Blogs from Bordeaux, Aquitaine, France, Europe - page 7

Bienvenue! Alright, I have made it to France. Specifically Bordeaux. Had an blast getting here. And thats what I'm going to tell you about. First things first, goodbyes at airports are tough. Enough said. Security in Calgary was a breeze, and I was off to find the waiting lounge. It was very, very crouded, and everyone was speaking German. I guess this was to be expected however for a flight to Frankfurt in Febuary, when most of the travelers were Europeen traveling to Calgary to experience our wonderful outdoor playground that comes alive in the winter months. At this point, I was already starting to feel like a stranger, but hell I was still in Calgary! Flying with Air Canada was oddly comforting as it was a piece of home that was going to stay with ... read more

I just returned from a one week retreat in Plum Village near Bordeaux in France. I flew into Bordeaux (where I had some time for sightseeing, but that’s another story, I will write more on that soon) and caught a train from there to Ste Foy la Grande, about an hour from Bordeaux, where I was welcomed by two nuns. Plum Village was founded in 1992 by the Vietnamese Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, called “Thay” by his students. It consists of four major hamlets: In Upper Hamlet, there are approximately 65 monks and laymen. Thay lives here. In Lower Hamlet, there are over 40 nuns and laywomen. Son Ha Temple houses approximately 20 monks, and the New Hamlet, 20 minutes away by car, houses approximately 40 nuns and laywomen. Thay is active in ... read more

We took a taxi to the Gare Montparnasse and got on the super fast TGV train to Bordeaux. Amazingly, the train, which holds 457 people was loaded in about 20 minutes and we zoomed 600 kilometres in just over three hours. We were going up to 300 km/h. After checking in at The Hotel Burdigal, we took a walk down to the waterfront. Dozens of people were playing in the water mirror (splash pad), there was a cruise ship in port and there looked to be a circus in the park. Back at the hotel we picnicked on Viennese baguette from Bordeaux and Stilton cheese and a terrine that we brought from Paris. Not much else happened, it was Sunday - definitely a day of rest.... read more

La Belle au bois au dormant se réveille A little while back I decided to go on and explore more of France than just Paris. Only visiting Paris and claim to know France is similar to going to New York and claim to have experienced the US. It is a cosmopolitan centre far away from the rest of the country and closer connected to other similar centres. Thus, as much as Paris is France, and as much as Parisians in many ways are culturally a part of the baguette-eating and cheek-kissing French, they are also Parisians, homos cosmopolis. Therefore, it has been my plan to discover a bit of France without the bobo atmosphere of Paris. So, here I am, in Bordeaux, exploring France beyond the perimeters of île-de-France. Bordeaux is an old beauty dating back ... read more

After a somewhat fitful night of sleeping we work to a sunny French day. Today’s agenda was the wine region known as the Medoc. Within the Medoc there are 8 or 9 sub-appellations. We were hoping to hit at least 2 or three. After showering we went up to breakfast (yes up the breakfast room is on the 4th floor). Before I continue I do have a brief aside on the shower issue. The shower was perhaps the smallest shower I have every seen. It was hard for Jerry to move around you can imagine how much fun it was for me. Ah the joys of two stars. Tourism Office Our first stop of the day would be a walk to the Masion de vins and the Tourist office. According to Fodor’s the Masion de vins ... read more