Bordeaux, France 5
We had a clear sky on Day 5, the last full day of the trip, finally!
I wanted to see Le Miroir d'eau - the huge reflecting pool - again because we couldn't see a clear reflection in the rain a few days ago. I thought early morning would be the best time to avoid tourists, so I asked J to go there first thing.
I knew that the pool operates on a cycle of filling, mirroring, and misting from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, but I thought it was always filled with water. I was wrong...
The pool was empty!
Well, I was right about no tourists in the early morning, though. We had the pool as well as the Place de la Bourse all to ourselves. The mid-18th-century, neoclassical-style square was beautifully bordered by historic buildings: the Hôtel des Fermes on the left, the Palais Brongniart in the middle, and the Hôtel de la Bourse on the right. The Fountain of the Three Graces stood in the middle.
For breakfast, we visited a bakery called Gllm Guillaume. My pain aux raisins was excellent! Maybe the best of the trip! J had a toasted ham cheese sandwich or something like that, I think.
We revisited the Jardin Public and mainly explored the areas we didn't see last time.
It was the first bar-headed goose I had ever seen.
An unidentified bird walked past...
I was getting to know the layout of the city by then. The mix of winding alleys and long, straight streets was one of Bordeaux's charms.
We were getting close to the reflecting pool, but it wasn't 10 a.m. yet. We had a tea break at Bergamote Saint Rémi, a pastry shop near the pool to wait. I tried their flan and liked the rich, creamy texture and the lovely vanilla flavor very much.
At 10 a.m.! The reflecting pool was being filled with water to a depth of 2 cm.
The misting cycle (3 minutes) started! It seemed like water was draining during the misting cycle. Once the water got a bit shallow, I was able to step into the mirror.
Watching the full cycle of Le Miroir d'eau was enjoyable, and the clear blue sky definitely made the reflection truly remarkable. The next filling cycle started. I could watch the entire show again, but apparently once was enough for J.
Most retail stores were open by then, so it was time for the last day of shopping. We visited some wine stores, a cheese shop, a shoe store, and a couple of grocery stores.
I chose Restaurant Son' as our last lunch place because it was very highly rated and supposed to be "Sophisticated restaurant presenting innovative cuisine amid elegant surroundings," according to Google. We have already tried traditional French restaurants, so I thought modern French might be interesting.
Santé with J's French (Bordeaux?) bubble!
My starter was grilled squid with apple, nori seaweed, and and a few other garnishes. It seemed like the dish was trying to incorporate some traditional Japanese flavors. The squid itself was nice, but the other elements were a little too busy for me. I would prefer simply grilled squid with a drizzle of lemon juice and soy sauce. J had a kind of terrine, I think. The horseradish-flavored (was it?) sorbet was unique and very refreshing.
For the main dish, we both chose sturgeon. I have eaten many kinds of fish, but I think it was my first sturgeon. It was mild and meaty. Like my starter, the plate was decorated with various textures and flavors, but they really didn't come together in my opinion. J thought so, too.
My dessert was french toast. That was ok. J had a 'savory' dessert made from some fresh cheese, which wasn't his favorite. Frankly speaking, the lunch wasn't our taste, but you never know unless you try, right?
The restaurant was located near the Bordeaux Cathedral. The cathedral and its bell tower looked even more beautiful against the blue sky.
Our shopping continued. We returned to La Maison Darricau and bought more of their chocolate.
We also stopped by another chocolate store, Hasnaâ Chocolats Grands Crus and got a box of their award-winning chocolate made with ganache of red wine from the left bank of Bordeaux.
It was a pretty hot day. We had chilled sparkling water at Le Boulanger de l'Hôtel de Ville, a bakery/cafe near the cathedral. I heard good things about their cannelés, so we tried one, too. It was wonderful, indeed - a deep caramel-flavored, crispy shell and a delicate, custardy inside with lovely vanilla and rum flavors. It was just as much to my liking as the one from La Toque Cuivrée!
To be continued...
