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Welcome to my Bordeaux travel diary. I try to write diary entries when I travel, to make sure I have something to look back on when I’m older. I am going to share my diary entry below about how I spent a weekend in Bordeaux France.
Day 1- Saturday 12th October 2019
It’s been a while since I’ve been to a country that I truly love. France is one of those countries I feel connected to, and I’m currently in Bordeaux (southwest France). The weather is boiling for the middle of October. Back in England, the temperature is around 12 degrees and here it’s 27 degrees.
So…I have realised that Bordeaux is a very big city and It’s not “walkable” You need to take public transport to get from place to place. They have a similar transport system to what we have in London so I have figured it out.
I couldn’t check into the hostel because it was too early. This hostel was like a cross between a hostel and a hotel. There were dorm rooms (which is where I stayed) But there were private rooms too. The accommodation looked like a normal apartment complex that you would find in any city from the outside.
So I just left my bag there and went out to explore instead. I went to an urban area called “Darwin Eco System”. This is like an abandoned area where the walls have graffiti. There is a market in there, a few shops selling eco products, and some food stands. I bought a bamboo toothbrush and got my name
printed on it.
After this, I took a bus and a tram to get to the main shopping area (Rue Saint-Catherine). This area was too busy which is something I hate about cities. I browsed a few shops and tried a canelé which is a local delicacy. Describing the taste is difficult, but it’s like crunchy caramel based on the outside and tough dough on the inside.
I am now writing this diary entry from a popular wine bar near Rue Saint-Catherine. Bordeaux is known for it’s wine, so I wanted to try some. Silly me wanted to try one of each flavour (wine, rose, and red). The waiter warned me that I should start with 1, but I ignored this and said I would rather order all 3 now. I generally like to order things in one go to avoid getting scammed. So I’m now on my second glass and feeling tipsy. Mediterranean wine is not a joke, and sometimes all it takes is one glass to feel as if you’re floating in the clouds. I do like the fact that it’s normal to be solo in French culture. In France, you always see people just doing things by themselves and looking happy.
I love France.
Day 2- Saturday 13th October 2019
So after the wine bar yesterday I went to a restaurant to get some moules frites, and back to the hostel to sleep. The bed was so damn uncomfortable! Thank god it was just for one night.
In the morning I started my day with a trip to the Marche des Quais, which is a market along the riverside. It was very windy but I was happy to see a lot of locals visiting the market. I bought some dried thyme and ate a couple of macarons. To be honest…I really wanted to try oysters for the first time but didn’t have the courage. I am slightly put off by the fact that they are alive when you eat them! so instead, I just observed locals dislodging them from the shells with their teeth…and decided that it’s a no for me.
After this, I headed off to the water mirror and wandered around the beautiful narrow streets. I had an egg, ham, and cheese crepe for brunch. It was quite funny because the waitress was intent on correcting my awful French pronunciation. I really do appreciate this though, because it can be irritating in some places when you pronounce a foreign word wrong and the locals never bother to correct you.
Right now, I’m writing from a public garden where I’m having a little picnic with some French Bordeaux wine. I managed to get a little 250ml bottle from the supermarket for €1.50. This day hasn’t really had much purpose but it has been fun. I really do love the South of France! unfortunately, I only have 3 hours left before I have to leave for the airport, so it’s time to soak up as much sun as possible.
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