bed, we’d have missed the deep purple clouds turning
pink over the stone spire of the gothic church.
There’s plenty of time in the itinerary to explore
the charms of Bordeaux city, too. From our mooring
in the northern part of town, it’s an easy, picturesque
stroll past the Louis XIV buildings which appear
in perfect reflection in the whimsical public art
piece, Le Miroir d’eau. Many of the 18th-century
houses have been bought up by “le bobo,” says
Auzely, “the bourgeois and bohemian set,” but one
neighbourhood offering intimate knowledge of
Bordeaux is the multicultural Saint Michel district.
The food market, Marché des Capucins, is a must.
Known colloquially as the “belly of Bordeaux,” the
corridors, lined with poissonneries, fromageries and
boucheries, are named for regions in Bordeaux, many
we’ve visited over the last week. Workers stop for
espresso and port at the Portugaises on Allée Pauillac,
and an elderly woman fills her striped market trolley
with rockmelons on Allée Saint-Estephe. Outside, at
the flea markets at the base of the Basilica of Saint
Michel, there’s no need to haggle over a 24-piece
porcelain dining service from nearby Limoges. From a
jaw-dropping 20 euros, I still have change for canelé.
Getting there
Multiple airlines, including Emirates,
fly one-stop to Paris from select
Australian cities. emirates.com
Trains from Paris to Bordeaux take
2 hours and 45 minutes; flights are
also available from Paris to Bordeaux.Getting around
APT’s next eight-day round-trip
Grand Bordeaux cruise takes place
on 24 September 2020. It costs $6145
per person, twin share. For further
information, see aptouring.com.auTrip
notesGOURMET TRAVELLER 155