2nd July (Juillet)
We had planned to meet at reception at 8:30 so we could check out and catch the 9:15 train from San Sebastian to Hendaia. It was all so efficient though, we found ourselves on an even earlier one which connected immediately with the 2.5 hr train to Bordeaux. We were at the end of our journey by lunchtime. We are staying at the Mercure Bordeaux Chartrons Hotel located in the former wine merchants' district which still has its Victorian facade like many of the other buildings in the area. UNESCO have this city on their World Heritage List because of its beautiful architecture, public squares and gardens. While Chartrons is not the most glamorous area, our hotel is quite close the Garrone River and we headed there for lunch in the sunshine on the riverbank.
Then we caught a very modern tram into the city centre and took a bus tour around town. Very difficult not to doze off in the warm sunshine after the lunchtime Beaujolais but I did learn that Bordeaux was once one of Europe’s busiest and most lucrative ports transporting goods to Africa, swapping cargo there for slaves for the American market and bringing goods from there back to Europe. It is the world’s major wine industry capital and hosts the world wine fair which just took place last week.
We saw lots of people out enjoying the open spaces, along the riverbank particularly. One really popular feature was the Water Mirror, a set of granite slabs covering about 500 sq m under which lies a computer controlled mechanism to supply water with many different effects in a fifteen minute cycle. The paving is covered with two inches of water that turn the slab into a huge mirror in which the Place de la Bourse is reflected. Apparently in good weather and at night, when the facade of the palace is lit, the visual effect is captivating but today as we went passed there were too many people just having fun paddling on it. We’ll have to walk by here at night.
We were also impressed with a very original advertisement for a public car park, see pic below.
After an afternoon siesta we took a bus back into town and explored the food and wine expo. Apparently this exhibition sets up for a week in each location and rotates throughout the region. Tonight we selected a venue that specialises in meat but we could have chosen gumbo, seafood or Moroccan to name a few. On the way home I convinced the other 2 to call in at the water mirror for photos and once again there were plenty of people out enjoying the night.
3rd July
After breakfast at the hotel we walked to the waterfront where we found a produce market and by the time we got to the end of that it wasn’t much further to the centre of town. Once again we saw all the beautiful fresh vegetables, meats, fish, cheeses and breads, Yum! Docked alongside was one of those boats you can book to cruise the major rivers of Europe, very flash. I’m already confident we will make our 10,000 step target today by the time we make it to town for a coffee! There were lots of locals on the streets either eating at the cafes or enjoying all the public spaces so we sat and enjoyed some ‘people watching’ in Place de la Victoire. We deduce that this is what you have to do if you live in apartments. The square features an unusual red marble obelisk and two bronze turtles with bunches of grapes and wine variety names decorating the shells. The local kids just can’t resist climbing on them.
We wandered all over town and then caught a tram home after lunch in the square overlooking the beautiful Porte de Bourgogne which reminds me of the castle featured on Disney films.
Eric had just connected online when Luke called on Skype. Great to hear from him, he has an interview for the Fire brigade tomorrow morning so we were pleased to be able to send our best wishes and now have our fingers crossed (very hard to type in that position). After a bit of a rest, and before we got entranced in the second set between Nadal and Djokovik in the Wimbledon GF, we walked to the Botanic Gardens. Sadly, these look in need of a good shower of rain, France is still in drought, but there are still many people out enjoying them. Making our way back to the tram stop we found ourselves very close to the food and wine expo again so we dropped in for a refreshing drink before returning home to prepare for dinner. I didn’t think I liked cocktails but I have just discovered Mojito! How refreshing all that crushed lime and mint is after all that walking. We had dinner on the banks of La Garrone for the last time. We are intrigued by the latest fashion which is to do away with ice buckets and use these cute, but pretty impractical, tabletop wine cooler bags here.
4th July
We have had a huge day. After breakfast we checked out and the taxi driver who took us to Gare St Jean was fabulous; wanted to tell us all about the city etc and showed us how Google translator app works on his iphone. We have to have one of those, although travelling in peak hour traffic in a taxi where the driver is intent on showing you how clever his translator is, makes me a little nervous. He discovered how one small spelling error can be very embarrassing, which was very funny.
We took the TGV (very fast train) to Paris so travelled through the Louire Valley but didn’t really get to see much (so quick), and arrived at Gare Montparnasse in Paris 3 hrs later. It was reasonably easy, if you overlook all the stairs, to get the Metro to Pernety where our hotel sits across the road. Cosy is what you would call this hotel room, we are on the top floor so the ceiling slopes in on one side and immediately makes you want to duck your head. The location is great but there is no air con and unfortunately we have arrived at 3pm when the room is probably at its hottest but hopefully that will be better when we return.
Our first point of call, after a very late lunch across the road at Cafe Metro, was the Tour Eiffel. It would seem every other tourist in Paris decided to visit here this afternoon too! The queues are enormous and we are told the wait will be about an hour but our options are limited so we decide to do it now, or not at all. After a 1 hr wait on the ground, and another long wait at the next level we do eventually make it to the summit, and all concede it was well worth the wait. The views are spectacular and we orientate ourselves with the famous landmarks of this city.
Back on ground level we head to the river and investigate the river cruises, there are so many to choose from! We find there are seats available on a 1.5 hr dinner cruise departing in just half an hr so figure that was meant for us. The dinner was lovely and It was very peaceful cruising up the Seine to round Ille de Cite and back around the replica of the Statue of Liberty. Although it was 9pm when we pulled out, we left in sunshine. During the course of the trip the sun set and the lights of the city turned on. Very beautiful. We took the subway home and had a nightcap at Cafe Metro, our new local to end the day.
We had planned to meet at reception at 8:30 so we could check out and catch the 9:15 train from San Sebastian to Hendaia. It was all so efficient though, we found ourselves on an even earlier one which connected immediately with the 2.5 hr train to Bordeaux. We were at the end of our journey by lunchtime. We are staying at the Mercure Bordeaux Chartrons Hotel located in the former wine merchants' district which still has its Victorian facade like many of the other buildings in the area. UNESCO have this city on their World Heritage List because of its beautiful architecture, public squares and gardens. While Chartrons is not the most glamorous area, our hotel is quite close the Garrone River and we headed there for lunch in the sunshine on the riverbank.
Then we caught a very modern tram into the city centre and took a bus tour around town. Very difficult not to doze off in the warm sunshine after the lunchtime Beaujolais but I did learn that Bordeaux was once one of Europe’s busiest and most lucrative ports transporting goods to Africa, swapping cargo there for slaves for the American market and bringing goods from there back to Europe. It is the world’s major wine industry capital and hosts the world wine fair which just took place last week.
We saw lots of people out enjoying the open spaces, along the riverbank particularly. One really popular feature was the Water Mirror, a set of granite slabs covering about 500 sq m under which lies a computer controlled mechanism to supply water with many different effects in a fifteen minute cycle. The paving is covered with two inches of water that turn the slab into a huge mirror in which the Place de la Bourse is reflected. Apparently in good weather and at night, when the facade of the palace is lit, the visual effect is captivating but today as we went passed there were too many people just having fun paddling on it. We’ll have to walk by here at night.
We were also impressed with a very original advertisement for a public car park, see pic below.
After an afternoon siesta we took a bus back into town and explored the food and wine expo. Apparently this exhibition sets up for a week in each location and rotates throughout the region. Tonight we selected a venue that specialises in meat but we could have chosen gumbo, seafood or Moroccan to name a few. On the way home I convinced the other 2 to call in at the water mirror for photos and once again there were plenty of people out enjoying the night.
3rd July
After breakfast at the hotel we walked to the waterfront where we found a produce market and by the time we got to the end of that it wasn’t much further to the centre of town. Once again we saw all the beautiful fresh vegetables, meats, fish, cheeses and breads, Yum! Docked alongside was one of those boats you can book to cruise the major rivers of Europe, very flash. I’m already confident we will make our 10,000 step target today by the time we make it to town for a coffee! There were lots of locals on the streets either eating at the cafes or enjoying all the public spaces so we sat and enjoyed some ‘people watching’ in Place de la Victoire. We deduce that this is what you have to do if you live in apartments. The square features an unusual red marble obelisk and two bronze turtles with bunches of grapes and wine variety names decorating the shells. The local kids just can’t resist climbing on them.
We wandered all over town and then caught a tram home after lunch in the square overlooking the beautiful Porte de Bourgogne which reminds me of the castle featured on Disney films.
Eric had just connected online when Luke called on Skype. Great to hear from him, he has an interview for the Fire brigade tomorrow morning so we were pleased to be able to send our best wishes and now have our fingers crossed (very hard to type in that position). After a bit of a rest, and before we got entranced in the second set between Nadal and Djokovik in the Wimbledon GF, we walked to the Botanic Gardens. Sadly, these look in need of a good shower of rain, France is still in drought, but there are still many people out enjoying them. Making our way back to the tram stop we found ourselves very close to the food and wine expo again so we dropped in for a refreshing drink before returning home to prepare for dinner. I didn’t think I liked cocktails but I have just discovered Mojito! How refreshing all that crushed lime and mint is after all that walking. We had dinner on the banks of La Garrone for the last time. We are intrigued by the latest fashion which is to do away with ice buckets and use these cute, but pretty impractical, tabletop wine cooler bags here.
4th July
We have had a huge day. After breakfast we checked out and the taxi driver who took us to Gare St Jean was fabulous; wanted to tell us all about the city etc and showed us how Google translator app works on his iphone. We have to have one of those, although travelling in peak hour traffic in a taxi where the driver is intent on showing you how clever his translator is, makes me a little nervous. He discovered how one small spelling error can be very embarrassing, which was very funny.
We took the TGV (very fast train) to Paris so travelled through the Louire Valley but didn’t really get to see much (so quick), and arrived at Gare Montparnasse in Paris 3 hrs later. It was reasonably easy, if you overlook all the stairs, to get the Metro to Pernety where our hotel sits across the road. Cosy is what you would call this hotel room, we are on the top floor so the ceiling slopes in on one side and immediately makes you want to duck your head. The location is great but there is no air con and unfortunately we have arrived at 3pm when the room is probably at its hottest but hopefully that will be better when we return.
Our first point of call, after a very late lunch across the road at Cafe Metro, was the Tour Eiffel. It would seem every other tourist in Paris decided to visit here this afternoon too! The queues are enormous and we are told the wait will be about an hour but our options are limited so we decide to do it now, or not at all. After a 1 hr wait on the ground, and another long wait at the next level we do eventually make it to the summit, and all concede it was well worth the wait. The views are spectacular and we orientate ourselves with the famous landmarks of this city.
Back on ground level we head to the river and investigate the river cruises, there are so many to choose from! We find there are seats available on a 1.5 hr dinner cruise departing in just half an hr so figure that was meant for us. The dinner was lovely and It was very peaceful cruising up the Seine to round Ille de Cite and back around the replica of the Statue of Liberty. Although it was 9pm when we pulled out, we left in sunshine. During the course of the trip the sun set and the lights of the city turned on. Very beautiful. We took the subway home and had a nightcap at Cafe Metro, our new local to end the day.
5th July
Oh, it was so hard to get started this morning. After a few false starts we managed a traditional French breakfast of coffee and croissant with jam and then caught the metro across the road to Sacre Coeur. There are so many amazing landmarks in Paris, but this is one we didn’t get to in ’86 and Eric is very determined. From the subway you immediately start climbing uphill and all the way we were confronted by hagglers trying to get us to bet on the outcome of games (same as in ’86) or buy replicas of the Eiffel tour (same as in ’86) etc and also contribute to the ‘Deaf and Dumb’ afflicted. We are becoming cynical, I know, but ‘fairs fair’. Eric did manage to buy a dapper hat to replace the one he left in Barcelona.
From here we headed to Galleries Lafeyette in the heart of Paris on Boulevade Haussmann. According to its media outlet, this is the world’s leading department store and its main store has a magnificent leadlight and steel dome that dates back to 1912, has to be seen to be believed. The picture below doesn't do it justice. I managed to snap up a few mid-year bargains while we were there.
We continued on to the Arc de Triomphe and then found some lunch in Avenue des Champes Elysees – I’m sure my accent is improving as I talk to myself and type. (No one here to dispute me as Eric has already gone to bed). An afternoon attack of ‘the wearies’ descended so we walked on via the Grand Palace and the Hotel Invalides where we found lots of local gentlemen partaking in games of Petinque in the shady park.
We caught the subway from here back to our Hotel 55 in Montparnasse. Time to do some washing in the Laundromat just around the corner; fortunately we can just about watch the cycles progress from the cafe bar across the road. We met up with Sandy who has done another bus tour today and had dinner in the local neighbourhood.
6th July
We tried to visit the Pompidou Centre this morning. It was always going to be a quick visit, to be finished before a trip to Versailles in the afternoon, but we hadn’t factored in the long queues. There was at least a one hr wait so in the end we changed our minds and hoped we might get back there in the evening. Instead we decided to walk through the beautiful Louvre gardens with the stunning 12th century palace as a backdrop, the Eye of Paris wheel, the pyramid in the forecourt and very comfortable chairs by the fountains. We managed to find the best subway for this with the help of a local Parisienne woman who had been watching Eric studying the map and offered her recommendations. She then guided him out of the correct subway exit and accompanied him all the way to the nearby gate......... all to our amusement. He just can’t help himself. Generally speaking though, we would have to say the people of Paris have left a much better impression on us this trip; they have all been very patient and most helpful.
We then headed to subway station Pyramides and located the tour company we needed for the trip to Versailles, with time for lunch in a nearby cafe. The trip, which only took about 45 mins, initially followed the Seine which was nice to track in daylight, and even included the tunnel where Di and Dodi met with their untimely deaths in ‘97. When the palace was built Versailles was in the country but these days the urban spread of Paris means it is virtually a suburb only 20 kms from the centre.
We spent 3 hours there, each focussing on areas of personal interest. Eric really enjoyed the palace galleries having studied Louis XIV, the Sun King, at school. Absolute opulence extraordinaire!
I spent 2 of the hrs in the gardens. When we were here in ‘86 the palace was closed for New Years Day and the gardens, while open, were covered in snow and nothing was flowering. Today they are fabulous. I’m amazed by the amount of maintenance and watering they must require but it is wonderful to see so many people enjoying the fountains, groves, formal French gardens, grand canal and statues. And then there is the Trianon Garden Pavilion and Marie-Antoinette’s estate. There is too much to explore in one day but I managed quite a bit of it on foot before Eric and Sandy turned up in a tourist train. I said I’d never be seen dead in one but I’m ready to sit down. Don’t tell anyone.
It’s after 6pm when the bus returns and Sandy needs to make some bookings for the next few days and I am ready to rest so we agree to give the Pompidou Centre a miss. On the very crowded subway home a woman warned Eric to be wary of the group of girls next to us who just managed to squeeze into the carriage before the doors shut. We don’t know what alerted her but it wasn’t long before it became apparent that another passenger had had her bag opened in an attempt to pick pocket as everyone was being jostled to and fro with the movement of the train. A snappily dressed businessman interrupted the action, so this time they were not successful and they got off at the next station, while he called the police and reported them on his mobile. The girls would probably be well gone by the time they could respond but it was very fortunate we were not the targets this time.
Our last night in Paris and unfortunately I am feeling weary so we have an early night which is probably well over due. Tomorrow we fly to Dubai at 3:30 pm.
7th July
How things start speeding up when you turn for home; just like they did for me when I used to ride horses and anytime I these days when I walk with Ali. We shared breakfast with Sandy at our local Metro Cafe and then she checked out to move to the Champs Elysee area. We’ve really enjoyed her company and input over the last 2 weeks, although we appreciate different things when we travel, we have all been prepared to compromise.
We checked out and waited for the shuttle bus to Charles de Gaulle airport. And waited, and waited..... My nails took a beating as I became more and more stressed at being late for departure while the reception desk clerk was very relaxed about it all. Eventually the driver did turn up half an hour late and then had to do 2 more hotel pick ups! I was not happy standing in the queue at Air Emirates, but with all the staff they had on hand it moved quickly and we soon had the boarding passes in hand.
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