Maison Manege 27 Rue de Manege ///loosens.generals.part 44°50’27.2148″N, 0°35’7.8756″W
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Bordeaux Wine Museum ///visual.patch.install 44°51’16.4052″N, 0°34’10.0668″W
Today we toured the Bordeaux Wine Museum. This was a very interesting place.
The city tram is very close to our hotel & we found the line that would take us directly to the museum.
Photo above – city tram. Very reasonable cost at €1.50 per person & that includes transfers within an hour of the first ride.
Photo above – Bordeaux Wine Museum.
This building has a very unique shape & the exhibits/displays are unique as well. Each visitor is given a headset & handset which is about the same size as a large smartphone. Visitors walk from one exhibit to another. When you see something you want to learn more about you tap your device on a special symbol beside the exhibit & you get an audio commentary about that exhibit. There are also multiple short video exhibits.
Photo above – a video explaining the history of vineyards throughout the world.
Photo above – the tour also includes a scent sniffing section. This was very interesting & fun to try to identify the scents associated with various types of wines.
We wrapped up the tour with an elevator ride to the top of the building where there was an outside viewing platform that gives you very good views of the city. This was accompanied by a free wine tasting – but only 1 glass.
We really enjoyed this museum. It was very well done & a great way to spend a few hours learning more about wine.
After the tour we stopped at a market beside the museum & had a light lunch. Then we were back on the tram for a ride back to the center of the city.
Photo above – this statue is in Place des Quinconces. At 12 hectares it is one of the largest city squares in Europe.
The square is beside the tram terminal at the city centre. The main monument commemorates the victims of the reign of terror during the French Revolution.
Photo above – the bronze statues from the fountain at the base of the monument were removed by the Nazis during the occupation in 1942 & were supposed to be melted down to make cannons but were later recovered, restored & put back in place.
Photo above – the Opera National du Bordeaux, built in 1780 is just a few steps away from the square.
Photo above – carousel & a wedge shaped building at an intersection across the plaza from the opera house.
Bordeaux is a very walkable city. The opera house is only a 20-30 minute walk from our hotel. Even I can do that!
Tomorrow we plan to do some more exploring in the historic center of the city. We will also check out (sample goods from) one or two of the many patisseries we passed by today.
Angouleme Train Station ///sweep.tarred.oldest 45°39’13.1868″N, 0°9’53.5428″W
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Bordeaux Train Station ///uproot.misty.lifted 44°49’35.5008″N, 0°33’22.3488″W
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Maison Manege 27 Rue de Manege ///loosens.generals.part 44°50’27.2148″N, 0°35’7.8756″W
After breakfast this morning we walked from our hotel to the Angouleme train station. It was an easy walk as it was downhill all the way.
Photo above – in front of the train station. I’m still working on taking decent selfies.
We arrived at the station at 10:30 & our train was not due to leave for another hour so we had a bit of time to reflect on our trip thus far & also about what was ahead.
Our train to Bordeaux arrived in Angouleme right on time & after a quick boarding process we were underway.
Photo above – the TGV to Bordeaux.
Riding trains in France is a totally different experience compared to Canada. These trains are electric, very fast & very smooth.
Screenshot above – I opened the driving navigation app on my phone to see how fast we were going.
We boarded the train at 11:20 am & by 11:34 we were speeding across the countryside at 293+ km/hr! Just like on the trip from Paris my navigation app was going nuts with all kinds of excessive speed warnings & sharp curves ahead. I had to mute the sound to avoid disturbing the other passengers.
The company that operates the trains in this part of France is called SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français or French National Railway Company). I think it could also be called Smooth Nice Clean Fast. It’s unfortunate that we can’t get this kind of service in Canada – at least in-between major cities & population centers.
Photo above – Bordeaux Train Station
We arrived in Bordeaux right on time. We still had 2 hours before we could check in to our hotel so we decided to have lunch at one of the restaurants across the street from the train station.
After lunch Catherine went back into the train station to get some information about public transit in the city. She learned that we could take a bus that would drop us off just a couple of blocks from where we were staying.
The bus ride was easy, even with our luggage & we found our “hotel” without too much effort. The place we are staying is really, really nice. There are only 5 guest rooms but they are large & very comfortable. The entire building was renovated a few years ago to a high quality standard. This must have been a large private residence at one time or a few apartments.
Photo above – Catherine standing outside the entrance to Maison Manege.
Photo above – our room
Photo above – luxury is having a queen size bed in a French hotel room.
In some of the other places we have stayed this bed wouldn’t even fit in the room! We feel like royalty!
The hotel is located near the center of the city & just a few steps away from a vibrant commercial area.
We would certainly recommend this place to anyone visiting Bordeaux.
Photo above – the view from our hotel room window.
Photo above – this part of Bordeaux has an interesting mix of classic & modern architecture. Look at how this office building is cantelivered out over the street below.
Tomorrow we will explore Bordeaux. Catherine has booked a tour of La Cite du Vin – The Wine Museum. That should be a great start to our adventures here in Bordeaux.
Nicols Boat Charter Depot, Sireui ///stun.healing.lameness 45°36’20.8692″N, 0°1’30.6804″E
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Hotel Mercure Angouleme ///prepared.rock.desk 45°38’58.4376″N, 0°9’27.9864″E
The whole crew was up before 7:00 am this morning. Oddly enough, last night was the best sleep I had for the past week. Catherine even had to wake me up! Perhaps subconsciously I didn’t want to leave the boat.
It’s hard to believe that we left Paris a little over a week ago. Time seems to have flown by, but, on the other hand, our few days in Paris now feels like a long time ago!
Screenshot above – our TGV trip from Paris to Angouleme on Saturday, September 7.
We had a continental breakfast aboard – sounds better/more sophisticated than coffee, juice, fruit, yogurt & granola. Then we cleaned up the galley & finished packing.
We were all ready to go shortly after 8:00 am – plenty of time before our Uber ride to Angouleme.
The Nicols agent came aboard to inspect the boat. We had paid extra to have the boat cleaned so her inspection was really just focused on looking for any damage.
We passed the inspection with flying colours. Plus the boat was very clean inside & outside primarily thanks to Valerie’s fastidious housekeeping for the past week. Valerie, you are a dynamo with a broom & a dust cloth. You can crew with me anytime you like 🙂
Screenshot above – the route we took from Sireuil to Jarnac & back again.
Here are some basic statistics of our week aboard charter boat Royan:
Travel from Sireuil to Jarnac and return
10 locks each way (20 locks total)
27 kilometers travelled each way (54 km total)
6 hours engine operation time each way (12 hours total)
3 – 4 hours average travel time per day including passing through locks
Bottles of wine consumed (lost count)
Euchre games played (lost count)
Happy memories created – too many to count
All in all, we had a wonderful adventure but the time went by much too quickly.
We took an Uber back to the hotel in Angouleme. Our Uber driver had a spotless Tesla Model S. Very nice!
David & Valerie had a few hours before they had to catch their first train on the route to Spain so Catherine & I dropped our bags off at the hotel & then we all went to a local cafe for some coffee & breakfast.
After breakfast we walked down to the train station with David & Valerie & said our goodbyes.
Photo above – David & Valerie at the Angouleme train station.
While we were all sad to say goodbye to each other we were all excited about the next stages of our adventures.
David & Valerie are off to Spain to walk a significant portion of the Camino de Santiago. This is something they have wanted to do for a long time. We are excited for them to be on this special journey.
Catherine & I are off to Bordeaux to explore the city for a few days. Then we will rent a car for a week & do some more exploring around the Bay of Biscay & the Dordogne region before heading back to Paris.
Photo above – after checking in to our hotel & resting for a few hours we went out for dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant that we had been to a week earlier with David & Valerie.
We were just getting comfortably seated in the restaurant when we received a WhatsApp message from David & Valerie. They had arrived in Spain & were checked into their hotel.
Photo above – David outside their hotel in Spain. Travel safely dear friends. We look forward to seeing you soon back home in London.
Tomorrow Catherine & I take a morning train to Bordeaux.
Nicols Boat Charter Depot, Sireui ///stun.healing.lameness 45°36’20.8692″N, 0°1’30.6804″E
6 kilometers & 3 locks
Another chilly morning. I was up around 6:00 am & put the kettle on to make hot tea & coffee for the crew & to warm up the galley area a bit.
This also a pretty good time of day for me to begin working on the blog. It’s quiet & I can get a fair bit done before anyone else gets up.
I used to do a lot of my blogging while I was laying in bed at night but these past few years I find it harder to hold my phone steady because I keep drifting off & then whack myself in the face with it. Sitting at the table in the mornings with a cup of coffee or in the afternoons with a glass of wine has proven to be much more productive & less risky.
We left our mooring spot in Mosnac-Saint-Simeux about 9:30 am. We had 6 kilometers to travel & 3 locks to go through to reach our final destination so it was a relatively easy day.
Our first lock was less than a kilometer away & the sun was already getting stronger. Valerie & Catherine volunteered to operate the locks & David & I handled the boat.
Photo above – Catherine & Valerie working the locks at Mosnac-Saint-Simeux.
The staging area upstream of this particular lock is where we spent our first night on the boat 6 days ago.
After we passed through the lock we took a few minutes to look around & recall the beginning of our boating adventure.
Photo above – the vineyard beside the lock at Mosnac-Saint-Simeux. We think these are the kind of grapes used to make Cognac. This was right beside where we were moored.
By the time we got back underway the sun was really beginning to warm us up. David was manning the helm & I was checking the charts to figure out how far it was to the next lock.
Photo above – We noticed swinging/swimming ropes tied to trees with nicely overhanging branches at several spots along the river. Looks like it would be fun to try – but not on this trip.
It wasn’t too long before we arrived at our next lock.
Every lock on this part of the Charente River has a house right beside it. “Back in the day” when the rivers & canals were important transport routes a lock master & his family would have lived in the house. He would have been responsible for operating & maintaining the lock & perhaps even for collecting a toll fee for the use of the lock.
The rivers & canals lost their importance as main transportation routes when railways & highways were developed. Lock masters were no longer needed so the houses were often rented or sold off to people who had nothing to do with the locks other than the fact that a lock was right in front of their house.
Photo above – the lock masters house near the village of Champmillon has a small fenced in area beside it. When we got off our boat to get the lock ready we found that our activities were being closely watched by some of the residents from their comfortable perch.
And now there was just one lock left to go. At the previous lock a couple from Frankfurt, Germany caught up to us just as we were preparing to exit the lock. We had met & chatted with them a few days before. We helped them prepare the lock for their lift up & then we moved on. We told them that we would wait for them at the next (& final) lock of our journey.
Photo above – our German friends enter the lock before we close the gates & began filling.
Photo above – Catherine & Valerie take in some scenery & sunshine while we were en route to our destination, which was just past this bridge.
We arrived at Nicols Boat Charter depot around 1:30. We were glad to have made such good progress but also a bit sad that our boating adventures had come to an end.
Our galley was pretty low on provisions & there was a small pub/restaurant just a few feet away from where we were tied up so we went there for lunch.
After lunch Valerie & David decided go for a walk. Catherine took a nap & I worked on the blog.
We all had a pretty lazy afternoon & then spent some time organizing our belongings so we could be ready for an 8:00 am checkout the next morning.
Before we knew it, we were starting to feel hungry again. David & Valerie volunteered to be in charge of a galley cleanout dinner. Catherine was in charge of preparing the vegetables. The crew came up with a very tasty salad & penne pasta with vegetables & meat sauce. I could take no credit for this meal so I volunteered to clean up the galley after dinner.
Photo above – David & Valerie working their galley magic.
Photo above – in no time at all we were enjoying another fine meal aboard our little boat named “Royan”.
After dinner & the galley cleanup we played a few more hands of euchre. I’m almost beginning to understand what I should be doing.
Even though we had not travelled far today we were all pretty tired so we turned in early & agreed to get up early to have breakfast, finish packing & do the last bit of cleaning before our checkout inspection.
Another chilly morning greeted us. I was up at 5:00 am trying to figure out how the gas heater works so I could heat up the main cabin for the crew.
On board the boat Catherine & I have essentially reversed our morning wake-up times. At home she is normally up around 5:30 – 6:30 am to practice yoga & to work on her writing projects. That’s at least 1 – 2 hours before I get up.
Here on the boat I’m usually the first to get up around 5:00 – 5:30 am to boil some water for coffee & tea for the crew & to also try to generate some heat in the main cabin. After those tasks are completed I have a bit of time to work on the blog before the rest of the crew wakes up.
The boat has a propane gas heater but it requires shore power for the hot air fan to work. There have only been a few mooring spots where shore power was available so I have resorted to boiling a large pot of water on the galley’s propane stove to help warm up the room. It’s crude but it works!
I guess if I had the right skills I could be baking baguettes & croissants in the oven. That would warm up the galley, make the boat smell amazing & give us some tasty treats for the day. Sadly, my culinary talents are pretty much limited to boiling water so I will stick to that routine & we will have to rely on the local bakers for our treats.
Photo above – I was especially motivated to get up early this morning because we were having choclatines for breakfast that the crew bought yesterday afternoon from a bakery in the village.
We only have 5 locks left to go through before we arrive back at the Nicols charter boat base in Sireuil. We planned to go through 2 locks today & spend the night on the mooring wall at Mosnac-Saint-Simeux.
Photo above – looking back at our mooring spot at Chateauneuf-sur-Charante as we depart for Mosnac-Saint-Simeux.
Photo above – a home beside the river on the edge of the village.
Photo above – a little bit of someone’s paradise located just a few hundred meters before we reached our first lock of the day.
Photo above – entering our first lock. Thankfully the sun was getting strong enough to warm us up.
ByPhoto above – Valerie taking in some sun while the boat is rising in the lock.
Photo above – The place where we have docked for the day is also directly in front of Pub Gabariers.
We arrived at Mosnac-Saint-Simeux around 11:30 am, so this was a very short travel time for us.
This village is very pretty but doesn’t have any amenities other than the pub.
Valerie and Catherine went for a walk through the village to see the church on the hilltop.
Photo above – morning glories and cat along the way
Photo above – kitten crossing sign – go slowly!
Photo above – the interior of the church
Photo above – amazing light pattern through the stained glass window onto the stone floor inside the church.
While the women were out walking, I noticed a really nice sports car in the parking lot & walked over to take a closer look at it.
Michel, the owner of the car & his friend Gilles came over to talk with David & I.
Photo above – this is a 1971 Renault Alpine.
Michel has owned this car for 44 years. He didn’t speak much English but his friend was quite fluent so we had a great conversation about classic cars & all the work that Michel had done to the car over the years.
They told us that there was a big classic sports rally & races in Angouleme this weekend. And, lucky for us, many of the rally cars were touring the area & would be driving on the road past where we were staying for the night.
We had lunch in the pub & it was very tasty. David & I had hamburgers & Valerie & Catherine had chicken burgers.
There was a unique snack “vending machine” close to where we were sitting. You could buy little cans of peanuts, jelly beans, olives & other snacks from it. The cafe owner told us it was very old but still worked & was restocked frequently.
Photo above – David getting some snacks from the vending machine. You find what you want to buy & then manually turn the entire top until the column of snacks you want is lined up with a little door. Then you put in a 1 Euro coin to unlock the door!
After lunch we all had a brief rest. About 4:00 pm some sports cars started arriving in the pub’s parking lot & some of the drivers told us that there would be a few dozen classic cars coming down the adjacent road very shortly.
Photo above – David told me he used to own a car just like this. A 1972 MGB GT from 1974 to 1976. His was aqua colour.
Photo above – Citroen CV – very classic French. I’d love a car like this.
Photo above – Porsche Speedster – Catherine wants one of these. However, this particular model of car is worth as much as a very nice boat that I would love to have. So, I guess we will have to decide. Quite honestly, I think the value of the car would increase over time whereas the boat is likely to depreciate, so the car is a better choice.
Photo above – this would be a fun car to tour France in.
Photo above – or how about this one?
Photo above – this one is very sporty
Photo above – another! Sadly, I have so little time & even less money to pursue these gems.
While we were watching about two dozen classic cars drove by. We were able to get a good look at each of them as they passed because they were coming up to a 90 degree corner & had to slow right down to navigate the turn.
Catherine & I walked a little further down the road to view a little basin off the main river channel that had been restored a number of years ago. Part of the infrastructure in the basin was originally designed to trap eels that the fishers would sell to locals & eat themselves.
Photo above – a view of the restored basin
Late in the afternoon we began to think about our evening meal & also about what provisions we would need to finish off our cruise on the Charente. We have to return the boat by 9:00 am on Monday morning so there isn’t much point to buying more groceries. We decided to make the best with what we have on hand & then look for a cafe if we need more.
Photo above – we started with a late afternoon chaqueterie board. If you take a close look at the photo you will see that it is a pretty meagure offering. We all had a pretty good chuckle over that & then poured ourselves another glass of wine.
Catherine & Valerie once again worked their “galley magic” & came up with additional snacks that were more than sufficient to satisfy our cravings. No one has gone hungry on this cruise!
As the sun set our minds turned once again to euchre & we played several rounds until bedtime.
Photo above – The moon was now rising & was about 3/4 of the way to being full. We had a nice view of it from our stern & enjoyed it’s reflection in the water.
I am still learning how to get the most out of the camera that comes with my new phone. Hopefully I can get some nice moon shots over the next week or two.
Tomorrow is our last day on the boat. We just have 3 locks & a few kilometers to go to arrive at the boat charter base.
