06/02/17

Bye Chateau Carbonneau! Bye countryside! Bye S60!

We said goodbye to our new friends and started the trek back from wine country. It can really be daunting to wander off the well beaten tourism track, however since the Bordeaux region first started allowing wine tours in 2008, it has really come a long way. Almost all the chateaus have guest houses which allows for an array of experiences from bed and breakfasts to hotels. The food is fresh and the air smells spicy and sweet just like their wine!

While the region of Bordeaux was always famous for its wine, the city of Bordeaux was not a popular place to live. There is no better example of a city reviving itself then the city of Bordeaux- The mayor Alain Juppe has revitalized this once tired town into a bustling center. He spent the money to rip out the warehouses blocking the river, clean up the architecture by having all the limestone scrubbed off (black from smoke and pollution) and create the infrastructure for a tram system. The result? A river walk and a downtown area that is exclusively pedestrian. The amazing Gothic architecture is paired with delicious restaurants and some serious shopping. This city should definitely be on your agenda if you are coming to France.

Our day would not be complete without some serious walking/shopping. I began by dragging Jeff on the 1.2 kilometer Rue Sainte-Catherine shopping strip (the longest shopping pedestrian street in Europe) almost making me forget the disastrous Paris shopping day- We also swung by Cathedral Saint-Andre, one of the most beautiful gothic churches in Paris (in the process of being cleaned)- The before and after is crazy!

Dinner at 9:30 at L’entrecote (Phil’s favorite and now Jeffs) this restaurant specializes in steak frites. When I say it specializes I mean it is the only entree on the menu (literally the only choice you have is how well you want the steak done), trust me there is a reason. The secret? The sauce. What is in it? Butter and voodoo. We are currently trying to decide if we go back again tonight. It was that good. Just look at Jeff’s face, need I say more?

More shopping tomorrow!