As I write this Bray is sitting next to me finishing off our 1Euro23 bottle of Bordeaux...straight out of the bottle as we have no glasses – all class!
Today was a good day. Much exploring done this morning and a quiet campsite by new water to relax in. Most especially – Bray made dinner! YUM!
When we got up this morning Bourg was looking beautiful. We struck camp but no one was available to be paid so went exploring. The city walls are also cliffs with rooms and water systems in. We had a good wander, discovered a park, old town gates, the local church, chateau and a patisserie where we purchased a tasty treat.
Back to the campsite, paid up and hit the road. On our way to Bordeaux Bray spotted a sign for a Chapel of the Templars so we set off in search of it. Found an old church we thought could be it and took pics – turns out it wasn’t, was Englise St Michel instead. We continued searching – this time with success!!! Saint Laurent d’Arce....la chapelle de Magrigne. Pics taken, some reading for info then back on the road.
This time we were sidetracked by something Bray had spotted earlier. A little detour on foot through a French vineyard to find a hugs stone quarry that had obviously been worked for a very long time.
Finally...to Bordeaux. We arrived and found a parking spot – just in time as Roni had reached the end of her driving tether!
A walk around the waterfront with a play in the massive puddle-spray-fountain...VERY fun! Through the Porte Cailhau and past some historic buildings toward St Michel’s church.
We hit the remnants of a morning market on the square and it was gross. Rubbish, food, paper and junk everywhere. The base of the ‘extra’ spire was littered with clothing and human waste. Big archaeological excavations going on around the edges (with everyone’s junk thrown in over the fences) and St Michel’s itself locked up good and tight.
We were both really gutted. It is a very cool looking church and could be/is touted as one of Bordeaux’s main attractions. The total lack of respect for even the square itself was just really disheartening. We still had a look around before heading back along the waterfront but we left with sad hearts.
Back past the fountains, grand theatre, town hall, great fountains, cruise ships and gardens to the car and back on the road. Bordeaux was a winner apart from the St Michel’s experience. We were heading up the coast and had found a prospective campsite online.
Port Maubert greeted us with sunshine and a VERY quiet campsite. We got the tent set up then headed to ‘town’ in search of a supermarket or some type of shop to purchase a drink. Port Maubert doesn’t have shops as we discovered! We explored the town and looked at all the boats before heading back to camp to cook dinner. Bray made dinner and we enjoyed it in the last of the sun with our cheap Bordeaux.
Bray was stalked by a toad on one trip to the bathroom in the dark so came to get me and we then stalked the toad with our headlamps. It was a BIGGIE!
Bed time not too late as more driving planned for tomorrow.
