Bordeaux is beautiful.

Yep. It's a petit Paris. My airbnb was petit too. But warm and quiet, on the ground floor in a courtyard. It took a day to size up the neighbourhood. Very diverse! And when traveling on your own, a bit daunting. But I got acclimated quickly and relaxed into it. A major tram stop was 1 minute away as were these.

I was very tired and struggling to plan what to see and how to use the trams. So I just set off hoping for the best. Trams were GREAT. St Andre cathedral, and stand alone bell tower.

Across the road there was a little market with books and posters. I was amazed to find some old prints of jewellery and inside each one were patterns on heavy tissue from elements of the design. Serious OMG moment. I bought 3. One of those travel moments where the stars align.

Unlike Gallery Lafayette in Paris and Toulouse, no rooftop viewing at the Boudreaux store. And I can't climb the bell towers on offer (think 250 steps) so I made my way to the 4th floor of this GL store to get a glimpse of rooftops and cathedral which pleased me. Later the famoous 15th century Grosse Cloche (defensive gate and prison too) loomed at me on my way home through the narrow roads.

My second day started at a Patissirie I was recommended. I had a very plain looking brioche but it was so light and fluffy - I was so surprised. And dipped in the best latte I'd had in France - really made my toes curl in pleasure.

Then to the massive concrete structure that was built by the Germans while occupying France to house and service u-boats/submarines. How good is it that it is now used for art? Today was a light and music show of Dali and Gouda. Light shows are not a big attraction for me these days but, I part due to what this extraordinary structure offered, it was fabulous. There were numerous cavernous areas you could walk between, each of which would have housed a u-boat, and with water that the show reflected on. It was one of those "had to be there".

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/b7ea7d_8bfc493651bb409e888d35442795270e/720p/mp4/file.mp4

I bought a few keepsakes at the shop afterward. I had resisted buying the book of this exhibition because it was hardback and heavy. But, I spent enough to be given it for free. I nearly didn't post it home with a box of other goodies but after opening it I succumbed and it went in the posted box - my photos and videos were never going to be good enough!

Then I hit yet another market and had the best Rosti with ham and cheese in the middle. And a sav blanc/ semillon. A lovely blend.

Then to the Osteo - relaxed by wine. It was a training school and I got a young woman and her supervisor. they didn't do too bad either and I woke up the next morning the better for it.

Last day I tackled the post office. I had pre-bought a box and packed it up. However, the machine you enter each item, cost and weight confounded me - it wouldn't accept the number of items. And I could not carry it with me in my luggage - NO room! And the queue of grumpy people waiting to use the machine was a bit daunting. So I made sure all food items were listed and hoped for the best that NZ customs will let the rest through. I'll be waiting to hear from Lawson that it made it.

Then a modern art gallery. The thing about these old and historic cities is that they appear to put a lot of effort into the building and architecture of modern galleries. I love that. The exhibition was one a enjoyed a lot too.

Lastly a wander down a narrow road to a church nearby my accommodation. My last in France.

So that was France. I am kinda pleased with myself. I had a lot of concerns about how I was going to cope with the driving, no French language, back, bags. And I did.