{"id":46,"date":"2013-06-23T19:23:18","date_gmt":"2013-06-24T02:23:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/?p=46"},"modified":"2013-07-31T09:55:30","modified_gmt":"2013-07-31T16:55:30","slug":"day-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/day-8\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 8"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bio-Market, Bordeux history tour\u00a0– Cadillac<\/strong>
\n<\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

7:30 – 9:30 am\u00a0<\/strong>breakfast
\n<\/a><\/strong>One by one couples emerge from their cabins and head for the\u00a0breakfast buffet, choose their foods, and join an open\u00a0table. Its at table\u00a0exchanges we get to know people who days ago were complete strangers and who\u00a0now, with a shared\u00a0experience, are becoming friends.
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

9:30 am<\/strong>\u00a0bio market and shopping in Bordeaux
\n<\/a><\/strong>Our barge\u00a0docked alongside the promenade across from the Port Cailhau (medieval gate), just above the Pont-de-Pierre (first bridge built over the river). We\u00a0cross the promenade and the street, entering the city through the old\u00a0gate.\u00a0Following behind Jean-Michel we\u2019re into an old but not touristy part of the\u00a0city and we\u2019ve not been here on our\u00a0previous few days in Bordeaux. There are\u00a0narrow cobblestone streets, smaller stone buildings, store fronts with housing\u00a0above. This quarter of the city is where \u201cthe people\u201d live. Seems we are in\u00a0an Arabic neighborhood – given the signage, people\u2019s attire and product\u00a0displays in the shop windows. We reach the indoor \u201cbio-market\u201d which is so\u00a0large it spills out onto the sidewalks. With a population of 60 million, France is one of the largest food markets in Europe and a\u00a0leader in developing and labeling of organic products. The \u201cAB\u201d logo, property of the French\u00a0Ministry of Agriculture,\u00a0assures consumers of \u201cBiologique\u201d authenticity.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re early, it isn\u2019t crowded yet and we walk easily\u00a0among the booths to see the culinary treasures on display. There\u2019s a coffee booth with 12 types of imported beans, local cheeses never seen before, an olive bar with 20 choices, another for anchovies prepared in different styles, 5 or 6 types of hummus, tapenade, pulpo, preserved lemons and peppers, 37 whole and freshly ground spices, 10 styles of freshly made pasta, many flower booths filled with colorful blossoms, poultry, meats, charcuterie, whole fish \u2013 at least 20 different varieties, shell fish, snails, and every local vegetable and fruit in season. Merchants mostly ignore us \u2013 probably because we are obviously tourists and unlikely to purchase. How right they are! If you\u2019re bothered by sensory overload this visit just might just put you over the edge.<\/p>\n

\"BordeauxCadillac\"\u00a0 19 miles\/30 km<\/p>\n

11 am<\/strong>\u00a0enjoy bistro visit
\nAs previously agreed we reconvene at a very small bistro within the Marche des Capucins\u00a0market – \u201cChez Jean-Mi\u201d for a tasting of the famous oysters from the Bay of Arcachon, one of Europe\u2019s premier locations for this shellfish. They are served raw, on the half shell, with a lemon quarter. Oysters only look tough superficially in their shell fortresses but inside is contained a most delicate and delicious mollusk. A chilled bottle of Cremont de Bordeaux appears to accompany the oysters. Our party completely fills the bistro\u2019s three small tables but we\u2019re welcome to sit and enjoy so long as we continue eating and drinking\u2026which we do for an extended period\u2026with lots of jokes and laughter.<\/p>\n

Retracing our steps to return to the barge we discover the waterfront promenade has been transformed into a temporary Flea Market. Dolls, kitchen gadgets, tablecloths, tools, hats, records, clothes, bic-a-brac, books, shoes, furniture \u2013 all previously owned are seeking new homes. Lots of shoppers examine and bargain with some deals going down.<\/p>\n

12:30 pm<\/strong>\u00a0lunch\u00a0Mirabelle<\/strong>\u00a0dining room
\nWe\u2019ll be wine tasting before and during our lunch. A winery representative has brought some of his client\u2019s vintages for us to try. He\u2019s animated with lightly accented English as he describes each wine\u2019s flavor profile and blend. This nicely accompanies our lovely fish, not intrusive at all.
\nMenu:\u00a0tabbouleh with herbs
\nsalmon paupiette
\nrice with three flavors
\npineapple surprise
\nwines: \u2022 Cotes de Blaye\u00a0– Ch\u00e2teau\u00a0Lacaussade St. Martin \u00a0\u2022\u00a0Cru Bourgeois du Medoc – Ch\u00e2teau\u00a0Fleur Lamotte<\/p>\n

2:30 pm<\/strong>\u00a0Escorted Historical Tour of Bordeaux
\nOur energetic guide meets us at the barge before leading us into the central city to see some of the architecture that has earned Bordeaux a World Heritage designation. In fact, Baron Haussmann, a long-time prefect of Bordeaux, used Bordeaux’s 18th-century big-scale rebuilding as a model when asked by Emperor Napoleon III to transform a quasi-medieval Paris into a “modern” capital that would make France proud.<\/p>\n

We walk past the Place de la Bourse Place du Parlement to the Saint-Andr\u00e9 Cathedral (consecrated by Pope Urban II in 1096). This Cathedral is part of the World Heritage Sites of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France. While most of the original Romanesque church is gone, an original wall in the nave remains.\u00a0St. Andrew was one of the 12 disciples. This\u00a0was the first cathedral in the world dedicated to him.\u00a0The beautiful bell tower,\u00a0Tour Pey-Berland, built\u00a0between 1440 and 1450 was not attached to the Cathedral. The massive,\u00a0quadrangular gothic tower stands\u00a0separately due to concerns that vibrations\u00a0from the ringing bells could endanger the Cathedral.\u00a0Our Lady of Aquitane statue tops\u00a0the belfry.\u00a0Many buildings are\u00a0being cleaned and restored,\u00a0including\u00a0this\u00a0edifice.\u00a0In 1999 previously unknown\u00a0funerary\u00a0paintings were discovered in St. Anne\u2019s Chapel. Many treasures remain\u00a0to be discovered.<\/p>\n

The Rue Sainte-Catherine is a 1.2 km long pedestrian street and Bordeaux\u2019s main shopping street. It follows a North-South axis linking the Place de la Com\u00e9die with the Grand Theatre at the Place de la Victoire. At the top of the street is one of the entrances to the Galerie Bordelaise, a shopping mall opened in 1834. Our guide introduces us to a number of the city\u2019s culinary specialties including pastries, chocolates, and cheese. We think about stopping at the sidewalk caf\u00e9 in front of the Grand Hotel but there are no seats. Across from us is the Grande Theatre de Bordeaux. Conceived as a temple of Arts and Light, its neo-classical facade has a portico of 12 Corinthian style colossal columns supporting an entablature on which stand 12 statues.These sculptures represent the 9 Muses and 3 goddesses (Juno, Venus and Minerva). Truly a beautiful site.<\/p>\n

We end at Esplanade des Quinconces, Europe\u2019s largest square, on way to the Monument aux Girondins. Built in the 20th Century to commemorate the Girondists, most militant of France\u2019s Legislative Assembly during the French Revolution. They were executed on orders of a Revolutionary leader and considered to be martyrs. The memorial is large, dramatic, quite spectacular. Its broad base is flanked by 2 ponds, fountains, decorated with life sized horses and bronze groups, surmounted by a tall column which culminates at 54 meters with bronze statue of Freedom\/Liberty breaking its chains. Getting this built is a convoluted tale of civic disagreement, design contests, and lack of funds.\u00a0No time to see Basilica of St-Seurin, a church built in the 6th century on the site of paleochristian necropolis, or the Museum of the Aquitane. Clearly we need another trip.<\/p>\n

7:30 pm<\/strong>\u00a0dinner\u00a0Mirabelle<\/strong>\u00a0dining room
\nMenu:\u00a0endive salad with citrus
\nfilet of beef with pepper crust and duo purees
\ncheeses: Chaource, Cantal
\ndouble chocolate mousse
\nwines:\u00a0\u2022 Clairet – Ch\u00e2teau\u00a0Lisennes \u2022 Fronsac – ‘Au coeur de Larriveau’ \u2022 Pessac Leognan – Domaine Merlet<\/p>\n

evening<\/strong>\u00a0cruise and navigation – Bordeaux\u00a0to Cadillac\u00a0go<\/a><\/strong>
\nAnother extraordinary day comes to a close. Glorious weather with deep blue sky and high puffy clouds and just the right temperature.\u00a0River cruising is a most comfortable way to explore and a delightful way to meet many wonderful and surprising people.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    Bio-Market, Bordeux history tour\u00a0– Cadillac 7:30 – 9:30 am\u00a0breakfast One by one couples emerge from their cabins and head for the\u00a0breakfast buffet, choose their foods, and join an open\u00a0table. Its at table\u00a0exchanges we get to know people who days ago were complete strangers and who\u00a0now, with a shared\u00a0experience, are becoming friends. 9:30 am\u00a0bio market and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1406,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}