We wanted to do a bike tour and looked around, settling on a self-guided tour from Bordeaux to Carcassonne, run by Freewheeling Adventures out of Canada, with whom we’d done several trips before.
We had initially planned to ride regular bikes (“analog bikes,” as our riding companions called them), but after we arrived in Bordeaux and saw the forecast temperatures, we desperately requested eBikes. Fortunately, Freewheeling and their bike rental partners came through. We could not have survived without those!
We flew in from Lisbon on EasyJet on Monday afternoon — our first experience with them, perfectly fine — and took an Airbnb very close to the Opera House in Bordeaux. The following morning, after breakfast at one of the boulangeries, we wandered into the cathedral, where we discovered that a concert of organ and tuned percussion would be performed that evening. Tickets would be available beginning at 8pm, so we decided to see whether we could attend. In the meantime we wandered around the town and had a very nice Italian lunch of pasta with truffles and a mixed salad with burrata.
After lunch we joined a free walking tour of the city with our guide Tammy, and learned more of the history of the town. The center is a protected UNESCO site and has undergone major changes since the late last century. Most of the building facades have been cleaned of their sooty coatings, many car parks have been moved underground, and an extensive electric tram system has been installed with an innovative technology that avoids overhead wires.
We grabbed a quick bite at one of the many Lebanese places before heading back to the cathedral for the concert. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience — the organist had written several of the pieces himself, and they finished, as they had to, with Bach’s famous Toccata and Fugue, BWV 565.
The following day we climbed the Tour Pey-Berland next to the cathedral — 233 steps — for some fine views of the city. Kathy took a nap while Ben headed off to find the Jardin Public and the Église Saint-Louis-des-Chartrons. He also ran into an antiques marketplace near the church with some interesting pieces.
That evening we had a lovely dinner with Manou and Thierry’s son Pablo at a little out-of-the-way place called Les doux secrets d’Hélène — a small, casual wine bar serving lovely wines with stories provided by the knowledgeable sommelier, and small plates to accompany them. It was great getting to know Pablo better and to share stories and great food and wine.
The following morning we met our ride support person Norbert and our riding companions Randy & Deb, and set off in the van to meet the bike rental company in Latresne just outside Bordeaux to pick up our eBikes.
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