Toussaint Travels #2: Bordeaux, France

Part 2 of Toussaint:

The next day I headed off with Amber and Cierra to Bordeaux. Instead of taking the train, I tried a new form of transport: covoiturage. Covoiturage is when someone who is driving a long way offers up spots in their car. The website is really secure (blablacar) and the drivers don't get paid until the complete their trip and you message them the code. It is significantly cheaper and shorter to get to Bordeaux this way. I was nervous (especially since all three of us where in different cars), but I picked a nice, older lady who picked me up from Place Bellecour, and we were off to Bordeaux.

I had a nice conversation with her and the other girl (about my age, studying to be a physical therapist) who was taking the covoiturage. We were joined by her cat Pantoufle, the cutest orange cat ever, who was sitting for most of the ride behind the driver (apart from her attempted escape at our second pit stop). Pantoufle is the French word for slipper, by the way. It was one of those experiences that was really really amusing.

My first glimpse of Bordeaux!

About 5 and a half hours later, I arrived at Gare Saint-Jean in Bordeaux and met Cierra who was waiting there as well. We got picked up by Amber, her boyfriend David, and his friend François and then we headed to their place to get settled. That night David made us dinner and we headed over to Amber's host family's restaurant while they had a murder-mystery party! It was a strange party, everyone was holding fake guns and had crazy fake eyes and such.

Day 2: we woke up and went out to see the town! Bordeaux has a really interesting architecture, everything is only two stories and all looks very similar. There are cool doors randomly throughout the city that remain from when the city was a fort. Rue Saint Cathérine is one of the longest streets in Europe (or France?) and has ton of shopping. We wandered the downtown area and stayed in watching Harry Potter that night.

The streets!

My friendsss…in a cool album artwork-kind-of photo

Cool doors!

Les cannelés- Bordeaux specialty-that I actually did not really like

Shoes and cobblstones

Chéries :) 

The funky bar I talk about in Day 3

Funny passageways

Along La Garonne

La Garonne

Random castle door!

another door!

Taking the tram-reminds me of Lyon

Day 3: I took a bus to Cap Ferret to visit my host mom's family's summer home for the day. Cap Ferret is about 2 hours (in the bus) from Bordeaux and only cost 4 euro round trip. I found my way back to the train station, got on my bus and arrived in Cap Ferret where my host mom and sister picked me up. Cap Ferret exists on a "presqu'île", on a bunch of peninsulas and it is right on the western coast of France.

We went to the bay and took a look around, then had a great lunch at her home. I had oysters for the first time and they tasted like a big gulp of salt water with a squeeze of lemon. I also had a specialty called "les dunes blanches" which are big cream puffs and were delicious! Afterwards, I played some basketball with Marguerite and we all decided to take a bike ride to……the ATLANTIC OCEAN! It took about 20 minutes and the beach was absolutely gorgeous! The sand was so soft, the waves were huge, the water was so blue and it was perfect weather. As we biked home, I felt so very at peace. The sun was setting and the bike path was heavily wooded and it was beautiful. After a quick repas (meal) of crepes, I headed back to the bus stop to take the bus back to Bordeaux. I was very grateful that my host family let me see this beautiful place :)

On the bus

The little inlet with small boats that catch the oysters 

Thanks to Marguerite for some flattering photos-I am going to see the Atlantic people!

The Atlantic Ocean!

Upon arrival back in Bordeaux, I went to find the gang in the downtown area. We went to a cute, relaxed bar called La Comtesse where we had some yummy mojitos. The decor was kind of kitsche-y (is that a word?): we sat on old movie theater chairs and contemplated a strange painting of a man with weird proportions for a while. Then it was time for bed!

Day 4: Time to return to Lyon! Amber was staying the rest of break but Cierra and I were set to return home on Tuesday of Toussaint. We got up early, made our way back to our new best friend, the train station, got some McDonald's muffins and met our Covoiturage driver to head home! The drive seemed long but lasted about 6 hours (with a small break in between). Finally, we had made it back to Lyon!

Fairytale countryside from the car

Cierra and I had some dinner at Croc N Roll (a croq monsieur place in Lyon) and then I went home to pack for Partie Trois of Toussaint, wherein I visit Addie in Scotland!!!

YAYYY