My musings after 3 days in Bordeaux

It’s been several years since I’ve spent any time in France. This time I chose a destination I had not been to before. Bordeaux obviously brings to mind quality French wines, just as Chianti in Tuscany does for Italy.

However the city of Bordeaux does little to remind one of the beautiful bucolic areas where vineyards abound, just a short drive from the city. 

The hotel I chose for this trip is “Le Grand Hotel”, a 5 star Intercontinental establishment with more than one restaurant (including one by Gordon Ramsey), a Guerlaine Spa and a vibrant rooftop bar with a nautical theme called “Night Beach”.

It is directly across the Grand Théâtre, one of the most important monuments in the city. The hotel has been named “France’s Leading Hotel” and it is part of the Signature group of hotels, which my agency is affiliated with. The service here is nonpareil, the staff is attentive without being intrusive. There is great care in keeping this the rare gem that it is in the international hotel realm. Applause to the staff!

I spent the days walking. Each morning, exiting my centrally located hotel, I chose a different direction. 

There are many pedestrian areas in town, making it easy to avoid cars, but not bicycles, scooters and other two wheeled vehicles which abound and seem to have the right of way no matter what. France has become a secular country in the last decades, so the worship of Saints has obviously been replaced by the worship of bikes and dogs…yes it does seem every French household has at least one of each.

I made o point of finding a bench or a seat at an outdoor café, intermittently during my walks, in order to observe the flow of the city, the people going about their business, the groups of tourists taking photos of buildings not having a single clue what they were capturing, grandparents walking their restless grandchildren, vagrants asking for alms, women doing their daily shopping. In other words observing the Bordolaise in their own element.

I began noticing some patterns: man buns are obviously de rigueur here for men of all ages! I noticed countless males sporting that particular up-do. It appears that the once elegantly dressed French have evaporated like snow on a warm spring day.

Women are wearing long flowing (matronly) dresses made of cheap and transparent material reminiscent of the “flower power” hippy days. America seems to have breached the shores of this country once again, this time conquering the once tastefully coiffured and bien habillé French population. White sneakers are everywhere, torn jeans, short-shorts, t-shirts white English writings, poorly fitting H&M off the rack anything, I could have been in a mall in Passaic!

I should have been concentrating on the architecture around me, the fountains, the beautiful river crossing the city, but I was obviously distracted.

More patterns emerging: an over abundance of ethnic restaurants. The French are turning from their food, to the food of other countries. Yes there still are countless crêperies, boulangeries, viennoiseries and oenothèques but many are being supplanted by Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Pakistani and an assortment of other ethnically diverse establishments so that you can have a poke bowl, sushi,or a bowl of pasta on almost every street.

Don’t take me wrong, these things are not necessarily all bad, I’m just observing and reporting. I’ve enjoyed Bordeaux overall, but tomorrow begins aa brand new adventure.

At the end of this trip, I’ll be in Paris for a few days. I’ll give you my thoughts on that city which is only two hours away from here, but with quite a different vibe.

BARCELONA

BARCELONA, A VISIT AFTER A LONG ABSENCE.

I must say that after four days in this city, my thoughts about it have not changed. I do love Spain and especially enjoy the many art cities scattered around the country, both coastal and inland, however if comparing the two largest cities, Barcelona and Madrid, I still prefer Madrid.

Barcelona, not unlike Naples Italy, is a port city and therefore a popular stop for cruise ships of all sizes. This in itself brings a certain vibe to the town that can be more negative than not. Thousands of cruise passengers alight on that city in a frenzy, wanting to see and photograph everything, trying to use their few hours on shore to the max. What it shares with its Italian counterpart is the grittiness, the traffic, the chaotic rhythm and cacophony while still offering unparalleled architecture and culture. What it seems to lack is a sense of neighborhood, of warmth and cohesiveness, a factor that can be a bit off-putting to the uninitiated. It is quite unfortunate that most first time visitors end up walking the famous ( now infamous) Las Ramblas which has become an elongated version of New York’s Times Square. Masses of people ambulating the pedestrian avenue flanked by schlocky shops, mediocre food venues and all sorts of dubiously intentioned characters looking for their next unsuspecting prey.

Not far from there is just as wide and grand of a pedestrian artery called Gran Via, a much more upscale version of the Ramblas and with lovely shops and food venues. Most one day cruisers probably only see it in passing on the way to take photos of La Sagrada Familia. What they would miss is a hidden gem called El National. This is a wonderful large space encompassing a dozen different elegant bars and restaurants offering a variety of  foods and libations in a safe, clean and welcoming environment. Here locals and visitors alike can rub shoulders while enjoying an ambiance quite unlike any other in the city. 

Another quite interesting place frequented by those with discriminating taste and who enjoy being around an international clientele, in a cozy yet lively setting, where interesting tapas are served, along with a large choice of wines and quirky cocktails, is Babula Bar.

Leo, the owner, named the place in honor of his grandmother whose food he enjoyed so much. The service is provided by an array of young bartenders and food servers who attentively make their patrons immediately feel like “family”. It’s easy to see why people keep returning regularly, not just to savor the special tapas of the day!

Both the above places are in the Eixample district of the city.

While the shopping scene is represented by the usual high end boutiques with the familiar names of Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Gucci, Hermes, etc.. along with the ubiquitous and familiar international brands like Zara, Mango, Uniqlo, Massimo Dutti, (stores that exist in every city in Europe and are as numerous as CVS is in our cities,) making the search for the local and unique indeed a chore.

I happened to find one particular men’s clothing store called Aragaza, which features only items actually “made in Barcelona”. They have several locations around the city, and it is a stop I definitely recommend those needing anything in men’s fashion at reasonable prices, and locally made.

El Corte Ingles, the largest department store in Spain, is also worth a visit. They carry the usual international brands, many of them American, but the reason to bother entering the structure is to wander the aisles of the sprawling food and wine department, where you can find local products of all kinds. This is a great place to pick up an edible souvenir to bring back home.

Even though, as I expressed earlier, there are cities in Spain I enjoy more, even in Barcelona one can find places where, a bit apart from the unwashed masses, one can find solace and even a reason to spend a few Euros!

www.babulabar.es

www.aragaza.com

www.elnacionalbcn.