Travel to the Canal de Garonne

Day 9 Bordeaux

After a week, we left the camping where we were stayed for a week. We decided that instead of taking the last stretch of the Canal de Garonne, we go for a walk through Bordeaux during the morning and climb the dune du Pilat in the afternoon. Thus, we leave the last day trip to the final stretch of canal, but in the reverse direction. In this way, when we finished the bike section, it will remain less kilometers to go home.

(in 139 km.) Bordeaux: We´ll only be about three hours, so we make a quick tour of the city by bike. The walk into city is very pleasant, with many bike lanes. We left next to the Stone Bridge (Pont de Pierre) the car and crossed the Garonne, up to the Porte de Bourgogne, to enter the historic center. On the left we leave one of the most important monuments, the Basilica Saint-Michel, but ultimately not visited for lack of time.

In June 2007, the historic part of the city, Puerto de la Luna, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as "an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble" of the 18th century. The first attraction that we see, following the route suggested by the map of the tourist office is Cailhau Gate (Porte Cailhau), a medieval gate of the old city walls. We walked into the town and went through the Place de Saint-Pierre (later we would eat here) and Place Parlament, noted for its atmosphere, full of terraces and cafes. We returned back to the riverbank.

Place de la Bourse was built from 1730 to 1775 by architects Gabriel (father and son). Framed by docks of uniform facades, in a horseshoe, is a magnificent architectural complex and one of the most typical works of the time of Louis XV. In the center is adorned by the "fontaine des Trois Grâces". The square is bounded on the north by the Palais de la Bourse, and south by the old Hôtel des Fermes. Another attraction of this place is that it is open to the Garonne river.

We continue along the Cours du Chapeau Rouge towards Place de la Comedie, where we admire the building of the Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux, conceived as a temple of the Arts and Light, with a neo-classical facade. It has a portico of 12 Corinthian style colossal columns which support an entablature on which stand 12 statues that represent the nine Muses and three goddesses (Juno, Venus and Minerva). The Monument aux Girondins is located in the Place des Quinconces. It was build in the late nineteenth century, with a large central column and two excellent sources of bronze, dedicated to the Republic and the Concorde. On top of the central column, an allegory of Liberty appears breaking the chains of oppression.

We continue the tour passing in front of the church of Notre-Dame, Baroque. A little later we passed the busy place Gambetta. We pass by the City hall of Bordeaux, located in the imposing Palais Rohan, former archbishop´s palace, completed in 1784. Opposite is the Saint André Cathedral, Gothic, built in the late eleventh century. From the original Romanesque building of the eleventh century there remain only the interior walls of the nave. Current nave, of Angevin style, dating from the twelfth century and was modified in the thirteenth century. The bell tower, towers and arrows of the transept were completed in the fifteenth century.

In the north facade, the Royal Gate (Porte Royale) made around 1250 presented in his tympanum the Last Judgment. The cathedral is flanked by a fifteenth-century tower east of the presbytery and separated from the rest of the cathedral: the bell tower or the Tour Pey-Berland, which was ordered by Archbishop of the same name. It is a square tower with buttresses, an outdoor gallery and an octagonal arrow. On the summit is placed the statue of Notre Dame D´Aquitaine made in 1862 and later restored.