Do You Know the Way to Saint Pierre?

Trains, planes, automobiles.....bus, tram, taxi, and feet.  All went well until we reached Bordeaux's St Jean train station. Bad maps, confusion, and general lack of knowledge of Bordeaux kept us walking up and down the streets for some time. Finally we hopped onto one of the city's very fine trams with all of our bags-good thing we're traveling light! After the tram, with help from a kind bus driver, we took a bus to a square about three blocks from our house.

 

What a house! Yoann met us at the door and welcomed us to our home in Bordeaux. Built in the 19th century, it was a hotel particulier or private mansion; converted into apartments in the fifties or sixties, and then a few years ago, Alex and Pierre bought it. Now a chateau rented to families, friends traveling together and the Good News Girlz, it has two master bedrooms, two other rooms with kings and two rooms with pull out sofas. The place is beautiful, huge, and a bit confusing with staircases that drop you off at expected places.

With all the twists, turns, and delays, we were running later than planned and the group split to prepare for snacks before dinner-it had been a long day without much food. One team went out for wine and beer; the other shopped for cheese and prosciutto. Quick aperitifs, quicker showers and we were off for dinner.

 

Down at Le Place de la Bourse on the Gironde River is a lovely fountain and the restaurant Gabriel. We ate at the Bistro upstairs. Stunning views and nicely prepared foods made up for lackluster service. Although the weather forecast called for rain, we had a beautiful evening to walk home.