Mo 4/28 Bordeaux and Sailing to Libourne

 

When we went to bed last night we would look out our window and just see the concrete wall of the pier.  This morning when we woke up we were, due to the tide, more than 18 feet higher and looking directly across to the city's waterfront park and skate park.  Hundreds of bicyclists were riding to work  on the bike path going right by our window.

We have to taper back on breakfast so we went to the Aquavit Terrace (think solarium at the front of the ship) to enjoy our coffee, croissant, yogurt and orange juice.

Today was a beautiful day, it could not have been any nicer (thank you Jesus).  The temperature started out at 55 degrees and topped out at 70.  For the most part we were walking in the shade of the buildings with a light breeze blowing on us.  It could not be more comfortable weather for taking a leisurely stroll around Bordeaux.

Here is a look at our boat, the Forseti, tied up to the dock.  There were three river boats and one smaller ocean cruise ship tied up near us.  When the tide was low, only the wheel house poking up from the top of the ship was visible above the dock.

Most of the large, historical buildings in Bordeaux were built in the late 18th century.  Great care and effort has been taken to preserve them.  In some cases they have preserved the outside walls, but gutted out the buildings and replaced the interiors with modern construction.  We went to one square where we were told all the buildings were 18th century except for one that was built in 1992.  We were unable to tell for certain which was the new building.

The tower below, constructed in 1485, was the main gate into the walled city of Bordeaux.  The architecture is fascinating.  Most are constructed of limestone locally mined.  Many of the streets are cobblestone made from granite, stones that was used as ballast by English freighters who would transport wine to England (which was very heavy), but return fabrics and wooden items which were light requiring additional ballast to keep the ships seaworthy.

Imagine you parked your car in a parking garage only to find that it has rolled through the wall and was hanging there four stories above the sidewalk!  This garage was built and designed to include this actual Jaguar hanging out from one of the floors.  Who said the French do not have a good sense of humor?

The city is filled with narrow Roman streets that curve around.  The street below is 1.25 km long completely filled with shops.  This street is known for window-shopping, the French word for which translate to "window licking".  Many of the streets are restricted each day to pedestrian traffic only (and delivery vehicles) making it easy to get around.

Our guide today was Laura.  She was English but has been in Bordeaux for 35 years (she shared with us that she is 65).  This is the second British guide we have had.  They make good guides probably because of their ability to speak fluent English that is easily understood.  Laura was fantastic in her descriptions of what we were seeing.  She clearly has done her homework into the history of the city and its attributes with lots of stories to share to make it fun to learn.

Alice is continuing our tradition of taking pictures standing in front of doors around the world (it represents her architectural and artistic side).  This one was located in the Chartron district on the Rue Notre Dame just a block from their cathedral.   

When we travel we are a caravan of four Viking buses.  These modern and comfortable coaches will drive to each of our stops to meet us.  Often we will have the same tour guides joining us in more than one city.

For lunch we dined out on the back deck.  Lunch consisted of a mixed green salad, Pinsa Romana (think healthy pizza with lots of prosciutto), and a delicious caramel sundae.  

We then sailed away to our next destination, Libourne.  It will take five hours to sail there (it is possible to drive there in an hour).  Below we are sailing under one of the bridges headed toward the sea.  In a ways we will reach the confluence of two rivers and turn and follow the other river to our destination.

Alice and I have been sitting out on our veranda watching the scenery go by while I have also been working on the blog.

After lunch we met with Oliver our Cruise Director who, assuming the identity of "Pierre" lead a lesson on basic French.  He had us laughing in this hilarious introduction to the French language.

The following pictures show some of the farmhouses and chateaus we went by as we cruised down the river.  

Before dinner everyone was invited to a reception where the officers of the ship were introduced.  This was also a time for the chef to introduce the dinner menu for the evening, and the cruise director to review the activities for the next day.

For the third time today we chose to dine outdoors on the aft deck. It was 70 degrees and clear skies with a slight breeze - perfect conditions for alfresco dining.

Dinner Menu:  Chilled asparagus spears with Gribiche sauce, Seared Sea Bass Fillet, Crème Brulee,  Wine: Chateau Haut - Saric, Bordeaux.

Daily Step Count:  8,112 steps walking tour of Bordeaux, walking decks on ship.

Interesting Observations

Bicycles -- while pedestrians have the right of way over cars, there are no French laws that restrict or govern bicycle riders.  Bicyclist are not even required to stop for red lights.  They are very bold, ride at high speeds, and are often not willing to slow down for pedestrians in their path.  All our guides are able to recount incidents where cruise passengers have been run down by bicyclists whose paths they have crossed.

Trams -- the cities, and in particular Bordeaux, have phenomenal trams systems for transporting their population.  The trams for the most part travel down the middle of the main streets.  They run very silently and so they can sneak up on you without much warning.  As we were first starting out on our tour one member of our group walked across the track of an oncoming tram that came closer than anyone would be comfortable with.

Smoking - now this is one place where the US is far ahead of the French.  Every where you go you have to deal with cigarette smoke -- walking down streets and dining outdoors in restaurants.  When we were at Café Gustave in Paris the people just one table over lit up.  We forgot how bad it once was having to tolerate this.

American Cars -- there are none!  We walked for 20 minutes back to the boat today passing hundreds of vehicles on the street and in parking lots (their parking lots are in groves of tall trees where it is like parking in a park).  The one and only US brand we saw was a single Ford van.  Lots of German cars (Mercedes and BMW), lots of Japanese cars (Toyotas), along with French Peugeots, Renaults and Citroens, but no US brands.  Seems like this should be an opportunity.

Water Bottles -- you can not get just plain water.  The only bottled water they have is mineral water.  And the bottles are required to have a lid that flips open and closed but does not detach.  This saves lots of bottle caps being discarded along the sidewalks and streets.

Graffiti -- there are isolated displays of street art, but they are very limited and not overwhelming.  Some appear to have political messages embedded in them (but they are in French so who knows what they are saying).

Homelessness -- Yesterday we saw a sweet looking elderly lady sitting outside a church begging.  She had a live bunny on a leash that was very cute, made your heart go out to her. In four hours of driving and walking around Bordeaux we saw just one homeless person with his dog sleeping on the street oblivious to the thousands of people walking by.