Part 6 of 8 in my travel series from the summer of 2022.
Clisson: Little Italy in France (June 30th)
After we stocked up on farmers’ market items, we got in the car and headed off to Clisson, another small town. Our beautiful Airbnb had a balcony with a stunning view of the town. I quickly noticed that the town had a distinct Italian flavor.
It turns out that after the town was basically destroyed in an 18th-century war (which explains the castle ruins in the middle of town), it was rebuilt with the guidance of an architect who was into Italian design, the rage at the time. So a Little Italy in France was born. And the inhabitants take the Italian thing very seriously. For example, when we ordered cappuccinos, they came Italian style, even in the Italian-style glasses.
That afternoon (my 58th birthday), we made lunch and ate on the balcony overlooking the town. It was very nice. Later that evening, when we were searching for dinner ideas, I suggested asking the proprietor of an alternative health store for a suggestion. She raved about a place and gave us directions (mentioning it was one of the few places that would be open), so off we went on our quest.
The place is down by the river and secluded. We went in. Of course you need a reservation, but they seated us anyway. Our waiter, Maxim, was hysterical and rather theatrical and flamboyant. He was very entertaining and made the whole evening super special. He even sang happy birthday to me.
The Clisson Farmers’ Market (July 1st)
We went to the farmers’ market the next day in the Les Halles. Most towns and cities have a Les Halles—the halls where farmers’ markets were always housed. This market wasn’t as good as the one in Dinan. It was smaller and the produce we got just wasn’t quite as good. Nevertheless, it’s still fun to explore.
Somewhere between Clisson and Bordeaux, we pulled off the road for some sunflower therapy.
Bordeaux
We left Clisson for Bordeaux. Wow, Bordeaux. Dang. Big, vibrant, a little gritty, and intense to drive in. We had a place right in the middle of the fray in the old part of town. We of course had to pull into town during rush hour. Amalia was doing her best to navigate me to an underground parking lot. With streets filled with bikes, scooters, pedestrians, and—oh yeah—other cars too, it’s very intense to drive. Plus, I can’t really read street signs. We found the parking and got a spot as soon as we pulled in. Thankfully, it was only two short blocks to our Airbnb.
Bordeaux went through a boom in the 19th century, and most of the buildings throughout the town were rebuilt with stone at that time. There’s a 19th-century consistency of design and materials that I liked. The timber-sided buildings of Normandy and Brittany are few and far between.
There’s a certain rough edge or gritty aspect to town, and the streets are pretty narrow. The old part of town feels like a giant maze. It has a very different feel from the wide streets of Paris. (I liked it, but the town had to grow on Catherine.) There are also a huge number of young people, like we had not seen before. Apparently, in the last 15 years, the town has made some substantial improvements (including its amazing tram system that runs along the river), which has helped change its image in France from a backwater to a vibrant and hip place to live. Consequently, young people are moving to Bordeaux in droves. And it certainly looked that way.
That night, my parents treated Amalia to a graduation dinner, so she picked a cool restaurant and had a great meal. It was a lot of fun. After we got home, Amalia found out that her flight from Bordeaux to Oslo, that was to leave early the next morning, was cancelled for the second time. That wasn’t stressful at all. So we had to do some figuring to find a way for her to get back to Norway in time to meet friends visiting from the US. Luckily, a train could get her back to Paris where she could get another flight in time.
The Aquitaine Museum (July 2nd)
Today, we visited the Aquitaine Museum in this historic region of southwestern France. The museum houses an impressive collection spanning from prehistoric times through the present day, offering a comprehensive look at the cultural heritage of the Bordeaux region. I was very impressed with both the museum and the rich history of the city. (Of course, I wasn’t impressed with the slavery of the past, but the museum made a decent attempt at addressing that history.)
July 3rd
Rue de St Catherine is the longest pedestrian street in France and it is a shopping street of hundreds of stores. There are throngs of people, so after a bit I would rather avoid it. We spent the day like good tourists walking, shopping and eating. Cannelé is the main desert in the region. It is a small rum-flavored cake-like pastry with a carmelized crunchy exterior and a custardy interior. I can’t say I was crazy about them, but Catherine became smitten. Consequently we sought them out, and often, (which is about as easy as finding a baguette.)
Then we visited the Contemporary Museum. (Musée d’art Contemporain de Bordeaux) They had two exhibits on participatory architecture that were pretty good. It was well worth the trip.