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Tasting Bordeaux, and Snowing in Limoges!

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 Bordeaux:


[31mar22] lazy start, to Tourist Office at 11:30 to buy a Bordeaux CityPass (31euros each), intending to visit both the Cité du Vin and the nearby Bassins des Lumières, as advised by earlier tourist info person.  Catch tramB and arrive at Cité du Vin just before the 12noon deadline.  The museum is a museologist's dream, with beautiful architecture and varied interesting exhibits and props, most of which actually work, and excellent visuals and a well-designed audioguide.  Particularly impressive were the aroma samplers, large belljars with rubber bulbs that would blow the aroma through an eartrumpet so you could sample it!  The belljar contents must get refreshed every day or two!  A wide variety of educational exhibits, even including about drunkenness and negative effects of alcohol; however mostly positive wonderful descriptions, even a lounging couch with inset loudspeakers to enjoy music & imagery associated with wine!  I learned that the classic Bordeaux bottle is designed with shoulders so as to catch sediment when pouring it out;  also, that French-style dinner service  means all food is presented at once, while Russian-style service presents each dish separately.  The expensive ticket includes 1 glass of nice wine—Barb chose Bordeaux Supérieur red, and I chose a Crémant d'Alsace; then we switched...both were quite good.  The gift shoppe is great, but we resisted, just purchasing a small tasting-book for Bruce, and a postcard.  Then I checked the map and said we could walk to the Bassins des Lumières – bad idea, I should have asked for advice. It was quite far, and even with a later roundabout bus ride it took 45 minutes to get there, again just before last call at 4pm.  


The Bassins des Lumières is an art installation in the old Nazi-built submarine base (think meter-thick concrete walls surrounding pools of water), with a sound&light show displaying artwork on walls and floors: Spanish painter Serrano, and the main show was Venice, La Serinissima; quite stunning in the huge space, particularly unusual because of the large pools of water. The audio quality is surprisingly good, and the visuals are artfully projected as slightly-moving images, including various surprising floor tiles.  

Both museum events are unique and memorable, well worth visiting. 

Unfortunately, the Bassin is remote from any public transport, so we Uber'd back home, exiting nearby because of a traffic jam.  I needed a tylenol to soothe a lingering headache; then we walked out to the Japanese Café, for a genuine japanese meal of sushi and ramen (excellent fish, though the rice seemed a bit old), with a drink each, for only 41 euros. 

Home for a tutoring session AP World History.


[01apr22] cleanup packup, ready at 10:15, host Alain arrives, we are out at 10:45am.  Tram to the station, lunch at Café du Levant, then wait in the station for the local train to Limoges. 


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