Traveling Adventures: Part 3

The last leg of Mandy's and my adventure was Bordeaux. Suffice it to say, neither she nor I were immediately impressed. The city was dirty, there was a LOT of dog poo on the sidewalks, and we got lost more than once (which happened to be my fault every time).

One classic moment was when we got on the right bus at the right bus stop... just going the wrong direction. I was holding the map of the city and we turned further way from the centre of town. When I realized my mistake, I told Mandy it would be best if she thought of this as a tour bus of Bordeaux. And it was... though it was more of the suburbs... indeed, we were off my map most of the way.

But after a few days, we found the nice parts of town and then did what all tourists should do in Bordeaux: visit the wineries. Let's be honest, Bordeaux is not known for its architecture or people or sanitation. No, it's known for its grapes, its vineyards, its oak barrels and rows of beautiful vines.

Over the course of two days, we went to four wineries. Each different. Each fantastic. One winery had been a family business for five generations and sold mostly locally. Another winery was large and industrial and shipped most of their stock internationally. A third winery was in a building (an old house) which had a few walls intact which were from the middle ages.

It felt like art was everywhere: in the land, in the glass, in the atmosphere. Everything was intentional: both functional and aesthetic. Walking the vineyards, seeing the fountains, drinking the fruit of the land: this was France.

It's worth pointing out that there was something in common with our tour guides. Each guide emphasized that there was not a king. The people of France loved Lady Liberty. The great fountain in the town centre was a a fountain with horses at the base and a tall tower on top of which Lady Liberty stands. The horses represented travel and industry, which at the time of its construction where the taking place on the rivers.

In a fantastic french accent our tour guide said in English: "We did not like the king. He was bad. So we killed him. And now we are subject only to Lady Liberty." It sounded funny at the time (and I still laugh at it from time to time), but it is a good example of how the history of this land is so much apart of contemporary life. Monuments and cemeteries are simply present, creating the topography and shaping the lives of the people there.

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While I hope to return to France someday, I don't think I will spend more time in the bustling city of Paris. Paris is a city to be seen, and I have seen it. But Bordeaux is a city to be breathed and drunk in. And there is always more to drink!

Adventures: Part 2 ... a much delayed entry

Yes, I realize it has been 6 months since my previous blog entry. Sorry. Without further delay... here's what happened in France...

Getting from Scotland to France was an early-morning experience. Our taxi from St Andrews picked us up at 3am; we spent about 3 hours in the airport at Edinburgh before we could board the plane. Please note: i do not endorse Ryan Air.

Once we arrived in Paris, we both realized just how poor our french language knowledge skills were. Thanks to Mandy, we made it to our first hotel. Now, this hotel was a last minute grab for two days because of some changes to our itinerary.

This place was, well, disappointing. The leagues of stairs, lack of elevator, naked children in the corridor, lack of air conditioning, soiled matrices, and loud neighbors made for a difficult first few days. I should also mention that we met a man who worked the night shift at the front desk who is writing a conspiracy theory novel and was happy to tell us all about it.

It was nice, however, to be in an area of Paris which had minimal tourism. It wasn't until we hit the centre of the action that we ran into gypsies and the army of mini-Eiffel-tower sellers.

One of my highlights in Paris was having a picnic -- wine, strawberries, fresh bread -- in the grasses knoll below the Eiffel tower. We took off our shoes and watched the people: kids playing hide-and-seek, lovers sharing food, and families taking a break from the mid-afternoon heat.

Our days were spent at the Louvre and and Notre Dame and the Arch. We even visited Moulin Rouge! In the end, we climbed about a million stairs, saw billions of tourists, and drank good wine.

Overall, Paris was a huge and beautiful city.