The Marco Polo sailed along the River Garonne on the way to Bordeaux, France. The water was very muddy
but the views along the river were just magnificent. It took some 5 hours to get to our dock which
was on the opposite side of the river to Bordeaux and so we decided to explore locally and spend the full day
in Bordeaux the next day as we had an overnight stop here.
We walked along the port road for some time and found a town named Lamont. The town was quite quaint and unique but very deserted. We asked for directions and headed up to the main town right up on
top of the hill. What a steep walk but we found modern housing and the biggest shopping mall I think we have ever seen. All the staff in a large supermarket were on rollerblades!!!
The town of Bordeaux is one of the most beautiful cities we have explored. We crossed The Pont de Pierre, a
stone bridge commissioned by Napoleon in 1822 and then left our coach to head towards the Rue Sainte-Catherine, a world famous
pedestrian street. It was a Sunday and not a lot of people around so great for sightseeing. The statues below are on the top of
the Grand Theatre and were carved by Berruer and Van Den Drix. Bordeaux is famous for its wine and wine growing. Red wines
are a specialty but there are also a variety of whites grown as well. A wine connoisseur's delight!
The Cathedral St-Andre is situated near the old town and appears to have been built around the 13th century.
This cathedral is one of the most impressive religious buildings in Bordeaux. Worthy of note are the sculptures on its
doors, as well as its distinct twin steeples. The Saint Andre Cathedral is one of three UNESCO World Heritage sites
in Bordeaux connected with the Pilgrimage Route of Santiago de Compostela, which did much to develop Christian religion
and culture in France in the Middle Ages.The Pey-Berland Tower belfry built nearby is 162ft tall and has a huge gilded copper
statue on top which represents Our Lady of Aquitaine.
Some of the other beautiful sights around the city.
Off to the Esplanade des Quinconces which is Bordeaux's largest square. This overlooks the Garonne River and has two statues representing Commerce and Navigation at the entrance. There is also the Monument
aux Girondins. At the foot of the Monument are two beautiful fountains with statues representing the triumph of Concord, Fraternity, Abundance and Happiness, Labour, Security, Strength and the Republic while
lies, Vice and Ignorance are thrown to the ground trampled underneath the hooves of sea horses.
Just to make sure we had seen most of what Bordeaux had to offer we took a small tram tour around the city to take in
the sights. One of the spectacular buildings was the Cailhau Gate which was built in 1495 to commemorate the conquest of Naples and the victory at Fornova di Taro,
Below is an image of Montesquieu, one of Bordeaux's famous sons. He wrote his "Spirit of Laws", a masterpiece of libertarianism and wisdom that inspired the authors of the Constitution in 1791.
There was so much to see and we came away with fond memories of a wonderful city.
