Bordeaux

 To get from San Sebastian to Bordeaux we had to take a tram.   France and Spain have different gauge railways so there is no direct train connection between the two.  The tram was like a metro train and it took us to Hendaye, just inside the French border and here we caught a train to Bordeaux.  For most of the 35 minute tram trip we were in tunnels so we now know why it's nicknamed 'the Mole'.  We were on the train for 2 ½ hours and it was flat land all the way, lush green grass in the fields and several forestry plots of what looked like pine trees but their trunks were quite skinny compared to NZ forestry.

At Bordeaux they were renovating the station and as scaffolding covered the exit signs we didn't know which way to go to get off the platform. We tried to follow the crowds but that didn't help as some people were like us going backwards and forwards, others were rushing to catch the train on the opposite side of the platform or the one we had just left and those who knew where to go quickly disappeared.  In the end we just chose a direction, walked a bit and soon found the way out.

The next hurdle was to catch a tram into the city.  Getting tickets from the machine was easy but we chose the wrong platform, from a choice of two.  This station had the tram direction on the track side of the shelter so it wasn't easily seen from where you waited.  It wasn't until we had crossed to the wrong platform and looked across the tracks that we saw the sign we needed.  Fortunately trams were coming every 3 minutes so we didn't have long to wait for the next one to arrive.

Our Bordeaux apartment  was a little different.  As we had guessed from the AirBnB photos the bedroom/lounge  area was in a converted wine cellar so we had stone walls and ceiling.  The kitchen and bathroom were upstairs but what we didn't know was that there were no windows there either as the apartment was accessed from a covered internal courtyard.  The décor was very modern and we had air-conditioning so it was fine but I did miss getting up in the morning and looking outside to see what the weather was like.  To do this we had to go through the courtyard, through a door into a passage, through another door and walk 15 metres to the front door that went directly onto the street.

We had map and a walking tour to follow so set off next morning to discover the city.  The Romans were there in the early 2nd century but as the current city was built on top of the Roman one only the remains of an amphitheatre can be seen today.

The Grosse Cloche (big bell) was once part of a 13th century defensive structure.  Until the French revolution the bell was rung to mark major events but nowadays it's only rung 5 times a year.  The bell made in 1775 weighs 7800kg.

The Dijeaux gate was built from 1771 - 1773 is a monumental gateway and the Caihau gate was opened in the city walls 1496.

Dijeaux gate 

Caihau gate.

The city's Cathedral Saint Andre was built during the 12th to 16th centuries and it's stonework was in the process of being cleaned changing it from black to golden.  We couldn't visit the cathedral but the adjacent bell tower Pey Berland, built in the 15th century could be climbed for a small fee.  

The tower was built separate from the cathedral so the vibration from the bells wouldn't damage it.  We climbed 238 steps up a narrow spiral staircase to get to the topmost balcony and from there we had lovely views over the city.  Many orange tile roofs and flat land for as far as you can see.

Bordeaux had many buildings in what I think of as a French style, four or five stories lots of windows and slate roofs.  

The impressive buildings of Palace de Bourse and Hotel Des Fermes, built 1729 - 1733, have a grand view of the Garonne river.

and the opera house has 12 statues above 12 columns.

We found an impressive fountain which was built as part of a monument to honour those guillotined during the French revolution.  All fountains have been turned off and we think this is because crowds are arriving in the city to watch European football cup games, which is a pity as it would have been nice to see it going.

On our second day in Bordeaux we took a trip to St Emilion, a small town 35km north west.  We looked into taking a tour here but the small group tours that looked attractive were booked out so we decided to do it on our own.  Armed with train tickets and a map we set off to explore this town that was founded in the 8th century by a Benedictine monk called Emilion.  He settled in a cave and lived there for many years until his death in 787.  The monks that followed him started the commercial wine production that's a feature of the area today, they created caves and catacombs and in the limestone hillside they dugout stone to make church.  The village sits on a small hill and most buildings are built from limestone from in and around the town.

The first place we explored was the tower of a 13th century chateau that disappeared a long time ago and from the top, 113 steps up a circular stone stairway, we had views of the town and neighbouring vineyard covered land.

The tower

The Collegiate church was built around the 12th century and the cloisters in the 15th.  Inside the church there are remains of 12th century frescoes.

The highlight of the day was a guided tour through the underground church, Emilion’s cave and the catacombs.  We couldn't do this on our own as the land and buildings are owned privately by three people.  The founding monk’s stone bed and meditation chair can be seen but many changes have been made to his cave.  A house wall has been built across one end and his followers built a balustrade to protect the freshwater pool.  Above his cave the Benedictine monks built a chapel and on the walls there are 13th century frescoes.  In later times the chapel was used for barrel making and the ash from the fires coated the paintings and protected them.  They were rediscovered during cleaning in the 1990’s.

Not my photo as we couldn't take any inside - Frescoes in the chapel 

We walked through the catacombs, which are beneath the church and saw where bodies used to lie. There are no bones there today.   

The church is an amazing space, 36 metres long, 20 metres wide and 11 metres high, all dug out block by block.  It took 50 years to build and money was never a problem as they sold the stone they removed for making buildings in the town and nearby.  To build the church they started at the top and dug down so they were always working at floor level. It's called an underground church as the floor level is below ground.  When the church was built they put in a drainage system but over time this was damaged, probably when they buried bodies under the floor. There used to be frescoes on the wall but during the French revolution the saltpetre that formed on the damp limestone walls was scraped off to make gunpowder and with it the frescoes. Above the church is a 53 metre high bell tower which adds a huge weight stress on the church below.

The underground church 

We returned to Bordeaux to find that more football fans had invaded the city.  Spain played Croatia there that night and fans were in party mood well before the game started.  We still managed to find a quiet spot for dinner.