Exploring Bordeaux 05/06/2024

After a good night's sleep, we have recovered from our jet lag and took a walk through history in the city of Bordeaux. This tour was a "free walking tour" led by a very knowledgable guide. Our tour lasted a little over 2 hours and he covered a wide range of topics. We came away from the tour with a good understanding of what life was like in the Roman period, 2000 years ago, the medevial time period, the French Revolution, and the 21st Century.

Bordeaux's early origins began around 300 BC when a tribe of Celts moved into this area. There was continous struggle for the next 250 years, and things settled down. The Romans arrived on the scene around 60 BC and ruled this area for 300 years when they returned to Rome. History shows us that after the Roman rule , Bordeaux entered a long period of strife that continued well into the first century.

Bordeaux in the Middle Ages was a very interesting period time in the history of this region. For those of you who do not know the name of Eleanor, she was the Duchess of Aquatine, Queen of France, and Queen of England. You can only imagine the influence she had on both France and England in her lifetime. She was considered the most powerful woman in Europe. Because of her, Bordeaux came under the English Crown from 1154 to 1453.

Eleanor married the future King of France, Louis VII in 1137. Eleanor was widely criticised for the indecent behavior she displayed in her marriage to the King. She accompanied her husband on a crusade to the Holy Lands, and while on this crusade her infidelities placed a strain on her marriage. Upon their return, the marriage was dissolved in 1151. Eleanor moved on from this marriage. She had met Henry Plantagenet , the future King of England in 1151. They were married in 1152. Henry became the King of England in 1154. As mentioned, Eleanor was the Duchess of Aquatine (of which Bordeaux was in the Duchy) and after Henry was promoted, Bordeaux became a part of Great Britain. This was a golden age for Bordeaux, due to the wine trade.

The Hundred Years War, from 1337 to 1453, had a great impact on Bordeaux. This war lasted 116 years. At the end of this conflict, Bordeaux was reintegrated back into the French Kingdom.

As time passed, The French Revolution began in 1788 and was highlighted when the Bastille was stormed on July 14, 1789. While most of the violence occurred in Paris, Bordeaux did not escape being affected. When Napolean arrived in Bordeaux he was well received (because it marked the end of the Reign of Terror)

I am going to stop the history lesson for now. So much history, so little time.

We finished our afternoon with a visit to the Wine Museum, La Cite du Vin. This museum opened in 2016 and celebrates the wine culture around the globe and educates visitors about winemaking and its history. We spent three hours there and felt like this was a precursor for our wine class we will attend tomorrow.

After we left the mseum, we got in line for dinner at the Entrecote Restaurant. It is a famous steakhouse in Bordeaux centre. We got in line around 6:25. The line had already started forming. We stood patiently in the rain and wind while awaiting entry. Thanks to Harry, we got in with the first group. Harry held our place in line until we joined him. The meal was great. When we walked out, about 1 1/2 hours later, the line still stretched around the block.

Today was a good day. We rode the metro all over Bordeaux. We saw different parts of Bordeaux, because we got on the wrong train. We had to keep doubling back.

Tomorrow...the adventure continues.