Some views of nice streets

Some typical Bordeaux streets.
You shall be able to see that what I said before is true: about every house is a jewel.



Saint Remi street with, in the background, the fountain at the Place de la Bourse, stock exchange square, and the Garonne river.





The quay of the Garonne river.



Grands-Hommes -great men- market. Its called like that because the streets that lead to it are named after men like Voltaire and Rousseau.



Gambetta square.



La Grande Cloche -the large bell- gate, under which the Santiago de Compostella pilgrims passed.





Near St. Michel square, the Garonne river in the background



Near Porte de Bourgogne -Burgundy gate-.

Bas-reliefs in Bordeaux facades

Lots and lots of beautiful bas-reliefs (and of course statues) in the facades of the houses here.



Above the entrance of the -very interesting- Aquitaine museum (Aquitaine being the larger Gironde area).



Cours de l'Intendance (administration avenue; from the theatre to the Gambetta square).



Rue St. Catherine.



Cours de l'Intendance.





Cours de l'Intendance





Detail of the Dijeaux gate (near Gambetta square) with the coat of arms of Bordeaux.



The same lion as you see in the Bordeaux coat of arms.



Job Exchange building. I love ± 1950 bas-reliefs...

Le Grand Théâtre, the main theatre

A guided tour along this beautiful theatre is a must (you can't see the interior on your own). Make a reservation at the Bordeaux tourist office. At the same time make a reservation for the Palais Rohan, Rohan palace, now the townhall (tours there only on wednesday afternoon!).



The theatre is situated near the tourism office and the Quinconces square.





One of the statues on the facade of the theatre.













Grapes, as about everywhere in Bordeaux decoration.

Modern art at Bordeaux

Modern art in Bordeaux is like modern architecture: it looks like if you don't see it too much, but this is not true: its the overwhelming amount of monuments and beautiful houses, squares etc. that makes you think there is not much modern art in Bordeaux. See the pics below! And this is of course besides various private galleries.
Anyway, what you see is great quality.



The lion at Stalingrad square, on the other side of the Garonne river, just at the end of the Pont de Pierre, the stone bridge.



This is how public transport (which is real great and simple in Bordeaux) decorates its premises!



Place de la Victoire, victory square. Nice, but funny: a mother turtle never sees its kids, burying its eggs...



The Miroir d'Eau, the water mirror, between the Garonne river and the Place de la Bourse, stock exchange square, the most beautiful square of Bordeaux, and it figures on the Unesco World Heritage list. Go and see this "mirror" on a sunny weekend day!



This one and next three pics: CAPC, modern art exhibition centre and architecture museum, just north of Quinconces square, and very close to the river. Its situated in an early 19th century warehouse. Beautiful. Also open when no exhibitions. Nice (the place and the food) restaurant.









In the beautiful (but not always open) chapel of the St. André hospital. Try the entrance in front of the old courthouse, at the Place de la République. Inside turn right, otherwise you'll find yourself between the dead.



The courtyard of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the applied arts museum.



Courtyard of the Musée des Beaux Arts, fine arts museum, which is in the back of the Rohan palace. The cathedral, the Rohan palace, the Musée des beaux Arts, The Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the Centre National Jean-Moulin (resistance museum) and Gambetta square are all close toghether.



François Mauriac by Zadkine, in the Jardin Publique, the public garden.



Exhibition in the Grand Théâtre.



In the courtyard of the Palais Rohan, now townhall.



CAP Sciences, the scientific museum at Chartrons quay

The Garonne river

The Garonne river is never very far from the centre of old Bordeaux. Its a nice walk along it, for example in the Chartrons district, just north of Quinconces square. Also do cross the Pont de Pierre, the stone bridge (tramway!) to see the view on Bordeaux as from the other side of the river.



Place de la Bourse, stock exchange square.



The Garonne seen from Quinconces square.



St. Michel church, meeting point of the Santiago de Compostella pilgrims.



The Pont de Pierre, the stone bridge, and the Porte de Bourgogne, Burgundy gate.



To the right of the Porte de Bourgogne you can just see one of the cathedral's towers and the roof of the impressing Porte Cailhau, Cailhau gate.





At the end of the Chartrons quay (tramway!) you find old warehouses which now house lots and lots of outlet shops, galleries and CAP sciences, the scientific museum.



At the left the double tower of the cathedral behind the Porte Calhau, and at the right the Pey-Berland tower that stands next to the cathedral.