Bordeaux France 2013
Well, Toulouse and the crummy house is history. On July 24, 2013, an exhausted AlteCocker successfully succeeded in oversleeping breakfast at the Hotel de France. After a quick lunch at the Victor Hugo Market (one floor up above the market there are inexpensive restaurants), it was back to the hotel to take a cab to the Toulouse train station for a 2 hour train ride to Bordeaux. While for some reason AlteCocker booked a 1st class ticket on the train, the train was not a new one but semi decrepit. The air conditioning left quite a bit to be desired with every seat filled on the train. It was a mercy when a lot of them got off in Agen and the train was then less of a sauna. When AlteCocker asked about the hot train, the response was to wait for September and then it would be cool. The windows in the train did not open, of course, because it was supposed to be air conditioned. Thank goodness the journey was only a little over 2 hours.
At the Bordeaux St. Jean train station AlteCocker was met by her hostess as part of a reciprocal home hospitality exchange, another way you can use home exchange--and useful for short periods of time. The French hostess had already visited her in her home last April with her mother, and, being a gourmet cook, AlteCocker had been schlepping around "The Joy of Cooking" with American measuring spoons and cups for her. The gift was successful! In fact she had brought back some premixed packets of American food from her stay in the states and wondered about the directions to add a teaspoon of this and that, so unbeknownst to her, AlteCocker solved a problem with the gift that she hadn't known existed.
The house has a pool and is the nicest French home she has ever been in (take that exchangers in Toulouse!). It is also clean. Heaven was sitting by the pool on a hot afternoon and even attempting a swim. AlteCocker, oy, being an AlteCocker, got a cramp in her leg and so much for swimming but the relaxing part of all of this day was wonderful. Dinner was a home cooked meal of boeuf bourguignon. Can you beat that?
At the Bordeaux St. Jean train station AlteCocker was met by her hostess as part of a reciprocal home hospitality exchange, another way you can use home exchange--and useful for short periods of time. The French hostess had already visited her in her home last April with her mother, and, being a gourmet cook, AlteCocker had been schlepping around "The Joy of Cooking" with American measuring spoons and cups for her. The gift was successful! In fact she had brought back some premixed packets of American food from her stay in the states and wondered about the directions to add a teaspoon of this and that, so unbeknownst to her, AlteCocker solved a problem with the gift that she hadn't known existed.
The house has a pool and is the nicest French home she has ever been in (take that exchangers in Toulouse!). It is also clean. Heaven was sitting by the pool on a hot afternoon and even attempting a swim. AlteCocker, oy, being an AlteCocker, got a cramp in her leg and so much for swimming but the relaxing part of all of this day was wonderful. Dinner was a home cooked meal of boeuf bourguignon. Can you beat that?
Bordeaux First Full Day
Today, my first full day in Bordeaux, began with a walking tour of a Bordeaux in both English and French. AlteCocker enjoyed the information but with the guide doing everything in both languages and sometimes talking 10 minutes in one before switching to the other, it got a bit boring (especially since AlteCocker understands both languages. English speakers would go into terminal boredom when the guide spoke French and vice versa. The tour would be much better if they just did 2 separate tours, but AlteCocker supposes it is a question of money.
For lunch AlteCocker at at the Banc de France canteen as her hostess works there. She wouldn't let me pay for a thing. AlteCocker had to buzz to get into the bank and felt a bit like she was getting into a French version of the CIA. Lunch was rabbit or duck. Since AlteCocker has eaten duck already, on this trip, she had rabbit. The canteen is a benefit for those who work at the bank. The food was excellent and AlteCocker was told it did not cost that much, but she didn't pay.
After lunch AlteCocker visited two vineyards in the Medoc region in a tour sponsored by the Office de Tourisme, It was another alternating French/English tour but went much better than the morning walking tour. The tour would have been nice if it had been a bit cooler. The air conditioning on the bus was just "so so" (but not as bad as yesterday's train sauna). By the time we got to the second vineyard, AlteCocker felt like an overcooked French fry.
Well, the best is yet to come: To get home, AlteCocker rode on the back of her hostess' motor scooter somewhat terrified the whole time. Tomorrow she plans to take the bus as it was a bit hard on her AlteCocker back.
For lunch AlteCocker at at the Banc de France canteen as her hostess works there. She wouldn't let me pay for a thing. AlteCocker had to buzz to get into the bank and felt a bit like she was getting into a French version of the CIA. Lunch was rabbit or duck. Since AlteCocker has eaten duck already, on this trip, she had rabbit. The canteen is a benefit for those who work at the bank. The food was excellent and AlteCocker was told it did not cost that much, but she didn't pay.
After lunch AlteCocker visited two vineyards in the Medoc region in a tour sponsored by the Office de Tourisme, It was another alternating French/English tour but went much better than the morning walking tour. The tour would have been nice if it had been a bit cooler. The air conditioning on the bus was just "so so" (but not as bad as yesterday's train sauna). By the time we got to the second vineyard, AlteCocker felt like an overcooked French fry.
Well, the best is yet to come: To get home, AlteCocker rode on the back of her hostess' motor scooter somewhat terrified the whole time. Tomorrow she plans to take the bus as it was a bit hard on her AlteCocker back.
Bordeaux Days 2-4
If AlteCocker has been remiss in not keeping this blog current, she pleads guilty with excuses.
Day Two was spent getting to know the bus system in Bordeaux, as the home exchange home is way in the exterior 10 minutes from the airport. The way you get to know a bus system is to make every dumb mistake including getting on the bus in the wrong direction. Sooner or later you figure it out and get where you need to go. So, Day Two ended in a lot of mindless walking around. AlteCocker intended to visit the Acquitaine Museum but got waylaid by the Museum devoted to Jean Moulin. Jean Moulin is a great hero in France. He was head of the Resistance during the World War II Nazi Occupation and was arrested, tortured and killed by the Gestapo. The Museum was great but it is not a good idea to do a Museum on a hot summer day. So, after about 45 minutes AlteCocker was done in by the heat and sought out the great refuge of the tourist on a hot day: an ice cream. There was more aimless wandering through the old city with a stop at FNAC (yes, the same store that carries converter plugs for dumb tourists who leave theirs behind in Toulouse) because it had wifi (pronounced "weefee" in French). Not much was accomplished and the return home ended in more bus misadventures--now sorted out.
The aimless wandering/bus misadventure day was followed by what has to be one of the best days AlteCocker has had: St. Emilion followed by the Bataille de Castillon--well, not the real battle, but the summer spectacle that goes on every summer in the town of--what else?--Castillon La Bataille halfway between Bordeaux and Bergerac. A link for the details can be found here if you want to buy tickets for 2013. The spectacle is generally only on weekends during the French holiday season. It involves about 400 actors and a huge outdoor theater specially created for it. It was cancelled the day before AlteCocker went, but mercifully, the rain didn't begin until the show was over and we were clapping (just rain, no fireworks in the sky). Really a terrific experience if you get the chance. A further explanation of the battle can be found here
At St. Emilion my hostess and AlteCocker first ate at Lard et Bouchon. This was a restaurant my hostess chose. It has been very difficult to get her to allow AlteCocker to pay for anything, but here she did. Very nice restaurant. AlteCocker had a leg of lamb which was excellent. My French hostess had blood sausage. AlteCocker has tasted that once before and detested it but at Lard et Bouchon it was excellent. You have to taste things you think you will not like to determine if perhaps that is not going to be true. The atmosphere in the restaurant and the service were excellent. For what you got, so were the prices.
After eating, AlteCocker and hostess were in desperate search of things to do to kill the day. We headed for the local Office de Tourisme. A visit to the underground monuments of St. Emilion was about to begin and that's what we did. There is no way to visit the underground monuments if you are not on an organized visit. You will climb down a very steep hill. AlteCocker not wanting a repeat of Rome misadventures, held onto a railing and used a cane. Climbing up after the tour was a lot easier than climbing down!
After the tour we headed for Castillion La Bataille and bought our tickets for the evening spectacle. AlteCocker finally got to see the Dordogne River but exploring the Dordogne will have to wait for another trip. We arrived for the spectacle way early but there were things such as Medieval dancing and swordplay to keep us entertained before the big event began at 10:30pm. We did not arrive back in Bordeaux until almost 2:30am--a very long day.
The following day AlteCocker slept in after the long day before. My hostess insisted that we go into Bordeaux to see the Acquitaine Museum in the center. She thought it would be interesting for me--and it was. We spent about an hour there. The museum is organized to tell the history of the area--not just Bordeaux. There was a great exhibit on the French involvement in the triangular slave trade. Apparently Bordeaux was a major port in that--something I knew nothing about. Slavery was, of course, abolished in France much before it was in the United States--creating an awkward situation for Thomas Jefferson when he brought slaves to Paris during the years when he was ambassador during the American Revolution. The museum would have been more interesting if it had air conditioning but it didn't. Please note that the museum is nothing like The Louvre but certainly is worth visiting if your travels take you to Bordeaux. Most of the tourism here is based on visits to vineyards. After awhile that is not so interesting. There are 100's of them and the one AlteCocker took from the tourist office to the Medoc was sufficient for her. After awhile wine tours are all the same. Enough!
The evening was spent at a French barbeque where AlteCocker ate too much and enjoyed merguez sausages. Merguez are a type of sausage of North African origin very common in France. They can be found in the US in gourmet shops but you do have to search for them.
Day Two was spent getting to know the bus system in Bordeaux, as the home exchange home is way in the exterior 10 minutes from the airport. The way you get to know a bus system is to make every dumb mistake including getting on the bus in the wrong direction. Sooner or later you figure it out and get where you need to go. So, Day Two ended in a lot of mindless walking around. AlteCocker intended to visit the Acquitaine Museum but got waylaid by the Museum devoted to Jean Moulin. Jean Moulin is a great hero in France. He was head of the Resistance during the World War II Nazi Occupation and was arrested, tortured and killed by the Gestapo. The Museum was great but it is not a good idea to do a Museum on a hot summer day. So, after about 45 minutes AlteCocker was done in by the heat and sought out the great refuge of the tourist on a hot day: an ice cream. There was more aimless wandering through the old city with a stop at FNAC (yes, the same store that carries converter plugs for dumb tourists who leave theirs behind in Toulouse) because it had wifi (pronounced "weefee" in French). Not much was accomplished and the return home ended in more bus misadventures--now sorted out.
The aimless wandering/bus misadventure day was followed by what has to be one of the best days AlteCocker has had: St. Emilion followed by the Bataille de Castillon--well, not the real battle, but the summer spectacle that goes on every summer in the town of--what else?--Castillon La Bataille halfway between Bordeaux and Bergerac. A link for the details can be found here if you want to buy tickets for 2013. The spectacle is generally only on weekends during the French holiday season. It involves about 400 actors and a huge outdoor theater specially created for it. It was cancelled the day before AlteCocker went, but mercifully, the rain didn't begin until the show was over and we were clapping (just rain, no fireworks in the sky). Really a terrific experience if you get the chance. A further explanation of the battle can be found here
At St. Emilion my hostess and AlteCocker first ate at Lard et Bouchon. This was a restaurant my hostess chose. It has been very difficult to get her to allow AlteCocker to pay for anything, but here she did. Very nice restaurant. AlteCocker had a leg of lamb which was excellent. My French hostess had blood sausage. AlteCocker has tasted that once before and detested it but at Lard et Bouchon it was excellent. You have to taste things you think you will not like to determine if perhaps that is not going to be true. The atmosphere in the restaurant and the service were excellent. For what you got, so were the prices.
After eating, AlteCocker and hostess were in desperate search of things to do to kill the day. We headed for the local Office de Tourisme. A visit to the underground monuments of St. Emilion was about to begin and that's what we did. There is no way to visit the underground monuments if you are not on an organized visit. You will climb down a very steep hill. AlteCocker not wanting a repeat of Rome misadventures, held onto a railing and used a cane. Climbing up after the tour was a lot easier than climbing down!
After the tour we headed for Castillion La Bataille and bought our tickets for the evening spectacle. AlteCocker finally got to see the Dordogne River but exploring the Dordogne will have to wait for another trip. We arrived for the spectacle way early but there were things such as Medieval dancing and swordplay to keep us entertained before the big event began at 10:30pm. We did not arrive back in Bordeaux until almost 2:30am--a very long day.
The following day AlteCocker slept in after the long day before. My hostess insisted that we go into Bordeaux to see the Acquitaine Museum in the center. She thought it would be interesting for me--and it was. We spent about an hour there. The museum is organized to tell the history of the area--not just Bordeaux. There was a great exhibit on the French involvement in the triangular slave trade. Apparently Bordeaux was a major port in that--something I knew nothing about. Slavery was, of course, abolished in France much before it was in the United States--creating an awkward situation for Thomas Jefferson when he brought slaves to Paris during the years when he was ambassador during the American Revolution. The museum would have been more interesting if it had air conditioning but it didn't. Please note that the museum is nothing like The Louvre but certainly is worth visiting if your travels take you to Bordeaux. Most of the tourism here is based on visits to vineyards. After awhile that is not so interesting. There are 100's of them and the one AlteCocker took from the tourist office to the Medoc was sufficient for her. After awhile wine tours are all the same. Enough!
The evening was spent at a French barbeque where AlteCocker ate too much and enjoyed merguez sausages. Merguez are a type of sausage of North African origin very common in France. They can be found in the US in gourmet shops but you do have to search for them.
Au Revoir, Bordeaux
Today involved a bus ride where AlteCocker did not make any mistakes and got into Bordeaux easily--proving the old chestnut that when you know everything about your location, it's time to go. And it is time to go. Tomorrow AlteCocker flies to Madrid to begin her misadventures in Spain.
Today was spent wandering around the Old City and taking a cruise on the Garonne. This was just a short excursion on the river that runs through Bordeaux. The commentary was in French in English but you will "get" more if you understand the French. Bordeaux has a new bridge where the entire bridge rises when a boat needs to get through. AlteCocker would have loved to have seen that one in action, but no luck on that front. It was a nice way to spend a couple of hours on another hot day. The ride home on the bus was also uneventful--which means AlteCocker got where she was going with no unnecessary wrong bus diversions.
Tonight we walked down the street to another French barbecue. AlteCocker truly has never been so well treated as on this exchange of hospitality. It was fun from start to finish and made AlteCocker forget about the crummy house in Toulouse. Unfortunately, it is over too soon and it is time to do the wash and pack for a 7:15pm flight tomorrow night to begin the Spanish leg of this trip with more linguistic challenges than AlteCocker faces in France. AlteCocker's Spanish, sad to say, is more of a bad joke than anything else.
Today was spent wandering around the Old City and taking a cruise on the Garonne. This was just a short excursion on the river that runs through Bordeaux. The commentary was in French in English but you will "get" more if you understand the French. Bordeaux has a new bridge where the entire bridge rises when a boat needs to get through. AlteCocker would have loved to have seen that one in action, but no luck on that front. It was a nice way to spend a couple of hours on another hot day. The ride home on the bus was also uneventful--which means AlteCocker got where she was going with no unnecessary wrong bus diversions.
Tonight we walked down the street to another French barbecue. AlteCocker truly has never been so well treated as on this exchange of hospitality. It was fun from start to finish and made AlteCocker forget about the crummy house in Toulouse. Unfortunately, it is over too soon and it is time to do the wash and pack for a 7:15pm flight tomorrow night to begin the Spanish leg of this trip with more linguistic challenges than AlteCocker faces in France. AlteCocker's Spanish, sad to say, is more of a bad joke than anything else.