I’ve been in Bordeaux for 2 days and I think it is one of the most charming places I have been on this trip. I don’t know if it’s the cool bed and breakfast that I’m staying at, or the very hip and quaint neighborhood of Chartrons where my b&b is located, or the beautiful architecture and cobblestones everywhere I look, or the bridge, or the way the city looks lit up at night, or the wine…but I imagine it’s a combination of them all.

 

From the moment I boarded the tram to find my b&b I was immediately charmed. Bordeaux is a medium-sized city that feels small and manageable, and Chartrons, where I’m staying, reminds me of all of my favorite Hugh Grant movies. The tram ride took me through the city center, so I got a glimpse of what was in store. We passed the large Christmas market (that in itself had me at hello), a number of monuments and landmarks, people on their bikes, what’s not to love?!

I arrived at Ecolodge des Chartrons and felt right at home. It might have been the walk from the tram through the neighborhood square and down the main road, which is filled with antique stores and other little boutiques, but mostly I think it was the warmth of the Ecolodge and its aesthetic. When I first read about this place online, I was VERY confused by their outstanding reviews…I didn’t understand how an Econolodge was getting raves!! But when it finally occurred to me that this was called Ecolodge NOT Econolodge, I pulled the trigger. Housed in an 18th-century townhouse and renovated using eco-friendly materials, this place is everything I could have wanted and more. It feels luxurious but is very humble, friendly yet still very French, there’s a house cat, and Veronique who runs the place is more than helpful and terrific. This place alone makes me regret that my stay is so short in Bordeaux!

After settling in and getting a number of recommendations from Veronique for my day, I set out on the town. I knew I wanted to get back to that Christmas market, but first I wanted to see the sights and the city.

I stopped off for some lunch and was so happy that my vague knowledge of what I ordered turned out to be great. I knew I had gotten some sort of soup with vegetables and some sort of lentil salad, but I had no idea what was actually going to be put down in front of me. Luckily, even with a few ingredients that I wasn’t expecting, they were both terrific…and such a nice change from the heavier meals I’ve been having (note: both dishes, which I assumed would be vegetarian, obviously still had beef or ham in them, so the idea that this was a light meal is relative).

Then I was off on a walk on the wide promenade along the Garonne River. I passed the Royal Square, which today is called Place de la Bourse. (At night this place is magically lit up,  but unfortunately my iphone camera can’t capture something that bright.)

and then Pont de Pierre, which connects the left and right banks of Bordeaux.

I walked down to Place Victoire, where the medieval gates of the city used to be but were replaced by an arch in the 18th century in keeping with the city’s golden age and new prosperity of the time. To my surprise I found a cool coffee truck, or rather a bus, parked in the square. Customers walk onto the bus to sit and drink for a few minutes, as opposed to ordering from outside the truck and taking it to go.

I walked through the arch and back towards the center, checking out shops along the main shopping artery, finding Victor Hugo’s house, the old synagogue, a handful of gothic, opulent churches and squares, before finding myself back at the Christmas market. Vin chaude was on everyone’s menu; chestnuts were being roasted, nativity scene figurines being sold; Santa even made an appearance.

All in all, I was having a great day! I strolled along the market and then decided to check out a wine bar that had been recommended. Knowing absolutely nothing about French wine, I decided to ask the bartender if it would be possible to do a tasting of some sort. He kindly poured me 2 half glasses, one from a major wine-producing area of Bordeaux called St. Emilion, and one from the left bank. Step 1 in my French wine education…and it only cost 3 euro!!

I took another recommendation from Veronique for dinner – a place called, Kressman. It’s on the main square of our little neighborhood and specializes in tartare. I sat outside next to a table of 2 french girls who seemed not so different from me, and I loved watching their reactions to all of the other people that walked into the restaurant, most of whom they seemed to somewhat know. It was a little chilly outside so the waiter brought us all matching red blankets for our laps, a very nice touch, and I proceeded to order the steak tartare, which had sundried tomatoes and parmesan cheese in it, and then the chocolate cake for dessert. Both my food and the people watching were great!

Day 2 was a day trip to St. Emilion, the wine-producing region mentioned earlier.

I had had and really liked a wine from there the night before so I was interested to taste some more. I took the short train and met a Colombian brother/sister duo outside of the train station. They spoke perfect English, so we immediately banded together in an attempt to find our way into the center of town and figure out which Chateaus we could visit for tastings. Unfortunately, without reservations this was harder than expected…and the one reservation I had made I learned was too far without a car of my own…but we still managed to take a couple cave tours and work in a tasting of some wines.

I had another deliciously “light” lunch – vegetable soup (this time, no meat) and a green salad with toasts and goat cheese – and then was on the hunt for some macarons. I had read that there was a place in town that was 150+ years old and specialized in the original macarons, not the brightly colored flavored version. I found this spot and had wonderful almond-flavored macaron cookies with chocolate filling – like a reverse oreo, macaron style. Obviously very different from the colorful, fruity or floral version, but really really good in their own right! On our way out of town we passed another place that I couldn’t pass up…so I tried the Mango and the Violette flavors, and the violette was outstanding!

The sun was setting in St. Emilion and it was time to catch the train back to Bordeaux. I got back to the Ecolodge, had a glass of white wine in the living room with Veronique and then went in search of a hamburger for dinner. Don’t ask me why but it’s what I was craving tonight. I found one on the square, despite Veronique telling me to check out a burger truck nearby (which I did walk by but decided I wanted to go sit somewhere instead of eating quickly on the street). This burger was a Basque burger -it had a red pepper spread, cheese, and some pata negra ham. The burger was fine, too rich to finish it all, and nothing to write about really, but it satisfied the craving which is what it needed to do.

My time in Bordeaux is coming to a close. Just one more delicious breakfast in the morning and then I take the train up to Paris for the remainder of the trip.