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It's Sunday morning in Bordeaux, and I'm up early because I have a long day ahead of me. After admiring the sun rising over the vineyards from my room at
La Maison d'Estournel, I went downstairs to grab some breakfast before my journey this morning.
I picked up my usual
viennoiserie - croissant and
pain au chocolat, along with some
charcuterie like
coppa, salami, and a small piece of Comte.
As I wasn't sure about my lunch arrangements today, I also asked for an
omelette with ham, cheese, and onions.
The driver I booked arrived on time to pick me up. He's from Mainland China but has lived in Bordeaux for over 10 years, initially studying winemaking and then worked in small wineries in the region. So we had plenty in common to talk about.
My first stop today was
Fort Médoc, part of the
Verrou de l'Estuaire triptych included among the
Fortifications of Vauban inscribed on the list of
UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Somehow this had escaped my attention on my previous visits to Bordeaux, but I'm glad to have the time to check them off my list today. Unfortunately I hadn't done enough homework before coming, and didn't realize this place was gated, and that the gates don't open until 10 a.m. I should have slept in for another half-hour...
Construction began in 1691 during Louis XIV's reign, so the
Porte Royale at the entrance to the fort features details paying hommage to the Sun King.
It's built on the left bank of the Gironde, and forms part of the chain of 3 forts meant to protect against invasion from the ocean. As part of the fort's restoration, they have built a new pontoon on the site of the original dock.
It's not a tourist hotspot, but I did see a few people come through on their way to the river bank. It seems like people do come and enjoy the nature in the surrounding areas. It's also apparently a place for cultural events, and a number of world-renowned artists have performed to crowds here.
My driver did not want to spend more than 1½ hours driving south and then back up north to our next destination, so we drove to the ferry crossing to cross the Gironde.
The ferry is named Sébastien Vauban - after the military engineer responsible for the construction of these forts around France.
Somehow I had completely missed the fact that
Fort Paté was built on an island in the middle of the river, halfway between Fort Médoc and Citadelle de Blaye... so I didn't look for it as we crossed the river. Bummer.
By the time the ferry docked on the Blaye side of the river, it was already lunchtime, so I decided to find somewhere to eat before seeing the sights.
Le Petit Port just opposite the Citadelle looked kinda touristy so I decided to walk a little further and look inside alleys. That's where I found
Le Gavroche and something on the menu made my eyes open and my heart racing...
It's a really hot and sunny day, so there was no better way to refresh oneself while traveling in France than getting some
Orangina.
Gésiers confits au lard fumé - I didn't expect to find gizzards on the lunch menu, but I was very happy that I did!
Andouillette et pomme de terre rôti, sauce moutarde à l'ancienne - any place that serves up
andouillette is OK by me! I did not expect, however, that they would slice up the sausage so thin and put them on roasted potatoes. What one loses in the satisfaction of biting into a big chunk of smelly, diced up intestines is kinda made up by the crispy texture formed under a salamander. I was grateful that the mustard sauce wasn't overpowering.
Of course, the sliced
andouillette works perfectly well on bread...
Having added fuel to my body, I crossed the street and entered the
Citadelle de Blaye. This was the first of the triptych that was built just before Fort Médoc, and it's built on the site of an original fortress. The massive moat is dry these days.
I entered through the Porte Dauphine - which seemed to make sense for anyone coming from the river. Apparently, though, one should enter through Porte Royale for the elaborate details on the structure - in similar fashion to what I saw at Fort Médoc.
Not having done any homework on the site, I did not realize there's a whole village inside the citadel. In fact, there are full-time residents inside the walls! There are also a number of shops, restaurants, cafés, and hotel... There are even vacation homes for short-term rental. Oh, and there's a camping ground here, too.
I walked around and got a look at the ruins of
Château des Rudel, which predates Vauban's citadel by a couple of centuries.
I got a look at Fort Médoc across the river...
Should we even be surprised that there's a working vineyard here, inside the moat but just outside the inner walls? The
Clos des l'Échauguette was first planted in 1974 and is now farmed organically.
Due to a miscommunication with my driver, we did not drive through the right bank and circle back up north. Instead we took the return ferry and crossed back to the left bank. We then drove up north on the Route des Châteaux, passing by landmarks like Château Latour and, of course, Château Lafite-Rothschild - where I'll be in a couple of hours. Now I gotta get back to my hotel and clean up for dinner.
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