elcome
to Bordeaux,
famous 18th century city surrounded by ancient and prestigious
vineyards. Bordeaux
is reasonably spread out along the western side of the
River Garonne, with the eighteenth-century old town lying
between the place de la Comédie to the north, the
imposing buildings of the river bank and the cathedral
to the west. North of the centre is the vast open square
of the esplanade des Quinconces , and further still, the
Jardin Public , containing some very scant remains of
Bordeaux's Roman past.
Bordeaux
is packed with numerous restaurants , many of them top-notch,
and due to its position close to the Atlantic coast, fresh
seafood features prominently on many a Bordelais menu.
The best place to look for restaurants is around place
du Parlement and place St-Pierre, where you'll find something
to please all tastes and budgets. There are numerous sandwich
bars and fast-food outlets at the south end of rue Ste-Catherine
and spilling into studenty place de la Victoire. In recent
summers, guinguettes - open-air riverside stalls selling
shrimps, king prawns and other seafood snacks - have proved
a huge success, and they set up along the quai des Chartrons.
Surprisingly, Bordeaux
lacks any truly grand, people-watching cafés
. Though Café Regent on place Gambetta is the place
to be seen, a nicer, cheaper alternative is to be found
across the square at Café Dijeaux beside the city
gate. For picnic fodder , there is a marvellous, round
market in the place des Grand-Hommes, north of cours de
l'Intendance. And on rue de Montesquieu, just off the
square, Jean d'Alos runs the city's best fromagerie ,
with dozens of farm-produced cheeses..
There
is little in the world more alluring than a glass of Bordeaux.
Centuries of Cabernet and Merlot blending mastery, combined
with a unique terrain and climate give birth to refinement
and equilibrium of a highly enticing nature.
