Thursday, June 27, 2013

John & Lynne's French Odyssey: Ile d'Oleron and Bordeaux

After a last look at the boats
 cars (the future of city transport? A tiny 2 seater electric Renault)
and beaches

 of Ile d'OlĂ©ron,
we drove back to Bordeaux, where Lynne had found us a beautiful central city ground floor flat, owned by a lawyer who rented it to us for less than we would have paid for a grotty one star hotel
 with a terrace and a private garden
 and a good kitchen
 After the first day (Sunday) of Vinexpo, we took a stroll down through the city,  looking at the restaurants
the shops
a chocolate Fiat 500 for Father's Day: only 63€ (R850)
and the sights



Bordeaux has some innovative ideas about public transport, tricycle rickshaws outside the Opera House
very modern trams
 and city-owned bicycles - put your money in the slot to unlock one
and nobody steals them!
At the riverside, a mirror of water, just deep enough to reflect everything
 
A bridge across the Gironde
 Bordeaux cathedral
 We had breakfast in the kitchen, listening to Cape Talk on the laptop to keep up with events at home. 
At the end of another day, relaxing in the garden, when it wasn't raining 
 with a much needed beer
In the square (Place des Martyrs de la Resistance) we were next to the ancient Church of St Seurin de Bordeaux - the original cathedral

 
 
 
 The crypt is supported by the pillars of the Roman temple to Jupiter, the original temple on the site
On Sunday, we relaxed with the birds and the fruit in the garden
 
 Lynne always finds a cat
Bordeaux airport, Monday 04h30  
 for our 06h00 flight to Amsterdam
 to catch the 10h30 flight to Cape Town
 where our dear friend Loraine came to fetch us
home to enjoy some of the wines we brought home 
 including a few home-grown wines given to us as the WOSA stand was closing. Thank you Evan!
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 © John & Lynne Ford, Adamastor & Bacchus 2013

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