Sightseeing fail #1
This morning, the hotel’s cheapest breakfast option at EUR2.50 (placarded inside the room door) tempted me. It comprised of a coffee and a pastry. It turned out to be EUR2.30 actually, but in retrospect it wasn’t such a good deal. A pastry across the road at the supermarket was EUR0.45 and I could have made my own coffee from a sachet.
After that light breakfast, we headed out, firstly to visit Bordeaux’s St Andrew’s Cathedral. It appeared closed, despite our visit coinciding with its opening hours.
City Hall by the Cathedral.
Sightseeing fail #2
Next, we used our public transport 48h pass to catch a ride on Le Bato ferry on the brown Garrone River. The sight wasn’t that spectacular, having a bit of the city from close-up already. The opposite bank was relatively undeveloped.
We hopped off at the end of the line where Kim wanted to visit the Sea and Marine Museum. It was a short walk from where we had come back ashore, but the sun was getting fierce and there was very little shadow by now.
Being Monday, the museum was closed. So, that’s two sightseeing fails for the day so far!
Taking the tram back to St Andrew’s it was still closed. We retreated back to the hotel in defeat and rested till we got our free drinks in the bar later in the afternoon.
Text continues after this gallery.
-
- Bordeaux as viewed from Garonne River.
-
- Bordeaux as viewed from Garonne River.
-
- Dining area at the end of Le Bato ride.
-
- Outside the Sea and Marine Museum.
In the evening
Even though we knew that the temperature doesn’t drop till around sunset at 2200, we popped out for our evening walk around 1830. It’s bearable in the shade.
Luck was with us this time, with St Andrew’s Cathedral now open. We continued to the Concorde Triumphal Chariot Fountain which we had seen from the tram. After a bit more walking, once again, we quenched our thirst with a sangria.
Text continues after this gallery.
-
- St Andrew’s Cathedral in Bordeaux.
-
- St Andrew’s Cathedral in Bordeaux.
-
- St Andrew’s Cathedral in Bordeaux.
-
- St Andrew’s Cathedral in Bordeaux.
-
- Concorde Triumphal Chariot Fountain.
-
- Concorde Triumphal Chariot Fountain.
-
- Around Bordeaux in the evening.
-
- Around Bordeaux in the evening.
Air-con panic
Lying bed around 2330, something prompted me to check our next two hotels for air-conditioning. Oops, both didn’t have it. The next two days are still forecast to be unbearably hot.
We looked for options swiftly as the one in two-day’s time had a cancellation deadline of midnight tonight. We managed to sort that with 20 mins to spare before attending to the one for tomorrow night.
With all that excitement just before bedtime, we both took half a sleeping pill to ensure we have a good night’s rest before we hit the road on four wheels tomorrow.