{"id":73,"date":"2013-06-20T19:32:15","date_gmt":"2013-06-21T02:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/?p=73"},"modified":"2013-08-02T08:00:45","modified_gmt":"2013-08-02T15:00:45","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bordeaux<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0One of the most famous cities in France<\/span>
\nLocated on the west Atlantic coast, the city is marvelous, small and not overwhelming to the visitor. It is a key destination for anyone\u00a0interested in French culture, lifestyle and wine. With a charming 18th century old town, a fabulous waterfront promenade and a long\u00a0history, no one ever complains about Bordeaux. Since the 8th century, the area\u2019s wines have been enjoyed around the world.\u00a0Bordeaux\u2019s prosperity is directly due to the region\u2019s grapes, the wine made from them and shipped around the world from it\u2019s port.\u00a0Many people travel here to visit the vineyards and learn about the wines, but others come for the architecture, history, culture, water\u00a0and land sports, museums, education, and the wonderful French cuisine. With is broad avenues, monumental squares, nooks and\u00a0crannies, and extensive waterfront, the city is a wonderful place to wander around. You can explore the city with your smartphone\u00a0with the Monument Tracker app (1.5 Euros) launched by the Bordeaux Tourist Information Office. See the city by mini-train, open-topped bus, Segway, or tram or on foot.<\/p>\n

Bordeaux Wine<\/strong>
\nWith more than 110,000 hectares of vineyards, 57 appellations, 9,000 wine-producing ch\u00e2teaux, 13,000 grape growers and 400\u00a0traders, annual sales of over 14.5 billion euros \u2013 wine rules. Over 700 million bottles a year are produced, ranging from inexpensive\u00a0to some of the most expensive in the world. 90% of Bordeaux wine is red, blended from Merlot, Petit Virdot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc,\u00a0Cabernet Sauvignon. The reds are drinkable when young but can benefit from aging. The white wines range from sweet (Sauternes),\u00a0dry, and a small quantity of ros\u00e9 and sparkling wines (Cr\u00e9mant de Bordeaux). The whites are a surprise and worth looking into!\u00a0Bordeux does not have a single Wine Trail, it has dozens. The appellations were justified by terroir and micro-climate to help the\u00a0French consumer. Vineyards can be small family owned, some biodynamic in their cultivation \u2013 with hand picked grapes and old\u00a0style production methods \u2013 including concrete vats. Large producers may use mechanical equipment to pick, optical recognition\u00a0equipment to select grapes with just the right amount of sugar, stainless steel tanks, and temperature controlled barrel aging. The\u00a0process of vinfication is complex and winemakers love to discuss the details and fine points.<\/p>\n

Wine Ideas<\/strong>
\n1. Tour the vineyards \u2013 Pick an appellation and discover it\u2019s vineyards with a wine tour arranged through the tourist office.
\n2. Go to school \u2013 Bordeaux\u2019s Wine Council (CIVB) has a Wine School on their site offering introductory or advanced courses\u2013including\u00a0oenological weekends, evening classes or intensive courses \u2013 for all who share a passion for wine.
\n3. Visit a wine bar – Le Bar a Vin et l\u2019Ecole du Vin \u2013 open to all-comers, go to discover Bordeaux wine diversity. Wines by the glass,\u00a0local tapas or cheese board to nibble while you enjoy the wine.
\n4. Dinners with Winemakers, Vintage Days – harvest workshops and tasting classes can be arranged through the Bordeaux Tourist\u00a0Information Office.
\n5. New, free, internet application geolocates a chateau you wish to visit, a wine bar or even a historic monument \u2013\u00a0www.bordeauxwinrtrip.com<\/p>\n

Did you know? The 5 first growth ch\u00e2teaux are:
\n\u2022 Ch\u00e2teau Lafite Rothschild \u2013 produces some of the most expensive wines in the world
\n\u2022 Ch\u00e2teau Margaux \u2013 one of their bottles of Ch\u00e2teau Margaux 1787 was insured for $225,000
\n\u2022 Ch\u00e2teau Latour \u2013 has some very old vines that have been around since the 14th century
\n\u2022 Ch\u00e2teau Haut-Brion \u2013 the only non-medic estate to be included in the 1855 classification
\n\u2022 Ch\u00e2teau Mouton Rothschild \u2013 the latest to join the first growth club in 1973<\/p>\n

Take a fun quiz to test your\u00a0smarts about wine\u00a0here<\/a><\/p>\n

Food<\/strong>
\nBordeaux is famous for its Arcachon Bay oysters. You can sample with a bottle of the local wine at La Bo\u00eete \u00e0 Huitres on cours du\u00a0Chapeau Rouge, near the Place de la Bourse. Other outstanding local produce (seasonal) to seek out include Pauillac lamb, white\u00a0asparagus from Blaye, Aquitaine caviar, cep mushrooms, Bazas beef, shad and lamprey from the river.<\/p>\n

Fine French cuisine is recognized by UNESCO as part of world heritage. Bordeaux has 5 Michelin stars in the city and another 8 within\u00a0an hour’s drive. A new wave of kitchen wizards has radically transformed the gastronomic landscape, updating its vocabulary and\u00a0menus with contemporary ingredients and cutting edge techniques. Many chefs are willing to pass on their know-how in cooking\u00a0classes even to tourists! The annual\u00a0Epicuriales\u00a0event includes free cooking classes and cocktail workshops. Each evening a different\u00a0Michelin-starred chef offers a tasting combining fine cuisine and great wine.<\/p>\n

History & Architecture<\/strong>
\n\u2022\u00a0Old Town\u2028 Bordeaux is one of the largest 18th century architectural urban areas in all of Europe. Because of its\u00a0amazing buildings and level of preservation it is on UNESCO\u2019s World Heritage List.
\n\u2022 Grand Th\u00e9\u00e2tre \u2013 built in 1780, is truly beautiful,\u00a0topped with 12 golden statues
\n\u2022 Cath\u00e9drale Saint-Andr\u00e9 de Bordeaux (Bordeaux Cathedral) \u2013 built on the site of a much earlier\u00a0religious building it was consecrated by Pope Urban II in 1096; Ailenor of Aquataine married here
\n\u2022 \u00c9glise Sainte-Croix (Church of the\u00a0Holy Cross) \u2013 amazing Romanesque abbey
\n\u2022 Basilica of Saint-Seurin \u2013 the oldest church in Bordeaux built in the 6th century
\n\u2022 Place\u00a0du Parlement \u2013 Louis XV style, reminiscent of an Italian piazza, with carved facades and tall windows decorated with macarons
\n\u2022\u00a0Grosse Cloche tower, one of the most important monuments in Bordeaux<\/p>\n

Markets<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Chartrons market along the waterfront on Sunday mornings for fresh produce and relaxed lunch
\n\u2022 Saint Michel market on\u00a0Sunday evenings,for second hand clothing, furniture, fabrics, heaps of trinkets, saucepans and modern treasures
\n\u2022 Capucins Market\u00a0Hall, daytime, Tues-Fri, for oysters and wine and to catch the color and scents
\n\u2022 Quai des Chartrons for organics on Thurs
\n\u2022 Les\u00a0Grands Hommes indoor market Mon-Sat, greengrocer stalls, shops, cafes and restaurants
\n\u2022 Christmas Market, December, Allees de\u00a0Tourny
\n\u2022 Quinconces Antiques Fair, three weeks in Nov & Dec, for home d\u00e9cor: furniture, paintings, linen, books, records.<\/p>\n

Museums<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Mus\u00e9e des Beaux Arts\u2028\u2022 Mus\u00e9e d\u2019Aquitaine\u2028\u2022 Mus\u00e9e des Arts D\u00e9coratifs
\n\u2022 Mus\u00e9e D\u2019Histoire Naturelle
\n\u2022 CAPC \u2013 Museum of\u00a0Contemporary Art
\n\u2022 Mus\u00e9e National des Doines
\n\u2022 Vinorama
\n\u2022 Mus\u00e9e Goupil
\n\u2022 Cap Sciences is a great science museum
\n\u2022 Centre Jean\u00a0Moulin
\n\u2022 Base Sous-marine (submarine base)
\n\u2022 Musee National des Douanes (Nat’l Customs Museum)
\n\u2022 Musee du Vin et du Negoce
\n\u2022 Bernard Magrez Cultural Institute. The first Sunday of the month, during the “car free” day, a contemporary art bus drives\u00a0passangers around the city to explore the latest art venues to raise the visibility of emerging atists. At each venue cultural guide\u00a0offers commentary and the passengers are welcomed by the artists. Cost 5 Euros.<\/p>\n

Music<\/strong>
\n\u2022 There’s a wide choice of entertainment \u2013 independent playhouses and caf\u00e9-thatres and of course the Grand Theatre where a\u00a0repertoire varied from classical ballet, contemporary works, baroque music and shows are aimed at all types of audiences. Bordeaux\u00a0has a 120 member National Orchestra, 38 dancers in their ballet company and 40 singers in the opera company as well as many\u00a0guest artists. Bordeaux has since 1962 played a major roll in the French rock music scene. They’ve had garage rock, punk rock,\u00a0electric rock, stoner rock, indie pop, and after 50 years the rock scene is still going strong \u2013worth discovering.\u00a0www.bordeauxrock.com<\/p>\n

Other Sights and Activities<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Rue Sainte-Catherine is a wonderful pedestrian only shopping street, filled with great shops, restaurants and cafes. This is the\u00a0longest shopping street in Europe \u2013 the shops become more expensive the further one walks towards Place de La Comedie.
\n\u2022 Cours de\u00a0l\u2019Intendance is where the most high-end and exclusive boutiques and shops are located
\n\u2022 Pont de Pierre \u2013 oldest bridge – from here\u00a0you can walk up the river, past the famous Place de la Bourse, to the Esplanade des Quinconces (one of the largest squares in\u00a0France)
\n\u2022 Self-guided tours \u2013 easy to do with a map from the tourist office. Bordeaux is very walkable and easily navigated on foot.\u00a0The tourist office is very close to the Quinconces tram stop
\n\u2022 Cinesites: from May \u2013 Sept this festival brings movie screens to\u00a0unexpected locations giving free viewing and an opportunity to discuss the films in a relaxed setting \u2022 Car free Sundays \u2013 1st\u00a0Sun of\u00a0the month, brings out rollerbladers, cyclists, and pedestrians.<\/p>\n

Transportation<\/strong>
\nThe tram – innovative, non-polluting means of transport is the easiest way to get around the city – with three lines making 89 stops.\u00a0\u00a0One pass can be used for the tram or the bus – they\u2019re owned by one company.\u00a010% of the residents travel by bike on a daily basis. Tourists can do the same. There are 163 kilometres of cycling trails putting\u00a0Bordeaux in front of major European cycling cities. 3,500 Vcub self-service bikes are available for public use.<\/p>\n

Bordeaux wine<\/strong>\u00a0(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)\u00a0here<\/a>
\nA Bordeaux\u00a0wine is any wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France,\u00a0centered on the city of Bordeaux and covering the whole\u00a0area of\u00a0the Gironde department, the largest wine growing area in France. Map below\u00a0shows most of the appelations. The Garonne and\u00a0Dordogne rivers, and\u00a0Gironde estuary help define the region.<\/p>\n

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Bordeaux\u00a0One of the most famous cities in France Located on the west Atlantic coast, the city is marvelous, small and not overwhelming to the visitor. It is a key destination for anyone\u00a0interested in French culture, lifestyle and wine. With a charming 18th century old town, a fabulous waterfront promenade and a long\u00a0history, no one ever […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1036,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73"}],"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=73"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1036"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funoftravel.com\/bargecruise\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}