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Bordeaux is a beautiful city, its architecture and light distinct from other parts of France. The buildings are often constructed of native limestone, which is soft and golden and seems lit from within – it shimmers. An especially spectacular example of this is found along the riverfront in the center of the city where from the Place de la Bourse for a full kilometer the buildings are built in the same gracious 18th-century style and out of the same stone. And in front of all this is a fantastic public space: The Miroir d’Eau, a reflecting pool that invites the public to splash and play.
On our afternoon in Bordeaux, Matt and I were more than happy to let the boys romp for a long time here as we were in the middle of a wine tasting tour that stretched all along the river just behind where we were sitting. We happened to be in the city for the Fête le Vin, a biennial celebration of wines from the region. For a mere 15 euros, we were given the opportunity to sample everything from sparkling to dessert wine. Needless to say, this meant we were in exactly the mellow state of mind to let the boys go to town in the Miroir d’Eau (it helped that our friends had advised us to have them wear their bathing suits so we had no worries about them getting wet). While they romped, we sipped wine and basically marveled at the myriad pleasures of life in France.
This post is part of my Postcards from the Road, Summer 2012 series, where I’ll be sharing short pictorial posts of our adventures in Europe from the road. Tomorrow, it’s the big one, the city I’ve been waiting four years to revisit: Paris! Hope you’ll join me.
