Tomorrow we get to venture out up to 20 km from home for three hours a day…which is a much welcome relief! I love living in the countryside but 20 km doesn’t change too much for us…so, I asked my friend Ira at Lost in Bordeaux what she is most missing and looking forward to doing since the city of Bordeaux will be in her 20km 🙂
What I can’t wait to do in Bordeaux when the confinement is over!
Before confinement started, and especially before Covid hit our lives, I used to spend at least a few days a week in Bordeaux. Going to different events, visiting art venues, having long photo shooting days and occasional 5 pm drinks were part of my routine. While shops, restaurants, or art venues are currently closed in Bordeaux, I love this city so much that I would even enjoy simply exploring its less lively version. Unfortunately, I don’t live in the center of Bordeaux and the charming promenade along the Garonne river is not included in my permitted 1h daily walk. So now while all I can do is dream about deconfinement, I want to share with you the three things that I plan to do once I’m allowed to return to Bordeaux!
- Have a coffee
Many think of Bordeaux only in the context of wine, but you’ll be surprised to learn that this dynamic city has a booming coffee scene. In the last few years, quite a few chic coffee shops have opened up in the center of Bordeaux. Most are owned by young people who learned the art of making quality coffee abroad and have now proudly imported the knowledge to Bordeaux. I am lucky enough to have a few other friends who are coffee addicts like myself to help me test all the new coffee places in town. So meeting them for a good “flat white sans sucre” will be the first thing on my list.
Here are a few of my favorite coffee places in Bordeaux, in some of them you can even have takeaway coffee during lockdown (if you live in the center of Bordeaux): Sip, Kuro espresso bar, Cafe Eriu, and L’Alchimiste Café Boutique.
- Cycle along the quays
I love cycling so much!! I live in Talence (one of Bordeaux’s suburbs) which is a rather boring place when it comes to diverse landscapes so when I’m in a mood to explore the city by bike I love to go to the center of Bordeaux. The best place for that is definitely the wide riverfront of Bordeaux where you can do the lovely bridge to bridge trail. The trail follows both sides of the Garonne river and goes through two bridges in Bordeaux: Pont Pierre and the modern Pont Chaban Delmas. On the way, you get to see some of Bordeaux’s most impressive architecture as well as some of its main attractions like the famous Cité du Vin, the Bacalan market, and more. Luckily, the weather in Bordeaux is still pretty awesome and if it stays like that in the next few weeks (and if the confinement will be over of course), I’ll be sure to use the opportunity to do this trail again. If you’re in Bordeaux and don’t have a bike, read about how to get one in my article.
- Visit my favorite market in Bordeaux
I am lucky enough to live next to a great market (Les Halles de Talence) and even have a weekly market right next to my house every Wednesday. And yet, when I want the ultimate market experience I really love going to the main market in Bordeaux, marché des Capucins. The central market in Bordeaux has everything you dream about when you think of a French market. Tens of stalls of seasonal fruits and vegetables, accompanied by stands of regional produce that pays tribute to every corner of the southwest of France. You can find anything from foie gras from the Dordogne to the super sweet strawberries of Lot et Garonne, oysters from Ile d’Orelon, and sheep cheese coming directly from the Pyrenees. This market is a real gastronomic heaven! My favorite part about it though is to finish my shopping with a plate of oysters and an Entre Deux Mers white wine at the market restaurant Chez Jean Mi. And that’s where you will find me at the end of the confinement 🙂
Hope you enjoyed the journey through some of my favorite places in Bordeaux. Stay safe everyone! (Thank you for sharing, Ira!)
Lost in Bordeaux is a travel blog covering locations in Bordeaux and beyond! Ira spends many of her weekends traveling around with her family and she loves sharing the area with you at www.LostInBordeaux.com
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