Angouleme Train Station
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45°39’13.1868″N, 0°9’53.5428″W

to

Bordeaux Train Station
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44°49’35.5008″N, 0°33’22.3488″W

to

Maison Manege
27 Rue de Manege
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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.

Cheers!

Nicols Boat Charter Depot, Sireui
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45°36’20.8692″N, 0°1’30.6804″E

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Hotel Mercure Angouleme
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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.

Cheers!