The day dawned sunny and warm but not hot. We did laundry, caught up on the last few days of the blog and then went out at the crack of noon. We decided to follow a city walk from an app we’ve used a few times called GPSMyCity that works pretty well. And so, we set off seeing monuments and places, soaking in the ambience of the lovely small streets as we went from one thing to another. Along the way, we snagged a couple canelés that are considered “must eat” items while in Bordeaux. Cost? About €1.20 for two. They are pretty good…they have a crispy caramelized crust and a soft custard interior. We had one each and I think a couple more would have gone down easily.
Then, after visiting a few more sites, we stopped at a market and had a plate of lovely oysters and some rosé for lunch. €10 for the whole thing and the lady selling them was charming. The market was packing up for the day so we were in luck to get some.
There are two grand gates in Bordeaux and they are both incredible, especially as seen down the narrow corridor of the old streets. One has a bell and one does not. There were supposed to be 4 gates, but two never were completed.
The cathedral in Bordeaux is an amazing sight, with a giant golden figure on the top. The cathedral was the scene of many historic events, but maybe the biggest was related to England. In 1137, 13 year old Eleanor of Aquitaine, one of the region’s most famous historical figures, married Prince Louis VII in the cathedral. Within a few months, they became King and Queen of France, but their marriage was annulled in 1152. Eleanor went on to marry Henry II, a future king of England, and then became Queen of England, and mother of King Richard the Lionheart and King John of England.
The streets in Boudreaux are spotless, and it seems that most of the buildings have been cleaned of the dark soot that covers so many old buildings in Europe. I think that’s part of what makes it seem so much like a movie set.
And after a day of enjoying the place we chose the best restaurant we could find that was open on a Sunday and got some dinner! The ambience was lovely and the waiters attentive, but the food was so-so. Oh well…it happens at home too!
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