We are so grateful to Cristophe and Jean-Luc for letting us stay in their wonderful house. It was a complete privilege to meet them both briefly at th...
Read More...We are so grateful to Cristophe and Jean-Luc for letting us stay in their wonderful house. It was a complete privilege to meet them both briefly at the start of our stay, and we really appreciated the warm welcome they gave us. What a terrific couple — such lively, humorous, kind and sympathetic people! Their home was truly welcoming too; full of art, artifacts and thoughtful touches, all speaking to their values and personalities. The house itself was in a cosmopolitan quartier, diverse and lively in its own right but just a few minutes’ walk from the very centre of the city. The rooms were spacious and well-equipped, and the central open atrium which gave on to both the sitting room and the master bedroom was absolutely stunning. Finally, there was a huge garage under the main living area, allowing off-street parking, essential if you arrive by car in the narrow streets of this old part of the city. Of course, you don’t need a car to get around in Bordeaux, but there are some remarkable places to visit an hour or so’s drive from the city: Saint-Emelion, the wine country generally, le Basin d’Arcachon, Cap Ferret.
This was our first proper urban vacation experience since the start of the pandemic and we couldn’t have chosen a better city than beautiful Bordeaux. But, better than that, we managed to find a way to stay in such an vibrant part of it. Le Marché des Capucins, two minutes’ walk away, provided fresh food for breakfast every day, after which we spent time, and shoe-leather, walking every part of the city, really getting the feel of what it must be like to live here. So much to see! We particularly loved the Bassin des Lumières and Le Cité du Vin — but there many other museums and exhibitions waiting for our next visit. We met some delightful people in the bars and restaurants we visited, managing to conduct little conversations despite our very limited French. We loved the trams, always there when we got too tired to walk any further, and always smooth and comfortable. We tried the riverboat – a great way to take in the sweep of the city for the first time, and once we risked the traffic on bikes to circuit la rive gauche and la rive droite by way of the ancient and modern bridges. We ate well every night, occasionally using the superbly well-equipped kitchen, but more often popping out for a meal at one of the hundreds of great restaurants.. Needless to say, we slept well too. If only we had had more time to dive into the house’s superb book collection!
We were often in touch with Cristophe and Jean-Luc during the exchange, each of us sharing our daily vacation experiences and offering further recommendations for activities and locations that we loved. We want to thank them both most sincerely for making this exchange such a joy. They would be welcome to visit us here any time they’re in the UK.
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