable and reasonably priced. The trade off to those benefits were accessibility by car, parking and narrow winding stairs. Most of the times, we just took what we needed out of our suitcases which made the logistics of getting in and out a little easier. Of course, many of these places were built when the average person’s height was about 5ft. 5 inches so I was constantly battling the doorways etc. and the stone arches always win!!! On our way to Bordeaux, we detoured to ... read more

It’s been a few days since the last blog entry, but that was because I figured I should just do one entry about my time in Bordeaux. Unlike my time in Alsace and Burgundy, my visit to Bordeaux has been about one thing, and one thing only: wine. So I left Beaune on Thursday morning. I had toyed with the idea of visiting Perigueux along the way, but as it turned out, I would have reached there about 4:30pm and that was a bit late to see much. The drive across to Bordeaux was over 6 hours, so I wasn’t going to be feeling like doing much anyway. The drive was pretty good though. There wasn’t much traffic, and even though I was on highways and motorways the whole time, the scenery ranged from nice to ... read more

Geo: 44.8374, -0.576144Our last day back in Bordeaux. We opted for the Botanical Gardens tour on the opposite side of the river. This is an interesting project which is educational and research rather than a pretty place to visit. They are running out of funding and it is beginning to show. They don't charge an entrance as they say no one will come if they do. It is good that school parties can come here and learn about plants you can eat, plants which only grow on rocks or sand etc. They have a big greenhouse and at the moment they are showing Mediterranean plants which means they don't have to heat the greenhouse so it is cheaper. They do have solar panels on top to help with the electricity bills and they collect all the ... read more

My wonderful parents arrived in Spain at the start of my spring break on April 11th, and the 10 days we spent together are days we will never forget :) They spent 10 days with me and I had the best time. It was like my two worlds were colliding. Watching them stroll down the cobble stoned streets and the paths I walk down daily was so uplifting. The first day they arrived we walked around the town and I explained to them the geography and the general areas of the town. I showed them places I go to often and spots all the internationals hang out at. I reserved a table prior to their arrival at a popular spot in the old part of San Sebastián called "Atari". Essentially, Atari is a highly rated Pintxo ... read more

Faire le tour du monde : l'heure du bilan Il y a eu la phase de préparation, longue et méticuleuse. Puis celle du voyage, excitante et éprouvante. Voilà maintenant terminée celle du retour. Avant de partir, lorsque j'annonçais mon projet de voyage, la plupart du temps j'avais droit à : « mais tu vas partir tout seul ? » « et en sac à dos ? ». Venaient ensuite les différentes questions d'organisation matérielle ou de déroulement du voyage. Est ce que j'ai fait un itinéraire précis, où je vais dormir, est ce que j'ai déjà mes billets d'avion.. ? Ce qui était drôle c'est que je ne me suis jamais inquiété de comment allait se passer le voyage. Mais plutôt du retour. On en parle très peu, que ce soit sur les sites consacrés aux ... read more