Périgord/Dordogne Valley – Day 2

Our goal for the day was to see some of the city, since this was are our only day in Bordeaux. Most people who heard that we were going to Bordeaux assumed that we were going there for wine (seems logical), but our wine target on this trip was Bergerac (see the next two days) not Bordeaux.

Eileen found a list of 15 sites on the Bordeaux Tourism website entitled "The Bordeaux Heritage Trail". So we had our plan.

We did many of the sites in the morning. But we headed back to the hotel for lunch and did several more in the afternoon. We hit most of the sites between the two jaunts. All of the sites were east of our hotel toward the river.

Cathedral Saint-Andre and Pey-Beland bell tower. Built from the 12^th to the 15^th century, it was the site of Eleanor of Aquitaine's marriage to the future King Louis VII in 1137.

Grosse Cloche, "the big bell", was the city's belfry and the only remaining vestige of the 13^th century defensive gate. The gold lion is a symbol of the kings of England. (This area went back and forth between French and England control.)

Porte Cailhau, built between 1493 and 1496 on the site of an old defensive gate. For two centuries, it was the main entrance to the city of the river.

Place de la Bourse from the Mirror D'eau (water). This square from the French Enlightment is one of the most Versailles-like in the city. Previously known as Palace Royale, it became Hotel de la Bourse — where prices were set — in the 18^th century.

After a break back at the hotel, we went out again in the afternoon. Here is another shot of the Mirror D'eau. A key element in the waterfront rehabilitation project, it was constructed in 2006. This, the largest water mirror in the world has become a symbol of the city and the locals' favorite spot for relaxing. It cycles between drain, water, and misting.

Porte Dijeaux. The western entrance to the city since the Roman era, rebuilt between 1748 and 1753.

Notre-Dame church built by the Dominican Order, in Baroque style characteristic of the Counter-Reformation period.

Monument constructed in 1895 as a tribute to the Girondin deputies in the Legislative Assembly, executed in 1792 during The Reign of Terror of the French Revolution.

Deciding to do something different for dinner, we found a small and pretty Vietnamese restaurant nearby — OJI — and had a delightful meal of beef in basil sauce and pad thai tofu, followed by tapioca pearls pudding.

Eileen and Larry Samberg

A log of our various hikes and travels

Périgord/Dordogne Valley – Day 2 – Seeing Bordeaux

Tuesday, 20-May-2025