A weekend with Emilie in Bordeaux

When I meet Emilie for the first time, she works at the tourist office in Bordeaux, organising wine excursions in the Bordeaux wine district. Her father is Swedish and her mother is French, so she speaks perfect Swedish and French. She looks at me with a big smile. I love Bordeaux, she says. It's such an exciting city that gets more animated for every day, with lots of winding streets to walk around, open spaces with terraces and a rich cultural life.

I ask her about a perfect weekend in Bordeaux. If I have a whole day to do whatever I please, she answers, I start with a morning jog along the quays of the Garonne River in the centre. Early in the morning, before anybody else is up. You have such an incredible view over the water along the quays that I never grow tired of. You can stay for a coffee at any of the cafés along the road and then return again at night and admire the lit up monuments and the bridge Pont de Pierre that glimmers like a jewel at night.

On a Sunday I would continue to my favourite market, the Marché des quais. Lots of people, but still cosy. That's where I will have some oysters with a glass of white wine and maybe pirogues from the Argentinean stand. And if it's Saturday, I will go to the Marché Royal instead.

My favourite place for lunch is Café des Arts, an authentic place where the inhabitants themselves go. There is a terrace, good service and especially the meat dishes are good. Or, maybe go for some oysters at the Chez Brunet restaurant.

Photo Wikipedia

The Saint Michel area is known for its small shops with spices, little vintage shops and other interesting shops with things you have never seen... They have a flea market almost every day. On a sunny day you'll have a fantastic view from the church tower Saint Michel. Another place with a great view is the bell tower Pey Berland next to the Saint André cathedral.

Photo Nathan Bergeron Flickr

In the evening you can go to the area around Place de la Victoire if you are young at heart - it's a hangout for students. Lots of animation, lots of bars and many cafés open until 2 AM. I personally prefer Villa Tourny, a trendy place that boils on Thursdays, their day for singles. Another favourite area is Saint Pierre, with different kind of bars, both hip and cosy. If I can mention a last address, it will be the wine bar Le petit bois, where you order wine by the glass.

Emilie gave me some more advice, but I kept them for myself so I could try them out personally - check out for my next post about my weekend in Bordeaux! Thank you, Emilie! If you read this, I hope you don’t miss Bordeaux too much now that you live in snowy Stockholm!