Overnight flights by way of Paris, then on to Bordeaux — tired, but here, with a sunset over the Garonne to greet us.
Our travel companion puffin riding along on the flight to Paris.Liz on the CDG airport train, backpacks on and ready for the next leg.
Liz and a travel companion on the CDG airport train.Liz and a fellow traveler on the flight to Bordeaux.Sunset over the rooftops and cranes of Bordeaux.
Another view of the Bordeaux sunset, church spire in the distance.The Garonne river at dusk, seen from the hotel room.Liz with a glass of red wine outside Restaurant OGG in Bordeaux.Dinner outside on a Bordeaux terrace, wine glasses on the table.
Day 2: Exploring Bordeaux
Woke up at Villa Victor Louis, a beautifully restored 19th-century townhouse right in the old city — and spent the whole day wandering out from it on foot.
The front door of Villa Victor Louis, our home base in Bordeaux.Liz and Beth walking a quiet Bordeaux side street in the morning light.Beth outside the Société Philomathique, an 1808 society "la maison des métiers d'art et d'artisanat."A whimsical painted door mural of a trumpet player in an old apothecary — Liz's shot captures the charm of Bordeaux's side streets.The companion mural next door — a trio of street musicians playing their instruments.A bustling pedestrian shopping street in the heart of Bordeaux, lined with cafés and historic facades.Beth standing proud in front of the Porte Dijeaux, one of Bordeaux's monumental 18th-century gates.Le Puy Paulin, a historic bistrot "depuis 1890" on a quiet street corner — a lunch spot Liz and Beth discovered.
The Grand Hôtel de Bordeaux on Place de la Comédie.The columned facade of the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux.
The Garonne river from the quay, Pont de Pierre in the distance.The riverboats Marco Polo and Le Royal moored along the Garonne.Liz photographing a street performer popping a wheelie along the riverside promenade.The marble statue of Montesquieu at the Quinconces esplanade.The Monument aux Girondins, its column topped with the winged figure of Liberty.A closer look at the rearing horses of the Girondins fountain.La Toque Cuivrée, a shop sign catching the late-afternoon sun.A charming sign for "Les Chats Touilleurs," a cat café.A quiet café-lined street glowing in the early-evening light.The view from Liz and Beth's room's balcony at Villa Victor Louis, framed by the curtains and looking over the old city rooftops.The villa's beautiful stone spiral stairwell, lit from an oculus skylight overhead — architectural detail worth stopping to photograph.L'Annexe du Pied à Terre, the wine bar where Liz and Beth had dinner, all lit up after dark with its signature Edison bulb glow.A near-full moon rises over a floodlit Bordeaux street on the walk home after dinner — the perfect end to the day.The street sign for Rue Rodrigues-Péreire, near the villa.
