For 2013 we stayed within the UK borders, each awaiting surgery on joints - knee revision for Joan and hip revision for me - both now thankfully complete. So on June 3rd we again flew by Easyjet from Bristol to La Rochelle as we had done in 2012, staying at the same hotel, now called Ibis Budget rather than Etape, but with differing travel ideas. We spent the free day in Isle de Re at La Flotte, rather disappointing in spite of the wonderful market because of the windy overcast weather and the worst ever, if cheapest, Moules Mariniere we have eaten anywhere.
BORDEAUX
Next day we traveled to Bordeaux by intercity train where for a tip of 1 Euro I was given a good introduction to the tram system and an insight into finding Hotel des Voyageurs which we had booked in advance by email on the recommendation of Trip Advisor and the Rough Guide to France. It was an excellent choice just south of the Garonne reached by crossing le pont de pierre from Porte de Bourgogne to Stalingrad tram stations. It was closed but we met a Canadian couple also waiting there, but being hungry we left for a snack in a nearby bar. The temperature at the nearby pharmacy said 37 degrees - summer had arrived and the remaining three weeks were sunny and hot.
We had booked for six nights before heading south east to meet up with Terry McVeigh and his second wife Chikaka (japanese) and her son Andrew. In fact we had to leave Bordeaux a day early in order to miss the beginning of a rail strike. Bordeaux was an interesting city to explore with strong contrasts in the way of developing an outdated port area. Swansea opted for a large marina, modern apartment blocks, new hotels and offices, Liverpool in the centre, only have opted for a mixture of adaptation of old warehouse structures into museums and restaurants to add to visitor attractions and modern blocks which are tilted in seeming denial of gravity, the remainder simply looks disused. Bordeaux, which being part of Vichy France totally avoided war damage was left with a superb street of buildings alongside the waterfront. Mayor Juppe is credited with the vision to replace the docks entirely by a wide reclaimed flat strip which now serves as a wonderful public waterfront area with a new riverside tramway to facilitate north/south transport along the river. The key east/west tram routes cross le pont de pierre.
One feature of the riverside is the Water Mirror, created 8 years ago and now listed as A Contemporary World Heritage Site. A minimal flooding of a large concrete slab which is quiet fantastic sight in the evening sunlight and an obvious delight to the children paddling there. Unfortunately the photos do not quite capture the fascinated delight as children were able to see their reflections move as they played.
Another feature at the same time of day was a display, presumably by a group of students, of Capodicera a Brazilian dance form where a couple acrobatically intertwine their bodies without actually touching each other spurred on by the drumming that at the time I took to be African rhythms, until a new pair take up the challenge.
The old city is a fascinating mix of superb old buildings, expensive shopping streets and in the St. Pierre area full of street alleyways full of restaurants. We ate three times in rue des Faussets, well at Melodie and La Cote de Boeuf which ran under a local title like Upside Down Restaurant, for the high roof allowed the decor to include tables mounted upside down on the ceiling and a vertical garden, but far less success with the food from another close to La Cote de Boeuf, so be careful.
As a city destination Bordeaux in my view is let down by the absence of attractions for tourists (or residents), it compares badly in this respect with the medieval town of Saintes, see later.
Whilst esploring the centre we come across the La PLACE des QUINCONCES, the largest square in Europe bordered on all sides by lines of trees. It was formed in 1818 on demolition of the remains of Chateau Trompette, the seat of French Royalty from the 15th century, to mark the return of Bordeaux from the English.
It features the Monument aux Girondins, with lower statues of Bordeaux and the rivers Garonne and Dordogne, as if this wasn't an impressive enough we were soon engulfed by a crowd of teenagers in fancy dress. Two boys dressed in wet suits as penguins jumped into the water. Not the last such crowd we bumped into that day, though the most impressively dressed, all celebrating their last day at school in the traditional way.
St EMILLION
We took two on day side trips, the first by train to this wine village, an old fascinating hill-town with lots of choice in restaurants and views. The 20 minute walk from the station might be to far for some but it was through pleasant countryside.
CITADELLE of BLAYE
The second side trip was to Blaye by bus and its fine Citadelle on the south bank of the Gironde. A similar fortification was on the north bank, together they were built to defend Bordeaux by canon fire against invasion from the Atlantic, each being able to cover the expanse to an island in the middle. They were situated upstream of the ports of Bordeaux, which later moved out from the Garonne because of problems with silting.
We remembered it fondly for the night, years before when we had camped with our very young family in its grounds. Even though a World Heritage site it still provides a camping site, now plus a small hotel, several restaurants/bars and a fascinating small, well targeted, local history museum.
PERIGORD
This is the name of the region with the northern part called Dordogne after the river, whereas the southern region is dominated by the river Lot. Terry picked us up at the Agen station and took us to a restaurant serving Japanese food before driving home. His home Le Vignal near the small town of Cuzom is a delightful rural setting with lots of land and open views. He rents on three year rolling let, renting gives flexibility and protection against the difficulties of selling property in this rural region.
A very lazy relaxing three nights, entertained on the final evening being by jazz piano as he rehearsed next door for concert on Saturday. The major diversion being a trip to the Eco market at Villeneuve sur Lot and a walk across the Pont de Midi where the canal passes over the Lot. Napoleon has the credit for this crossing as for so much else in France.
We went because of the strike with some trepidation to the railway station in Cuzom, I believe though have thrown away the tickets which would have clarified the matter.
We had to wait in a queue whilst she dealt with a couple of difficult ex-UK residents, sometimes you are ashamed to be British. Then it was our turn to deal with what Terry described (justifiably) as the most beautiful French woman he had seen. One could see part of her difficulty for the rail strike was still on so some trains would run and others would be cancelled, making it difficult to identify feasible connections. At first she said sorry there were no trains from Agen to Bordeaux, Nantes and Cholet but none the less she looked for alternatives and eventually concluded we could get from Agen to Bordeaux by a replacement bus much earlier in the morning, and thus catch the only train running that day between Bordeaux and Nantes, but would have to sort out the rest of the route via Cholet or Angers on arrival. We knew our granddaughter Hazel, who had just passed her Driving Test, would fetch us by car from either, if we arrived before 6pm when she was due to leave for a national gymnastic club competition.
At Nantes I bought a ticket for a bus (train substitute) but on boarding the ticket was refused by the driver for invalidity (not my fault). I needed a more expensive ticket because this was rush-hour. Furious because the ticket was labelled specifically for that time and bus with the driver unable to accept the difference I left the bus with a 'Il n'y a pas assez de temps - a La France!!' But back at the long ticket queue I was taken straight to the front of one kiosk by the very helpful queue supervisor and just made it back to the bus as it was leaving, only to find that all the seats had been taken. Luckily we were able to recover our baggage from the locker underneath the bus and stow it in an extra bus which took us and one other passenger to Cholet.
CHEMILLE
Hazel took us home as arranged and showed us to her bedroom which she had gracefully lent us, our previous bed in the basement being too low for Joan with her lack of knee flexibility. She had the consolation of the larger upstairs bedroom of her older sister Alice, who was currently in Lithuania on work experience from University.
Hazel and I were soon raiding the laden, not quite ripe, Cherry Tree in the garden, thinking ourselves more welcome than the starlings which in a past year had arrived in hundreds to strip the tree. They arrived a few days later and Jimmy climbed the tree to install a wooden hawk he had already carved after which they did not return.
LE CHAMP DES ARTS at ST LEZIN
The first weekend there was a two festival at St Lezin a small village (691 inhabitants) nearby which was rumoured to have a particular interest in Circus Arts.
Day one featured music by steel, cans and plastic pipes, then a threesome daring acrobatic display on ropes (they had brought a rig of their own similar to that in the brand new big top).
They had just bought a Big Top fitted with stage lighting and a strong frame with climbing ropes ready for acrobatic displays and maybe acrobat training. Unfortunately a promised grant had not been honored so there had been a big increase in the originally advertised entrance fee for Saturday, the Sunday was still free. Several years ago we remembered an evening of such entertainment immediately before the jazz performance.
Sunday although free was even better with a wonderful display of gymnastics without props by two fit young women in disguise as old, fat, unskilled circus clowns called Presque Siamoises because they did part of their act with their heads strapped together, see photos. This display kept a large good natured crowd amused for well over an hour.
CAMILLIACUS JAZZ, 18th Festival 16-22 JUIN 2014
Camilliacus as they say Chemille was called in Roman days, it really doesn't feel that old! The Festival comprised five evenings of two band concerts, three in Theatre Forail in Chemille, the second at St. Lezin for the very first use of their new Big Top featuring also a dance group from Angers (Les pieds en delire) with a non stop display of ultra vigorous Lindy Hop. The fourth by gospel singers from the Congo was in a church at Tourlandry with a rebuilt roof supported by beautiful new wooden beams.
As usual the organiser of the festival, as of so much more music as a local official in the area, was Bernard Calmet who came to Swansea Jazzland a few years ago with Jim. The weeks jazz had been largely influenced by Stan Laferriere. Like his father he is associated with music within the French Air Force and is currently Director of Le Grand Orchestre de Jazz de l'Air a Paris. I seem to remember an email from Baz recollecting the same surname to Terry re a jazz occasion at the London University Air Squadron in the 50's. Stan was le parrain (sponsor) this year. He played as pianist in two groups, as guitarist, as drummer in a trio featuring his father Marc on alto and a fine Stride pianist Louis Mazetier, and Stan on drums.
Stan's wife (Deborah Tropez, a professional drummer) played an outstanding solo when the two groups at St Lezin jammed together.
Joan was not alone to leave Friday's Electro Jazz (and flashing lights) concert as it was throbbingly loud and threatening her feeling of physical stability, I willingly joined her at the deserted bar. Spectacular and probably the concert with the most appeal and a noticeably younger audience. Not what I think of as music - let alone jazz.
The weekend as usual was devoted to several groups playing in the streets on Saturday to celebrate La Fete de la Musique and Jazz in the Parc on Sunday afternoon was devoted to four local bands and wound up with an all-welcome jam session.
SAINTES
We had never before been to this ancient city, an important capital in Roman times. It was a great place to explore on foot.
A spectacular Gallo-Roman Amphitheatre
This gateway originally formed the high point on the Agrippan Way linking Saintes and Lyon. Was the gateway to the original river bridge which was almost destroyed during construction of new bridge in 1800s but saved by a local enthusiast causing it to be rebuilt on the river bank.
A fine Archaeological Museum featuring impressive Roman remains.
Impressive churches, Saint -Eutropius being a World Heritage Site on the Route to Santiago de Compostela featuring, as in St Emillion a fine underground Crypt.
These tapestries were designed by Jean Francois Favre but were woven by Christian women of the Abbey.
Unlike Bordeaux this town set out to encourage tourists with a constant stream of festivals and largely classical music concerts during the summer months to make the most of attractive venues like the Amphitheatre and the vast courtyard of Abbaye aux Dames. Entrance to virtually all museums was free.
An attractive old riverside town offering a wide choice of restaurants, we will return. It is an easy train ride, being like La Rochelle a stop on the main Nantes to Bordeaux intercity line.
We were happy with our choice of budget Hotel de l'Avenue on Gambetta the main avenue from station to the centre of town.
Over the road was the Thai Restaurant we chose for our last evening meal and had a fine time talking to a couple on the next table. He was from Yorkshire and had made his way up from mechanic to owner of car dealers, his his much younger Thai wife who was riding pillion on his BMW motorbike on route to Gibraltar to celebrate their marriage 10 years previously. His latest venture, in partial retirement, was to buy the complete stock of end of line motorbike parts over eBay from firms closing down, he had just received a couple of trailer loads from a Kawasaki dealership in the USA.
TRAVEL SUMMARY
This our second attempt at traveling by plane and rail around France using cheap city hotels but eating out well in towns had again been highly successful in spite of the uncertainties created by the Rail Strike.
For two, the return air flight Bristol-La Rochelle cost only £112 and the rail La Rochelle-Bordeaux-Agen-Bordeaux-Nantes-Cholet-Saintes-La Rochelle largely by intercity trains cost £282.
Research on travel was by the Rough Guide to France and rail mini timetables available at stations, research on hotels and restaurants was largely by Trip Advisor, attractions within cities from Tourist Information Offices. All made accessible by iPad.
BORDEAUX
Next day we traveled to Bordeaux by intercity train where for a tip of 1 Euro I was given a good introduction to the tram system and an insight into finding Hotel des Voyageurs which we had booked in advance by email on the recommendation of Trip Advisor and the Rough Guide to France. It was an excellent choice just south of the Garonne reached by crossing le pont de pierre from Porte de Bourgogne to Stalingrad tram stations. It was closed but we met a Canadian couple also waiting there, but being hungry we left for a snack in a nearby bar. The temperature at the nearby pharmacy said 37 degrees - summer had arrived and the remaining three weeks were sunny and hot.
We had booked for six nights before heading south east to meet up with Terry McVeigh and his second wife Chikaka (japanese) and her son Andrew. In fact we had to leave Bordeaux a day early in order to miss the beginning of a rail strike. Bordeaux was an interesting city to explore with strong contrasts in the way of developing an outdated port area. Swansea opted for a large marina, modern apartment blocks, new hotels and offices, Liverpool in the centre, only have opted for a mixture of adaptation of old warehouse structures into museums and restaurants to add to visitor attractions and modern blocks which are tilted in seeming denial of gravity, the remainder simply looks disused. Bordeaux, which being part of Vichy France totally avoided war damage was left with a superb street of buildings alongside the waterfront. Mayor Juppe is credited with the vision to replace the docks entirely by a wide reclaimed flat strip which now serves as a wonderful public waterfront area with a new riverside tramway to facilitate north/south transport along the river. The key east/west tram routes cross le pont de pierre.
One feature of the riverside is the Water Mirror, created 8 years ago and now listed as A Contemporary World Heritage Site. A minimal flooding of a large concrete slab which is quiet fantastic sight in the evening sunlight and an obvious delight to the children paddling there. Unfortunately the photos do not quite capture the fascinated delight as children were able to see their reflections move as they played.
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| WATER MIRROR |
Another feature at the same time of day was a display, presumably by a group of students, of Capodicera a Brazilian dance form where a couple acrobatically intertwine their bodies without actually touching each other spurred on by the drumming that at the time I took to be African rhythms, until a new pair take up the challenge.
The old city is a fascinating mix of superb old buildings, expensive shopping streets and in the St. Pierre area full of street alleyways full of restaurants. We ate three times in rue des Faussets, well at Melodie and La Cote de Boeuf which ran under a local title like Upside Down Restaurant, for the high roof allowed the decor to include tables mounted upside down on the ceiling and a vertical garden, but far less success with the food from another close to La Cote de Boeuf, so be careful.
As a city destination Bordeaux in my view is let down by the absence of attractions for tourists (or residents), it compares badly in this respect with the medieval town of Saintes, see later.
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| BELLTOWER, BORDEAUX |
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| PLACE de la BOURSE |
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| GRAND HOTEL |
It features the Monument aux Girondins, with lower statues of Bordeaux and the rivers Garonne and Dordogne, as if this wasn't an impressive enough we were soon engulfed by a crowd of teenagers in fancy dress. Two boys dressed in wet suits as penguins jumped into the water. Not the last such crowd we bumped into that day, though the most impressively dressed, all celebrating their last day at school in the traditional way.
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| STATUE of LIBERTY atop MONUMENT aux GIRONDINS |
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| SAILORS HORSES |
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| YOUNG MAN as they now say! |
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| SAILORS HORSES to rear |
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| TEENAGERS CELEBRATING LAST EVER DAY OF SCHOOL |
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| A PENGUIN |
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| WHITE and BLACK SWANS? |
We took two on day side trips, the first by train to this wine village, an old fascinating hill-town with lots of choice in restaurants and views. The 20 minute walk from the station might be to far for some but it was through pleasant countryside.
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| TERTRE des VAILLANTS |
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| VIEW from VINES and ROMAN remains from HIGHEST part of town |
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| JOAN about to enter old street |
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| WOODEN BEAMED HOUSE |
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| DECORATIVE CARVING |
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| ONE TIME WASH-HOUSE from our LUNCH TABLE |
The second side trip was to Blaye by bus and its fine Citadelle on the south bank of the Gironde. A similar fortification was on the north bank, together they were built to defend Bordeaux by canon fire against invasion from the Atlantic, each being able to cover the expanse to an island in the middle. They were situated upstream of the ports of Bordeaux, which later moved out from the Garonne because of problems with silting.
We remembered it fondly for the night, years before when we had camped with our very young family in its grounds. Even though a World Heritage site it still provides a camping site, now plus a small hotel, several restaurants/bars and a fascinating small, well targeted, local history museum.
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| ENTRANCE across the DRY MOAT |
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| CAMPING TERRAIN ONGOING |
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| THE ORIGINAL HOLES IN THE GROUND |
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| A BEAUTIFUL CITADELLE DWELLING |
This is the name of the region with the northern part called Dordogne after the river, whereas the southern region is dominated by the river Lot. Terry picked us up at the Agen station and took us to a restaurant serving Japanese food before driving home. His home Le Vignal near the small town of Cuzom is a delightful rural setting with lots of land and open views. He rents on three year rolling let, renting gives flexibility and protection against the difficulties of selling property in this rural region.
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| JOAN at TERRY and CHIKAKA's |
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| KITCHEN DOOR |
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| NAPOLEAN'S PONT de MIDI |
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| TERRY and BRIAN on BRIDGE |
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| ECO MARKET at VILLENEUF sur LOT |
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| VILLENEUF sur LOT |
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| CUZOM LOCAL AUTHORITY BUILDING |
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| BACK HOME |
At Nantes I bought a ticket for a bus (train substitute) but on boarding the ticket was refused by the driver for invalidity (not my fault). I needed a more expensive ticket because this was rush-hour. Furious because the ticket was labelled specifically for that time and bus with the driver unable to accept the difference I left the bus with a 'Il n'y a pas assez de temps - a La France!!' But back at the long ticket queue I was taken straight to the front of one kiosk by the very helpful queue supervisor and just made it back to the bus as it was leaving, only to find that all the seats had been taken. Luckily we were able to recover our baggage from the locker underneath the bus and stow it in an extra bus which took us and one other passenger to Cholet.
CHEMILLE
Hazel took us home as arranged and showed us to her bedroom which she had gracefully lent us, our previous bed in the basement being too low for Joan with her lack of knee flexibility. She had the consolation of the larger upstairs bedroom of her older sister Alice, who was currently in Lithuania on work experience from University.
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| ALICE'S RABBIT |
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| BARBEQUE |
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| Add caption |
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| RIPE FRUIT |
The first weekend there was a two festival at St Lezin a small village (691 inhabitants) nearby which was rumoured to have a particular interest in Circus Arts.
Day one featured music by steel, cans and plastic pipes, then a threesome daring acrobatic display on ropes (they had brought a rig of their own similar to that in the brand new big top).
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| MARCHING CONCERT BAND at ST LEZIN |
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| STEEL BAND |
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| TUBULAR BELLS etc |
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| STUNTS by TWO MEN and a WOMAN on ROPES |
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| SHE FINISHED BY USING THEM AS A SWING SEAT |
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| PLAYING GUITAR UPSIDE DOWN on a CLIMBING ROPE |
Sunday although free was even better with a wonderful display of gymnastics without props by two fit young women in disguise as old, fat, unskilled circus clowns called Presque Siamoises because they did part of their act with their heads strapped together, see photos. This display kept a large good natured crowd amused for well over an hour.
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| ACROBATICS by FAT CLOWNS |
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| LOOK WHAT I CAN DO! |
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| LOOK AGAIN! |
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| TYING FRIEND into a BALL |
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| SPOT JIM and his MUM in crowd at St LEZIN |
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| Presque Siamoises (heads strapped together) |
Camilliacus as they say Chemille was called in Roman days, it really doesn't feel that old! The Festival comprised five evenings of two band concerts, three in Theatre Forail in Chemille, the second at St. Lezin for the very first use of their new Big Top featuring also a dance group from Angers (Les pieds en delire) with a non stop display of ultra vigorous Lindy Hop. The fourth by gospel singers from the Congo was in a church at Tourlandry with a rebuilt roof supported by beautiful new wooden beams.
As usual the organiser of the festival, as of so much more music as a local official in the area, was Bernard Calmet who came to Swansea Jazzland a few years ago with Jim. The weeks jazz had been largely influenced by Stan Laferriere. Like his father he is associated with music within the French Air Force and is currently Director of Le Grand Orchestre de Jazz de l'Air a Paris. I seem to remember an email from Baz recollecting the same surname to Terry re a jazz occasion at the London University Air Squadron in the 50's. Stan was le parrain (sponsor) this year. He played as pianist in two groups, as guitarist, as drummer in a trio featuring his father Marc on alto and a fine Stride pianist Louis Mazetier, and Stan on drums.
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| STAN'S FATHER MARC on ALTO |
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| Stan on guitar with The Swingberries |
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| LINDY HOP DANCERS from ANGERS - at REST? |
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| BIG TOP at ST LEZIN |
The weekend as usual was devoted to several groups playing in the streets on Saturday to celebrate La Fete de la Musique and Jazz in the Parc on Sunday afternoon was devoted to four local bands and wound up with an all-welcome jam session.
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| Bernard Calmet on trumpet, music school teachers on banjo and euphonium and a complete stranger on soprano |
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| A Brilliant 7 year old drums whilst his singer mother looks on |
SAINTES
We had never before been to this ancient city, an important capital in Roman times. It was a great place to explore on foot.
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| SAINTES RIVERSIDE |
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| WALKING TO THE AMPHITHEATRE |
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| VIEW OF ST EUTROPE |
A spectacular Gallo-Roman Amphitheatre
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| GALLO ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE |
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| ENTRY for GLADIATORS |
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| ENTRY for GLADIATORS |
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| EXIT for the DEAD |
This gateway originally formed the high point on the Agrippan Way linking Saintes and Lyon. Was the gateway to the original river bridge which was almost destroyed during construction of new bridge in 1800s but saved by a local enthusiast causing it to be rebuilt on the river bank.
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| ARC de GERMANICUS |
A fine Archaeological Museum featuring impressive Roman remains.
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| ROMULUS and REMUS? |
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| CATHEDRALE ST PIERRE |
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| CATHEDRALE ST PIERRE |
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| CATHEDRALE ST PIERRE |
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| CRYPT OF ST EUTROPE |
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| ST EUTROPE, lower windows are of crypt |
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| THE PARC by the MUSEUM |
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| ABBAYE AUX DAMES |
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| ABBAYE AUX DAMES |
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| ABBAYE AUX DAMES |
Unlike Bordeaux this town set out to encourage tourists with a constant stream of festivals and largely classical music concerts during the summer months to make the most of attractive venues like the Amphitheatre and the vast courtyard of Abbaye aux Dames. Entrance to virtually all museums was free.
An attractive old riverside town offering a wide choice of restaurants, we will return. It is an easy train ride, being like La Rochelle a stop on the main Nantes to Bordeaux intercity line.
We were happy with our choice of budget Hotel de l'Avenue on Gambetta the main avenue from station to the centre of town.
Over the road was the Thai Restaurant we chose for our last evening meal and had a fine time talking to a couple on the next table. He was from Yorkshire and had made his way up from mechanic to owner of car dealers, his his much younger Thai wife who was riding pillion on his BMW motorbike on route to Gibraltar to celebrate their marriage 10 years previously. His latest venture, in partial retirement, was to buy the complete stock of end of line motorbike parts over eBay from firms closing down, he had just received a couple of trailer loads from a Kawasaki dealership in the USA.
TRAVEL SUMMARY
This our second attempt at traveling by plane and rail around France using cheap city hotels but eating out well in towns had again been highly successful in spite of the uncertainties created by the Rail Strike.
For two, the return air flight Bristol-La Rochelle cost only £112 and the rail La Rochelle-Bordeaux-Agen-Bordeaux-Nantes-Cholet-Saintes-La Rochelle largely by intercity trains cost £282.
Research on travel was by the Rough Guide to France and rail mini timetables available at stations, research on hotels and restaurants was largely by Trip Advisor, attractions within cities from Tourist Information Offices. All made accessible by iPad.
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