Bustling Bordeaux: There's Not Just Wine

Hello lovely people!

I'm here to make my first post on Bordeaux! I say first because I will be going back and it's the closest metropolitan city to me, so it's the only place I can go shopping properly without going TOO far.

I have technically been to Bordeaux three times now: when I first arrived in France, when I went for an interview, and then recently just to shop and walk around. I must say... I quite like the place.

Bordeaux is a great city in the South-western area of France and some of you may know about it because that region is absolutely famous for it's wine. However, Bordeaux it's not all vineyards and wineries. It is a large area that has many towns and the sprawling metropolitan city for which the region is aptly named.

The first time I went to Bordeaux I was just passing through the Gare St. Jean (train station) on my way to Biscarrosse so I have no pictures and did nothing particularly interesting. I will note that the train station is currently being redone though, and has been since before I arrived. The second time I went to Bordeaux was for an interview. I arrived at a local engineering department at one of Bordeaux's many universities before taking the metro to the centre ville (city center). Once I got to the city center, I thought "ahhhh... now this is a French city." Bordeaux is an old city. The entire city center is build in the classic French style that you see in movies about people who go to France (Paris) but it has it's own unique energy.

Bordeaux sees significantly less tourists than Paris, which makes it all the more attractive. On top of that, it's in the middle of autumn right now so there are not too many tourists at all these days, so I had the leisure to wander around the city. Before my interview I stopped by a local shop and bought some macarons because I had been craving some. When in France, right? I went to a cute cafe to have a bite to eat; crepes and some tea. After the interview, my friend Anna met me and we walked around Bordeaux to take pictures and see what was there. We ended up seeing a parking lot that did not look like a parking lot. It looked like a small park with lots of small trees. It was a parking lot. Wtf? Anyway, after that we came across an actual park and went there to sit in the sun and eat our macarons and chat. It was a lovely visit.

The most recent trip was made so that I can see more of the city. I traveled with two friends, Anna and Jessica. We ended up near a shopping district as well, which was great because I was looking for an orange shirt for work reasons and it was impossible to find in Biscarrosse. But before that, we ate lunch at an Indian restaurant not far from where we parked. It was legitimate and authentic. Thank you France. I also happened to walk right into the glass door as we left. Never happened before. I think there's a small bump on my head to be honest.

After leaving the restaurant, we took a street right in front of it and it was basically a straight shot to the shopping area, where we walked around. First we headed to the direction of a beautiful arch that ended up being at a plaza where two very different, but very interesting things were happening. First, there was a bazaar for used books. Can you imagine how hard I had to control myself not buy those books? It was painful. The second thing was there was a protest about the Turkish government. I love that people in France actively protest for their rights, even if it's not for France proper, but from a country they're affiliated with. Go France, keep on keeping on.

After we browsed some books, we went back into the shopping area and checked out some shops. We came across one shoe shop and went in because I wanted to buy a pair of tennis shoes (or trainers for the British people who might read this). I found a pair of black tennis shoes for 15 euros and went ahead and got them. It was a decent price and the shoes are comfortable enough. If they break I won't be heartbroken because you get what you pay for.

I also managed to find a super cute orange sweater! All I need is an orange t-shirt for the summer and then I'll be set. We walked around some more and went into a couple of thrift shops to check out what they had before getting some drinks at an Irish pub. We chilled with our drinks (I chose cider) before heading back up the street to the car and getting ready to leave Bordeaux. Anna and I both were ready to go on another adventure and Jessica had to head home for a dinner with her co-workers. But it was still a very good time.

If you want to see proof shots of my adventures, please check out my instagram, which is linked to the left in the column, as is my twitter. Follow both and you'll get sneak peaks of what I'll post next! Please follow by email if you don't want me on your feeds, and you can do so by signing up at the column to the left as well

instagram: @mochaventure
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