Bordeaux, 29 April 2012

Pont de Pierre (1820) over the Garonne

It looked all set to be a wonderful day, the sun was shining and we were ready to explore the heady delights of Bordeaux.  Well, we may have been ready, but Bordeaux was not.  It seems that Sunday means everything is closed.  So instead of exploring the city we decided to take another trip on the tram.

In fact, this was a very good choice.  We went out to Le Lac.  In this appropriately named district, a lake was dug in the 1960s in order to raise the land for an Exhibition Hall and a large hotel centre.  Nowadays, the district near the lake has become a technology park. But the lake remains a recreational centre even as further construction goes on.

Part of Technology Park

Recreation Area of Le Lac

Construction near Le Lac

We wandered through the park and eventually found our way back to the tram, riding it to the Jardin Publique.  It seems to have been our morning for parks.  This is a large and beautiful public garden which dates from the 18th Century. There are a number of entrances to the park which was designed as a place for promenades and meetings. After the revolution, the gardens were transformed into the Champ de Mars where official ceremonies took place. Under Napoleon III the gardens were transformed into a traditional English formal style, and extended. This is its present form.

The Bridge and ducks

There are a number of lovely mansions facing the park and on crossing the little bridge, under which the swans and ducks swim, one can see the beautiful line of these buildings that date from the 19th century. In addition there are playgrounds for children and a small puppet theatre.

The Children's Theatre

Of course all of the excitement of the day was a major rugby match between a team from this area and one from Ireland.  Much shouting and waving of banners, blowing of trumpets and the smell of alcohol. This didn't do much, however, for our afternoon excursion which turned into a minor disaster.  Trams were rescheduled and rerouted and we seemed to wind up in a variety of unscheduled stops at unknown places where we waited for untold hours.  In the end, somewhat the worse for wear, we made it back to the hotel where we crashed until dinner at Le Noailles.

A delightful restaurant/brasserie

Tomorrow it is back on the TGV for Paris!