![]() The gate is topped by a triangular pediment adorned with the Bordeaux coat of arms, with the Grosse Cloche and a leopard on one side and two sailors with a fleur de lys on the other. The Porte d'Aquitaine is on the Place de la Victoire and is one of the main entryways to the Rue Ste Catherine (more about this street in a minute). The bell is topped by a gold leopard, a symbol of British royalty (remember, the English ruled Bordeaux for three centuries). Originally it was part of the city's ramparts in the 13th century. La Grosse Cloche, or big bell, is possibly the most photographed of the six Bordeaux gateways, and is also the oldest. They were the only entrances into cities otherwise surrounded by ramparts and often, you could only access them through a drawbridge.Īs the 18th century rolled around, France sustained its affection for these portes and continued building them for a while, more for decoration and celebration (they were usually dedicated to someone famous) than for defense. Go gate hopping (or porte hopping)īordeaux has six gates, or portes. These gates can be found in many French cities and for centuries helped keep enemies at bay. They were replaced by an eight-minute film and light show that may be less macabre than the original, but perhaps not as interesting. The view alone is worth it, but there's something else: the crypt, where a series of 74 mummies sat for two centuries, so well preserved by the clay soil that curious (and often famous) visitors came from far and wide to look at them.įor years, the mummies were among the most popular Bordeaux attractions but in 1979, they were removed and given a proper burial in a cemetery. The place itself was fine, and the wine was good, but the woman selling the wine made it our worst experience in Burgundy.Flèche St Michel, Bordeaux ©OffbeatFrance She also pressured us to buy multiple bottles from the start, and when we said we were unsure she basically scoffed at us. After all, spitting can actually be important for the tasting. Perhaps it’s a local custom? But we were given the impression that she either doesn’t know very much about wine or she was specifically trying to embarrass us (I would assume because we’re American tourists, but who knows). We were taken aback, as we have done many tastings over many years in France where everyone (including the French winemakers) would spit, but thanked her anyway to be polite. It did give us refuge from the heat, but when we tried our first wine and went to spit, the woman told us that we shouldn’t spit when wine tasting in France. ![]() We went into this place because we had been walking for a while in the heat (and some of the other caves were closed). TL DR: don’t go here if you can help it, the woman selling wine is rude, go straight to the vineyards instead Une prouesse doublée d'un miracle, d'avoir retrouvé et sauvé tous ces vestiges ! Le visage des sculptures semble vous regarder. Le style design s'approche étrangement du nôtre aujourd'hui. Une foule de détails passionnants : bijoux, vaisselle et vêtements. ![]() Leur habitat majestueux, à colonnades, et très harmonieux. Seulement difficile à trouver en venant du jardin et des rues piétonnes (vu seulement de la route) ! Découverte émouvante avec le VIIe siècle : époques mérovingienne et gallo-romaine. A feat coupled with a miracle, to have found and saved all these vestiges! The face of the sculptures seems to be looking at you. The design style is strangely similar to ours today. A host of exciting details: jewellery, tableware and clothing. Their majestic habitat, with colonnades, and very harmonious. Only difficult to find when coming from the garden and the pedestrian streets (seen only from the road)! Moving discovery with the 7th century: Merovingian and Gallo-Roman eras.
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