Bordeaux – mmm-yoso

A Day Trip to St Emilion and Dinner at Saveurs D’Aquitaine

September 3, 2016 mmm-yoso Beer, Bordeaux, Fine Dining, France, Travel

After a relatively relaxing day in Bordeaux, the Missus decided that we should take at least one day trip. I thought a nice 40 minute train ride into the village of St Emilion, which, in addition to claiming to being the oldest wine producing area in Bordeaux (dating back to Roman times), the village is a World Heritage Site.

Getting off the train, you immediately know what the cash crop here is……

You are engulfed by grape vines……

The walk to the village from the train station was about 15 minutes.

We had decided to arrive fairly early and the streets were sedate, it was quite charming. There were basically no one on the sometimes narrow street as we wound our way up the hill. I guess it wasn't quite "wine o'clock" yet.

There are two distinctive landmarks in the village. The first is the Chateau du Roi, which is located on the hill west of the center of St Emilion.

According to what I read, this used to be the King's Castle and dates back to the 13th century. You can buy tickets to climb to the top, but since it was early the place wasn't open yet.

From here, you can view the rooftops of most of the village and get a nice glimpse of the other major landmark of St Emilion; the Eglise Monolithe, Saint Emilion Monolithic Church.

We were even more impressed after taking a tour….more on that in a bit.

We headed back down into the lower part of the village, then back up the narrow streets until we arrived at Place des Creaneux. This is where the TI office is located. They had just opened. We asked for maps and some other recommendations. As with our other experience at the TI in Sarlat, the young lady here was amazing; such a joy to deal with. She asked us if we'd "like to see a very interesting part of St Emilion that is not open to the public?" And we said, "of course"…..so she booked us for "Underground St Emilion"…the first tour, which started at 1030.

This meant that we had about forty minutes of so to kill, so we wondered around a bit. Around the corner from the TI is the Eglise Collégiale, the Collegiate Church. The Romanesque styling means this church has been around for quite a while.

The cloisters, built in the Gothic style is what this church is known for.

It was quite amazing to have a place like this all to ourselves.

It was getting close to the time of our scheduled tour. So we needed to get to that plaza below us. The way down was rather steep and we passed through a gateway; the Porte de la Cadene. There was a very rustic (and old) wooden structure next to the gate, I was told that the name of the gate is derived from "catena", which meant chain. Apparently, there was once a chain which controlled access to the main square of the town at this gate.

There a quite a few questions about the existence of this gate and structure; since it was within the village, why was there a "chain/gate" here? Who was being defended and/or protected? Who doesn't love a little mystery?

We were told to wait for our tour in front of the "three windows".

The tour itself was quite good. We got to learn a bit about the history of St Emilion, which is named after a monk, named, well Emilion, of the Breton Priory, who fled to this area to escape persecution from the Benedictine Order. He settled in a cave, dug out of the hillside that is now St Emilion. During the 45 minute tour, we visited what was (supposedly) his bed, carved out of bedrock, visited catacombs, and we saw paintings within the Trinity Chapel, done in the 13th century. The most impressive thing to us was seeing the amazing "church" carved out of the stone. There were huge devices which looked like they were used to stabilize the ceiling. It was quite amazing….as this all started as a cave carved out by a single monk. What was more surprising….is that we exited by a door near those three very windows where we first gathered. Who knew what lay behind them!

Even though our tour was in French, the young lady also spoke English so we really got a lot out of our time. Highly recommended!

It was still fairly early, so we decided to head back to Bordeaux. And while the train was rather late….there was an interesting conversation I had with a nice gentleman who told me that the "French are very detailed oriented, like the Japanese"….after which I told him, "however, if the trains ran as late in Japan….you know, heads would have rolled….", which got a nice laugh.

Getting back to Bordeaux, we caught the tram and got off near Cours de l’Intendance.

It was for me to "payer le prix promis"…..to go ahead and "pay the promised price" to the Missus. I had told Her that She could get whatever scarf She wanted from Hermes whenever we visited France (this, BTW has changed and gotten a bit more pricy). and so, the Missus got the scarf of Her choice….after all, love is priceless, no?

We had decided to finish up the eggs and cheese we had purchased the day before for lunch. But, we had seen some interesting beer in St Emilion….I know, we went to one of the great wine producing areas of France and bought some beer……which isn't even from the area. But the Missus still had another bottle of Her Chateau de Grand Moulin, so why not try these?

The Biere de Ferme Truffle was kind of weird….it had an strange off taste, little foam, kind of weak……fragrance of truffle, but the flavor is very difficult to describe.

The Ambree, on the other hand was very good…nutty and on the sweet (very Belgian) in flavor, I found it to be quite pleasant to drink.

We had a nice short nap, then it was off to dinner. The destination was close by. I'd read about a shop called Saveurs D' Aquitaine, which specialized in small dishes of local ingredients….the highlight being truffle. Since it was just a few blocks from where we were staying, we stopped by before leaving for the Dordogne and made dinner reservations for our last night in Bordeaux. So this was to be our last meal in Bordeaux. On the way to the restaurant, we ran into a woman who was lost, and insisted on me trying to help her….really! It was like some scene from a reality show…..me….trying to help some poor French woman…who kept speaking to me in French. Finally, she got the clue, and started cracking up at the strangeness of the situation.

When we arrived at the restaurant, it was strangely closed. Soon after, a young lady arrived and opened the doors. So here's what happened; the young lady who took our reservations, didn't know that the chef was booked for another event on the day we requested. The folks at the restaurant tried to get in touch with us….but hey, we didn't have pocket wifi this time around and where we were staying didn't give out customer info…appropriately so.

They could have easily closed us out…..but instead, we had a small private dinner for two….albeit, simplified and prepped ahead of time, by a very, very, nice young lady….I could not get a grasp of her name….so she said to call her "Vic"!

And so, while there were quite a bit of truffles present for dinner…..it didn't quite raise our sails….this was a very special meal….

The restaurant could have easily locked us out….it would have been totally acceptable. But instead, they went ahead and prepped us our own little special dinner. Which if not amazing, was still quite special. '"Vic" made the meal, as we got to talk about how life is in Bordeaux, and life in general……she was the highlight……and I'm hoping she is doing well in Bogota, which is where I understood she was headed after graduation.

In a way, this might have been our best meal in Bordeaux. Perhaps one day we'll return and actually have proper meal here.

Saveurs D' Aquitaine
16 Place des Quinconces
Bordeaux, France

As we took our final walk around the city….this joyfully unpretentious locale….I wondered, as I stared at the mesmerizing "head" by Jaume Plensa…..

What will I do the next time I'm here……

Back to Bordeaux – Returning to Bar a Vin, Fromage from Fromagerie Beillevaire, and a Little Self Catering

September 2, 2016 mmm-yoso Bordeaux, Cheese, France, Markets & Grocers, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

We'd had a great time in Dordogne, but were pretty tired and were happy to be back in Bordeaux. It all seemed familiar to us….we knew the drill, how to catch tram from the Gare Saint Jean. In fact, shades of Saint Jean de Luz, seeing us use the tram ticket machine…folks would ask us….in French how to us the quite easy ticket machine. It was so strange. If there was one person who really didn't look like they belonged, it would be me. Anyway, we ended up helping a couple of folks get their tickets….. We were staying at the same apartments, so getting settled in was a snap. As was getting back to our favorite little place in Bordeaux, Bar a Vin.

We got a simple cheese plate and a glass of wine each.

This was our third visit here, we just really enjoyed the place.

I had a glass of the 2008 Saint-Julien Chateau Langoa-Barton, Grand Cru……

It was lovely, rich, berry flavors, with not too much tannin…..

Bar a Vin
3 Cours du 30 Juillet
Bordeaux, France

The Missus then decided that it was time for a walk, so this time we headed up along the Garonne River, passing some interesting sites on the way…..

The Chartrons neighborhood was once filled with the homes of rich merchants, but eventually fell into disrepair. A large renovation project has turned the Quay des Chatrons into a hip and gentrified neighborhood…..

And further north is Bassin a Flot, once lined with warehouses, dry docks, and other industrial businesses, the place turned into a wonderful urban renovation project….now lined with bars, restaurants, and hip shops.

It was time to decide what to do for dinner. The decision was quite easy. Our favorite meal in Bordeaux was having some cheese and baguette, with a bottle (or two of wine), and just relaxing.

We turned around and headed back to Marche des Grands Hommes and the Carrefour Market.

We picked up some wine and other items and headed out.

On the street on the other side of Marche des Grands Hommes, that lead to Allee de Tourny was a cheese shop that I wanted to check out named Fromagerie Beillevaire.

The guy working here was quite nice and the selection was nice.

It was hard picking just 2-3 cheeses….but in the end we basically just chose three.

Fromagerie Beillevaire
8 Rue Michel Montaigne
Bordeaux, France

Looking back, I noticed we'd done quite a bit of walking on this day. No wonder we were pretty tired when we got back to the apartment. This time around, they put us in a huge 2 bedroom unit on the third floor, which was very comfortable.

The kitchen was well equipped.

And because we travel light, the washer/dryer was welcomed. As was the tub where the Missus could soak and relax……

I was really struck by the view out the round windows…….

Dinner was a simple, but satisfying affair.

With the Missus' favorite bottle of 4,9€ (about $5.40/US) bottle of white.

The folks that ran the apartment also left us a nice bottle of white as well.

A very nice gesture.

The Missus had a bath, I had my glass of wine and started a post while looking out onto the street below.

After all of the activities of the previous couple of days; it was nice to just sit back and relax.

Thanks for reading!

Bordeaux: A Return to Fournil des Capucins, Marche des Capucins, and Champion de France de Cuisine Amateur, Plus Canelés Baillardran

April 16, 2016 mmm-yoso Bordeaux, Desserts, France, Markets & Grocers, Travel

Our last day in Bordeaux before heading out to our next destination was spent doing what we enjoyed most in Bordeaux…..taking a stroll down to Marche des Capucins and buying a baguette from Fournil des Capucins.

Things were much more busy on this morning as there was a line waiting for baguette.

This was soon remedied as a batch was made ready….the young woman cradled the steaming hot bread in her arms until reaching the baskets, then tossed the red hot baguettes into the basket….they sure were hot!

Fournil des Capucins
62 Cours de la Marne
Bordeaux, France

That task done, we headed across the street to the Marche des Capucins…..where things were really buzzing. Apparently, a round of France's version of Top Chef Amateur – Championnate de France de Cuisine Amateur was taking place.

The ingredient mystere was duck breast and the contestants were hard at work. It was quite fun and we got drawn in.

This was our favorite:

He was quite friendly and jovial.

And while it was busy; things weren't overly crowded. This market is mostly for locals, but folks actually waved us in and wanted us to sample and vote!

And while the screen shows Alain in the lead, he actually had the audacity to vote for himself! Igor won – with the dish above; "Cappuccino asparagus, herb pesto, breast skewer and grilled ravioli Saint Jean".

It was great fun!

Marché des Capucins
Place des Capucins
Bordeaux, France

So much fun, that we realized as we passed the Fleche Saint Michel, we'd forgotten to get some cheese! Not a big deal as we headed on over to Marche des Grands Hommes, since we needed to stop by the Carrefour Market in lower level to pick up that white wine the Missus loved.

Along with the market, there were several vendors, selling everything from produce, to meat and cheese.

Even, ahem…sushi and Asian fast food…..

And since this is Bordeaux, you could also get a nice glass of wine……

Canelés are a specialty of Bordeaux. Basically a pastry with a custard center. It is shaped in the form of a scalloped cylinder. I'm not much on sweets, but since the Missus was so fascinated with Canelé and this shop, I told Her to give it a shot. I had also done a quick Google search on Baillardran and found that it was a very popular chain that originated in Bordeaux.

The Missus could hardly contain Herself.

This was a bit too dense, somewhat mushy, and too sweet for my taste. Though if you're in France give it a try.

Baillardran Pâtisseries
Place des Grands Hommes
Bordeaux, France

That was basically it for this leg of our trip, though we'd be back after spending a few days in Dordogne.

Thanks for reading!

Bordeaux: Porte de la Grosse-Cloche and La Brasserie Bordelaise

April 15, 2016 mmm-yoso Bordeaux, European Restaurants, France, French Restaurants, Travel

Bordeaux just seemed to much more than what we expected, with wonderful churches, towers, gates, cheese, and of course wine. After a nice "indoor picnic" lunch and the requisite nap, we headed back out. The Missus decided She wanted to walk along the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe, the 1.2 kilometer long Rue Sainte-Catherine. As whole, we weren't too impressed with the shops and such and some parts were rather seedy. The street ends at Place de la Victoire and the "gate into the city", the triumphial arch; Porte d’Aquitaine which was built in 1753.

The folks who managed our apartment had a dinner recommendation for us; so we turned around and headed back.

Along the way we crossed over to cours Victor-Hugo and came across the Missus's favorite gate in Bordeaux, the Porte de la Grosse Cloche, the "Great Bell Gate". Built in the 15th century, this beloved gateway is on the city's coat of arms. The clocks date back to 1592 and the bell was cast in 1775.

Along the way we took a short break on a lovely square; Place Saint-Projet…apparently, there was once a church at this location. The fountain is quite lovely and it's a nice spot to take a break and relax.

Rue Saint Remi is full of cafes, brasseries, and other eating establishments, so it's really hard choosing where to eat. La Brasserie Bordelaise was highly recommended, so we decided to have dinner there.

Though the exterior looks rather decent in size, this place is pretty large, there's even a downstairs dining area. As we sat at our table, we noticed all the customers were tourists, though it could be the early dinner time. We also saw that the portions were very large and that most people were getting meat….with a capital "M". After seeing the rather generous portion sizes, we spoke to our waiter, who was very nice and very accommodating, and placed our order. We also got a very nice red from St Emillon; which was probably the best item of the night. Also, we noticed a lot of folks getting the Jamon…..we had just arrived from Spain, there was no way we'd be getting jamon here.

We started with the Foie Gras with toast, 12 Euros, which was decent, not outstanding, but you have to remember, we ate a ton of foie gras on this trip.

We also ordered the Farmhouse Terrine (12€), which we didn't enjoy. First off, it was ice cold in the center, second it had a very gritty texture, I know, this is "rustic", right? It was also a bit too earthy for my palate…..which enjoys a whole host of earthy flavors. It just wasn't our thing I guess.

The Missus was in the mood for lamb. We asked the Server about the portion size of the Braised Lamb Shoulder with Beans (26€). He was a pretty funny guy….he told us, "I think it is enough for two, but you would not believe how any people finish this themselves!" So we asked if sharing would be appropriate. To which he replied, "of course…..it would be enough for two."

When it arrived, the Missus looked at me and I said, "of course…..it would be enough for two" and then some. The Flageolet beans, while a bit under-seasoned had a wonderful texture and beany flavor. The lamb was quite deliciously gamey, but was pretty tough and seemed like it could stand for a bit more time in the oven. It also didn't seem much different from anything I'd make at home. The price at 70 Euros wasn't bad, but seemed a bit high, the service was good, but I think there must be much better in Bordeaux at this price point.

La Brasserie Bordelaise
50 Rue St Remi
Bordeaux, France

Bordeaux: Marche des Capucins, Fournil des Capucins, Église Sainte-Croix, and Jardin Public

April 2, 2016 mmm-yoso Bakery, Bordeaux, Cheese, France, Markets & Grocers, Travel

The sun rose early and brightly on our first full day in Bordeaux. Even though we had arrived mid-morning we had still put in quite a few kilometers before deciding to call it a day. We would end up putting in some mileage on this day as well.

I had a destination in mind and we decided to just meander our way to our objective; one of the benefits of independent travel. The sun was shining brightly on Place de la Bourse as we headed off into the district known as Saint-Pierre, considered the birthplace of the city. The narrow streets are lined with structures from the 18th century and lead, one way or another into a square. We quickly walked onto the cobblestone lined Place du Parlement, once the location of the Royal Market.

The centerpiece is a beautiful Neo-Rococo fountain.

Walking to Place Saint Pierre, one can't help but notice the haunting, Gothic styled, Eglise Saint-Pierre (Church of St. Peter), which dates back to the 14th and 15th century.

It really stands out as the square and street is lined with restaurants and cafes, the name of one of them made us laugh……everyone does need a "Plan B", right? Place du Plais leads right up to the Porte Cailhau.

According to what I later read; there was actually a palace located here, the Palais de l'Ombriere the residence of the Dukes of Aquitaine and later housed the Parliament of Bordeaux. I really loved the relief-map sculpture of Bordeaux located right behind the Porte Cailhau. I did a little research and found a blog post about François Didier who created this work.

Near the Porte Cailhau, I noticed this plaque, which started with a few questions before telling us the story of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Bordeaux claims (along with two other cities) to be the birthplace of Eleanor, who would become one of the most powerful women in the Europe and after getting her marriage to Louis VII annulled would marry the Duke of Normandy, eleven years her junior….Henry, the Duke of Normandy would become Henry II.

A bit further down the way, past the Pont de Pierre we came across the Basilique Saint Michel.

It took two centuries to build this Basilica; starting in 1350 and finishing sometime in the 16th century. Possibly even more impressive is the bell tower which, like Pey-Berland Tower which stands next to the Cathedral of Saint Andre, stands apart from the church. And in case you're wondering who has bragging rights; Fleche Saint Michel is the tallest tower in Sothern France, standing at 114 meters, Pey-Berland Tower is 50 meters tall. On this bright morning there was a lively flea market going on in the square next to the tower.

A few blocks away, we found another church; the Église Sainte-Croix (Church of the Holy Cross).

This used to be a Benedictine monastery and was built between the late 11th and 12th centuries.

One of the most well known features of this church is the Organ built by famous organ maker and Benedictine Monk, Dom Bédos de Celles, finished in 1748.

This was a major landmark for me, as I knew we had to take a left here and swing around to get to our destination, Marche des Capuchins.

I'd read much about this market before we arrived in Bordeaux, it seemed to be a favorite with locals, and you know how much we love visiting markets when we travel!

The market was established on October 2nd, 1749 at the urging of Marquis de Tourny. If you like to see some old photos and read (a translated) history of the market, you can do that here.

We had a gameplan of sorts, but all revolved around bread. I'd noticed a bakery right across the street from the market.

I could actually smell the wonderful scent of bread baking. I followed my nose and ended up at the back of the bakery. The bakers looked at us, smiled and waved us in…….so our first experience at Fournil des Capucins was walking past the ovens and bakers baking bread to the front of the shop.

This would end up being our favorite bakery……I later found out the place is open 24 hours a day! With a steady stream of fresh baguette. How could we not get a baguette and a couple of croissants?

The smell of good fresh baguette is intoxicating….we'd seen folks walking along carrying bread with a chunk off the end missing. Well, I guess it's instinctive, because as soon as we walked out of the bakery, the Missus just bit a chunk off the end of the bread! It is that good…..

Fournil des Capucins
62 Cours de la Marne
Bordeaux, France

The smell of bread had overcome us….we needed something to eat and perhaps some espresso. Right across the back of the bakery, in front of the main entrance to the market is this stand.

Which made a decent cup of espresso that went nicely with our croissant.

Then we ducked back into the market and bought some cheese. We found the farmers and vendors in Marche des Capuchins quite friendly, even though we stood out from the usual crowd. They seemed to go out of their way to help us. We ended up at this cheese stand.

And got some cheese….

Marché des Capucins
Place des Capucins
Bordeaux, France

We had fully intended to do a nice picnic and headed back to the apartment after doing a bit of window shopping on Cours de l’Intendance. Where we saw the ultimate way of entertaining a pup while his "dad" did some shopping in the store.

Just get him some rope and cord to keep him occupied!

We cut through Rue Voltaire and stopped at the Carrefour Market in Place des Grand Hommes. The Missus, laden down with bread and cheese gave me a simple directive…."get us some white wine" which was simple enough. What I wasn't ready for was the whole wall of white wines! Like over 50 different bottles…vintages…blends….I went with something rather local, with some reservation since it was 4,9€ – five bucks and change. The Missus was cracking up when I got out of the market….she'd seen the look on my face when I got to the wine department….analysis paralysis.

We headed up to Jardin Public, the large public garden and green space that was two blocks from our apartment. It's quite a lush and welcoming park.

The park was founded in 1746 in style of a French Garden. Napoleon III turned it into more of an English style park during his reign. There's a nice large pond, the Natural History Museum is located here, and there's even a Puppet Theatre.

Nice, but it was getting a bit too hot for us…so we headed back to the apartment and had a really nice "indoor picnic"……with the A/C on…..doesn't get much better than that!

With our cheese, bread, strawberries, and of course the wine….which was excellent, crisp, light, with a touch of sweet, and a balanced acidity…..

In fact, the Missus would have me go back for this very bottle of wine a couple more times during our stay in Bordeaux.

It's not always about eating out when we're travelling……when in Bordeaux, it was the cheese and wine….oh, and don't forget that baguette!

Bordeaux: Basilique Saint-Seurin, Baud et Millet, Porte Cailhau, Miroir d’eau, and a Return to Bar a Vin

April 1, 2016 mmm-yoso Bordeaux, Cheese, France, French Restaurants, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

It was a strange thing. We never got a great restaurant meal during our time in Bordeaux. But what we did get was, fabulous cheese, great wine, and a city with a wonderfully relaxed vibe….in some ways it was what I'd always thought France would be….folks polite and to the point, very honest, the wonderfully perfect posture of women, young and old riding bicycles, almost taken out of some movie set somewhere….. All wrapped up with the shopping and such.

We had headed down Cours de l’Intendance, the major upscale shopping street, taking time out to stop at the Church of Notre Dame (Eglise Notre-Dame). We ended up at the Basilique Saint-Seurin, which dates back to the Sixth Century. The current structure dates back to the Eleventh Century and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This is Bordeaux's oldest church.

There's a necropolis below the church which dates back to the Eleventh Century. The place is quite haunting…..

From here we decided to head back to Place des Quinconces. Along the way, there was a place I had marked for a lunch stop; Baud et Millet.

This little restaurant did basically one…make that two things; cheese and wine.

The décor is quite simple; a few tables on one side; crates of wine on the other. The menu is also simple various pairings, from the simple cheese and appetizer combinations; all the way up to all the cheese you want from the cellar for 32 Euros.

We took a simple combination of three cheese each paired with a glass of wine. The highlight of this was being able to go down into "la cave", the cheese room.

Where we got to see our cheese cut…..it did smell like they cut the cheese here…..

And yes, it smelt like we were lying at "the feet of angels……"

After this, lunch was sort of anti-climatic……..though we did have some memorable cheeses…..

The Selles sur Cher; the cheese coated with ash on the left; was so distinctively nutty and creamy…..

The Pithiviers au Foin, a very creamy raw cow's milk cheese (which I believe is not legal in the US) coated with hay was so earthy with strong mushroom tones. Also, you'll never taste brie in the US (because it's made from unpasteurized milk is also illegal to import) like the real deal in France. Bummer for us. This was served with a huge basket of bread and a bowl of simply dressed greens.

The young lady who served us was very sweet.

It was a nice introduction to French cheeses and was a good, light lunch. I'm not sure I'd do it again; especially if I'm staying in Bordeaux for more than a day or two and have a fridge. We did enjoy it though….

Baud et Millet
19 rue Huguerie
Bordeaux, France

Instead of continuing back to our apartment after lunch; the Missus decided to do some (thankfully only) window shopping on Cours de l’Intendance.

Right down the street, where the tram turns is the Cathedral of Saint Andre – Bordeaux Cathedral, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Right next to the Cathedral was something we found even more impressive – Pey-Berland Tower. There's an interesting story about this bell tower. It was built separate from the church (in the 15th century) so that the vibrations from the bells ringing would not harm or disturb the church. Unfortunately, after building such a grand tower, the church ran out of money….so no bells were installed in the tower….until 1851!

There are always mysterious statues in our travels. I often take statues photos without even knowing who the subject of the statue is….until I get home.

Jacques Chaban-Delmas was a former Prime Minister of France and served 8 terms as the Mayor of Bordeaux.

We walked onward toward the Garonne River, ending up at the Porte Cailhau, also known as the Palace Gate. From what I read, this used to be the main entrance to the city of Bordeaux.

As you can tell by the dates I've been throwing out; Bordeaux has been around since Roman times, when it was known as Burdigala….so there's more than a little history to go around. There are two other medieval gates in the city….which the Missus just had to see. Those will be in upcoming posts.

Right up the street is Place de la Bourse, commissioned by Louis XIV as the Royal Square, it might be the most well known landmark in Bordeaux. For us however, it's what is right across from the square that got our attention.

Miroir d'eau is the largest reflecting pool in the world and a wonderful place to people watch….the folks running across the shallow pool seem to running on the water instead of in it. People seem drawn to this place.

On this day, we watched a young man take his dog into the pool….the dog looked a bit terrified at first. But obediently followed his master. Soon enough, the young man was first pouring water on the pooch's legs, then splashing the dog….he was teaching the dog about water! It was a lovely sight.

In some ways, this was much more fun than checking out cathedrals……just hanging out on the river's edge……

Watching the joggers on the bridge……

Checking out all the historical sights, it's easy to forget that yes, real people live here and their daily life goes on….much like ours does back home.

By now the sun was slowly sinking in the West. We decided it was time to head back and just relax for the evening. But first, we decided to make one more stop. Back to Bar a Vins, for a glass of wine (or two). This time around, it was much more busy, with what looked like more of a local crowd. Folks relaxing and unwinding…socializing over a glass of wine.

We really loved this place….it was perhaps our favorite in Bordeaux.

In the end, I decided to go for the gusto and got a glass of the Saint Emillion Gran Cru, which was the most expensive wine on the list (6 Euros), it was lovely. If you'd like to read about the craziness of just classifications of Saint Emillion wine, read this.

Bar a Vin
3 Cours du 30 Juillet
Bordeaux, France

It was a lovely day….with visits to Bar a Vin as bookends.

From Saint Jean de Luz to Bordeaux, a Visit to Bar a Vin, and Goya Lives!

March 11, 2016 mmm-yoso Basque Country - Spain and France, Bordeaux, Breakfast/Brunch, France, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

After a wonderful day and evening in Saint Jean de Luz, we woke refreshed and rested…..I guess this town will do that to you. Before breakfast and heading off on the train to Bordeaux, we took a nice stroll around the town.

Down past the port down to the beach and back around to the street we stayed on.

We didn't know what to expect for breakfast, but it was quite substantial…..great fresh pressed coffee, and egg made to order….all by the wonderful owner of our little hotel.

We bade our farewells and headed off to the train station. Waiting for our train was, well interesting….while the Spanish were rather boisterous, fun loving, out-going….the French as a whole were very polite, precise, and in most cases to the point. We loved the contrasts in personalities….I told the Missus that the Spanish very social personality reminded me of the Chinese, while the more reserved, yet very polite French, the Japanese. Anyway, for some reason folks seemed confused about which track the train to Bordeaux would arrive on, and in spite of all the other folks there, they would undoubtedly ask me….the most "un-French" looking person you could possibly find. The Missus couldn't stop laughing….."je parle non Francais". Strange thing, even after saying that they would show me their tickets! And after the second time, I could figure out where the car they had seats on was stopping!

When we got to Gare Saint Jean, the train station, we found the tram that we needed…it was all easy, as the ticket machines had an "English button" that made selections simple. Then it happened again, folks in line kept asking me, very politely, how to use the machine! The Missus explained it away by telling me, "the French are asking the only Japanese they could find, because he thinks like them how to get to their destination……"

The location of our apartment was awesome, a few blocks from the city centre, bit not too close, and a short walk from the tram stop.

Our unit was not quite ready when we arrived, so we dropped things off and set out to explore. We were also quite close to one of the city squares, Place des Quinconces, and were quickly noticed the Monument aux Girondins, built in the 1880's to commemorate the Girondins from Bordeaux, who were executed by Robespierre during the Reign of Terror.

The column itself is made up of several pieces, each of which has a meaning, from the statue at the top which represents the spirit of liberty, to the three lying at the feet of the horses in the fountain representing Ignorance, Lie and Vice.

From here it was a short walk to the area called the "Golden Triangle". There was a place I had marked on my Google Maps along the way. Years ago, the Bordeaux Wine Council wisely bought a 18th century building near the center of the city. In this building, the wine council holds a Wine School and Classes (L’école du vin), being a somewhat of a neophyte when it comes to wine, I would have loved taking those classes, but it was too early in the season for those.

What we really enjoyed was the wine bar located on the premises; Bar a Vin. First off, the prices were amazingly reasonable….even though we'd find that everyday table wine in Bordeaux was very affordable, here we could have a generous pour of a Chateau Landreau Bordeaux Superior for 3 Euros, then have the Server explain to us what the designation of a Supérieur is; the wine must be aged at least 12 months and the wines are from "old stock:, meaning vines of a certain age, along with the actual land the grapes were grown on being documented as parcels that have been growing grapes for a certain amount of time.

Folks that read this blog regularly know that I'm more of a beer guy, but all of this fascinates me…plus, the Missus enjoys a nice glass of wine…nothing fancy per se, but a nice glass. And with the pretentiousness that sometimes surrounds the consumption of wine, it's really nice to have a place like Bar a Vins. It also puts things into perspective; wine is something for everyday…..

We seem to have our favorite places when we travel. Those places that we visit more than once on our trips…..Bar a Vin, with the wonderful staff, the bright and friendly setting, and the location was one of these.

Bar a Vin
3 Cours du 30 Juillet
Bordeaux, France

We then headed down to the Grand Theatre a few blocks away.

More on this beautiful building in a future post, because there was something that immediately grabbed our attention.

Across the way was a piece of modern art, a bronze head that completely mesmerized us. It was flat, yet looked so real and alive…angles were everything….was it 2D or 3D, or 2.5D? It depended on the angle you viewed it. After getting into the apartment, I found out this was by Catalan Artist Jaume Plensa. It just looked so real that we were stunned…..

I'm still not sure what it was about this bronze sculpture that always got our attention, but we could not help but stop whenever we passed it and view it first from one angle….then move over a bit and check it out from another.

It's always nice to find something you don't expect that catches you attention this way.

We then headed down the major shopping street, Cours de l’Intendance….the Missus loved this street and I ended up spending a few Euros here later on.

While walking down the street, I noticed this……

It was a plate with the profile of Goya on it. Goya? I'd seen his works at the Prado Museum in Madrid, I knew he lived in Madrid, I have a postcard of his rather disturbing work; Saturn Devouring His Son on my desk….a reminder for me that things are never as bad as you think. But why Bordeaux? Well, it turns out that Goya left Spain in 1824, accompanied by his "maid and companion" Leocadia Weiss and lived at this residence until his death. All these facts I never learned in school…..

Down one of the many arteries that feed into the large main street and squares, we found a large church; the Church of Notre Dame (Eglise Notre-Dame).

The Baroque stylings caught our eye and we decided to check the place out.

The interior belies the rather over embellished exterior. I really enjoyed the simple, yet elegant stonework. The light really enhanced the choir, as it seemed to come down from the heavens.

What was interesting, even here, in the square where the Eglise Notre-Dame stood, there was the presence of Francisco Goya, as his statue stands in Place du Chapelet, a few steps from the church.

It does make some sense as Goya's funeral was held at Eglise Notre-Dame….and yet, it seemed quite interesting that a city in France would celebrate the life of a Spanish artist!

Well, at least here, Goya Lives!

Ok, enough of that….by now our apartment would be ready. It was time to head back there; freshen up, and then get some lunch.

Thanks for reading!