Love this Festive season - The lights of Bordeaux - and a little French too!

Christmas in Bordeaux - Lighting up the night

 One of my favorite activities of this season is to walk around the city in the evening - enjoying all the lights.  For me, it puts me in the spirit of the holidays - slows things down a bit - This season always has so much hustle/bustle - shopping, running around, making lists, buying gifts - all fun, but it's nice to slow down a bit, just enjoy and take it all in.

 It's for this reason that I love taking the girls into the city, spending the evening all together - enjoying some quality family time.  Yes, there is hustle and bustle all around us, but my point is not necessarily to go shopping or pick out gifts - it's to look around us, and enjoy the festivities and the lights of the moment.

 We are all on our phones, connected virtually but here, for one evening - I wanted to slow it down and just enjoy our city and that's exactly what we did.  We arrived at the Place de la Comedie and just looked around us - of course took photos - but admired the lights as they glistened around us.  For me it's relaxing and very special.

 We went on to the Christmas market - I had promised my girls some hot chocolate and of course, for me, vin chaud (mullied wine)  It's a totally different experience from during the day - and since it was a Friday night, plenty of people...honestly pretty crowded. 

 Even though our evening was not for shopping - there were a few artisans that we found hard to resist....

 and others that were a child's dream.....

 After our tour around the market, we headed back through the Place de la Comedie and down Rue Saint Catherine - Such a fun ambiance.

 

 Galleries Lafayette, one of France's great department stores was beautifully lit up.

 We wandered into Promenade Saint Catherine, the newest shopping corner, off of Rue Saint Catherine and was greeted by a giant reindeer - about 2 stories tall. 

 

 I have to say the only thing I miss is the snow.  However, this particular evening was very cold and humid - still not cold enough for snow - but wet enough that it gave the lights beautiful reflections off the sidewalks.  My daughters had so much fun this year - that they want to return again in the evening.  As my 13 year old says - and take more photos....it's just so cool!

 So if you arrived to this post via twitter and a special offer or even if you are just reading this post for the fun lights.   I have a special deal running now - perhaps a little incentive to come visit France, perhaps something that you have always wanted to do, perhaps an opportunity to brush up on a language, or in the spirit of the season, perhaps a gift for a loved one or a friend. 

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Look for more holiday traditions coming up later this month - but here's wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season!  May it be festive, fun and Merry!

December - Christmas Market in Bordeaux

Bordeaux & its Christmas Market

Now that I've been here in Bordeaux for 6 years, I have come to appreciate many of its Christmas traditions.  I have seen some events come and go like any city, but many events stay and traditionnally appear every year.  One being, all the lights and decorations that go up around the city and another the annual Christmas market set up in Allee Tourney located just down from the Place de La Comedie & Grand Theatre.  This event is traditionally held each year and any French person you speak to, often talk about the Christmas market.

This afternoon I had the opportunity to wander around a bit on my own.  The market is open everyday through December 26 from 10h30 am to 20h or 21h on Friday and Saturday nights.   The ambiance is fun, festive and there are some very creative artisans and some traditional ones also.

 It's less crowded during the weekdays - but by late afternoons and early evening, especially on Friday and Saturday nights it's packed with standing room only.  I have seen this year after year.  The girls and I will be venturing out this Friday evening to enjoy it all together with all the lights of the city.

Love the Beer choices here at this stand

 In addition to the many artisans, there is food and drinks served too.  Traditional drink, mulled wine or Vin Chaud.  It's tradition here to order a cup and then walk around the market drinking it.  There is nothing like that festive feeling, day or night.

Traditional Vin Chaud - Mulled wine

 Another very traditional booth/display at the Christmas market are the Santons or creche pieces.  These are beautiful works of art and mainly come from the Provence area of France.  Many people will add to their collections year after year with these beautiful figurines, mainly depicting the bible scene of Jesus' birth.  French families will display these in a creche, on a mantle, on a window sill or even a holiday table.  

 One can find all sorts of unique gifts here at the Christmas market.  Anything from scarfs, jewelry, pottery, regional products, artwork, sculptures - it all can be found here.  Always a treat to wander around and see what each year brings.  I have seen some of the same artisans return, year and year and many new ones too.

 

 It's not just local either, the booth below was all kinds of products from Canada!  Especially Quebec.  For my American friends, there was also a Yankee Candle booth this year. 

Canadian Booth

 I adore this market and the festive feeling one gets just wandering through.  It's becoming one of my favorite Christmas traditions here.  I love browsing during the day but it's also amazing in the evening with a totally different vibe! 

Bordeaux is just one example of these French Christmas markets - other cities have them too and even small towns will hold theirs over a single weekend.  There is one coming up the weekend in the village of Saint Emilion.  It's a fun way to bring on the Christmas spirit.  Larger ones like this one also have Pere Noel (Santa Claus) appearing in the evenings and on the weekends - making this place even more family friendly! 

Hope you enjoyed the photo tour, would love to hear if you have enjoyed any of these markets before.  Have a lovely afternoon.

Fall update from Bordeaux, School, Work and the beauty of the region- Where has the time gone?

Cap Ferret, Work, Back to school, moving.....

Cap Ferret - looking at the Dune du Pyla

Where has the time gone? It seems to pass at warp speed these days!!  I have finally have found some time to focus on the blog a bit, now that it's slow tourist season.  Additionally, it's giving me some time to settle in, and unpack the new house.

I'll back up a bit....if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you might be aware that I moved into a new house about 6 weeks ago.  This move a bit complicated by the fact that Bordeaux is a highly desirable place to live these days and it's highly competitive to find housing to rent.

Luckily, I was able to take my time to find the right place - about 5 months!  But that's another post - and I promise I will include more photos of the new house - which I adore!!

We have been enjoying a warm and sunny Fall here in Bordeaux.  It's the end of November and yes, it's finally getting cold...but as I look back on our Fall - it was quite fun.  I'm looking forward to the holiday season which is right here - I adore the lights and festivities of the season.

My youngest and me enjoying some family time during vacation.

The girls are now in High school (Premier/or 11th grade, 4eme or 8th grade and CM2 or 5th grade).  I have one in each school - elementary, middle and high school.  We are still in Pessac and they are in general all happy with their classes.  My youngest changed schools this year - so she would be with students who will be going to the same middle school next year.  She's adjusted very well. We had Fall break in October and my youngest daughter , was even able to spend a few days at work with me..  She enjoyed following her mother around French markets, touring a wine chateau and walking through a medieval village. (If you are one of my Viking clients and you are reading this...you might have seen her and all her energy!)

We did enjoy some family touring out on Cap Ferret and in Bordeaux also during break.  Truthfully, there is so much here and around us - it's nice to do a bit of a stay-cation.  Also, as my 2 older daughters are more and more independent - they love spending time with their friends, so it's harder to do things as a complete family. So I take what I can get and we have been able to enjoy some fun moments together.

Always fun to bring my daughter to work!

Art Museum in Libourne - a third statue!

For me this Fall, it was a bit of non-stop work, as guides we were in high demand and often worked many days straight.  I adore touring clients through the wine regions of the Medoc, Saint Emilion, Pomerol and Sauternes.  Mixing in history of the region and city balanced out my weeks.  Then there was always the nice trips to see the Oyster farmers in the Arcachon Bassin.  Again, so much to see and so little time often!  Balance all that touring with a move and starting a new school year and I very much enjoyed those great wine tastings!!  (and then some!!)

Chateau Giscours - Tasting and tour with clients

Chateau Siaurac - always peaceful to walk through the parc 

 My plan is to continue sharing our life and this region with you.  I have so many fun photos to share and great areas that I've just visited:  like Cognac and Pineau, a visit to Cap Ferret, a listing of some wonderful wine vineyards that do an impressive job with tourism, our vacations this summer in the Alps, Lyon, & Marseilles.. .We will be touring around France with my various posts....this is just beginning so stay tuned, as they say!

In the mean time, are you planning to visit Bordeaux sometime soon?  or even to France?  How's your French?

Just for taking the time to read this update - I wanted to offer a special - one month free of French lessons with Frantastique.  I love this program as it's great for all levels - it will assess your level and then give you the lessons you need.  If you are a beginner - or even if you are just looking for a refresher:  It's perfect - plus you can do it on your own time - all on-line.

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Have a great rest of the week - and Happy Weekend.  Stop by again soon!  

Life in Bordeaux this Spring

A small update of our Springtime

 As I was out shopping this morning, wandering through a fresh local fruit & vegetable market, I glanced around and just felt wonderful.  Life here lately has been hectic, stressful at times but overall just delightful.  I thought I would take a few minutes and do a life update as we finish out the school year and start summer plans.

It's definitely been  feeling like summer here for the past month plus...we had an early warm Spring and now it's getting hot....it's the time of year - we eat outside more and the evenings are longer.  Here in Southwestern France - it doesn't get dark out until close to 10 pm now....that's been making it more and more difficult to get my youngest to bed on time!!  

School is still in session for the younger kids until July 7th!  Long year...my oldest is now done, on summer break and my middle schooler will be finished with classes on the 27th of June. Then summer begins....well at least for the girls!!  

I will be working the month of July - so I can enjoy the benefits of vacation in August!!  But if you follow my facebook and instagram - you know already that I love my job and it enables me to enjoy the wonders of this area and share it with visitors...

 I have branched out a bit this year (as I'm self employed) and I'm now working for a couple other river boat cruise lines, in addition to my primary work with Viking Cruises. I  have worked with Scenic cruises and AMA Cruises in addition to some Ocean Cruise ships that arrive in port.  I love the variety of the passengers - Americans, British, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders and a mix of other nationalities.  For the most part, many are surprised by the beauty of our city of Bordeaux and many fall in love with the region seeing many of our highlights.  Yes, it's wine and castles, but a great variety and each area offers something special!  I am working on a post sharing more about our local guide team for Viking Cruises and how some of you might be able to also enjoy some of these lovely day trips!  (coming soon!)

This week alone - I was up in the Medoc Region at Grand Cru classe -Chateau Prieure Lichine with guests and also South of Bordeaux in the Sauternes region showing off our Sweet whites at Premiere Grand Cru Classe - Chateau Giraud.

This area has so much to offer and it really gives me energy as I share it with visitors.  My job has become my passion and it's an honor to be able to show it off as I'm able with these companies.  Hence, unfortunately the blog suffers a bit due to my increasing work load.  Not complaints though.

Yes, I know I'm lucky and I continue to enrich my knowledge about the various places we visit - this area is so rich is history, not only about wine but history and life in general - the on-going learning process.

In addition to being a dynamic growing city, the pace of life here is more laid back than other big cities.  We are not fast paced like New York or Paris...and here in Bordeaux - everyone loves to be outside whenever possible.

It could be for a picnic on the key side (or quais), it could be wandering through a local park or square, or just taking a coffee or drink at a local cafe....life is for enjoying what is here.

Even while working, when my clients are enjoying some free-time - I enjoy a nice coffee and savor the moment. A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting one of my favorite French bloggers from the States - French Girl in Seattle.  Of course, we met over coffee and lunch outside - where else would one meet in Bordeaux? 

A glass (or 2) of Rose is always very refreshing on a hot day!  and yes, more and more Bordeaux wine Chateaux's are making Rose.  It's the new thing in this region!

Finally, the month of May was full of many long weekends (due to Catholic and national holidays). At the end of May we chose to rent a friend's house out in the Dordogne area, near the town of Bergerac.  It was paradise there - we had a sunny hot weekend and relished staying by the pool and barbecuing.

On Saturday morning we wandered into the town of Sainte Foy la Grande for their weekly town market and took in all the scents and visual pleasures of fresh produce, seafood, meats and cheeses of the region.  In addition to enjoying many artisans.  My youngest had a great time showing us all her favorites French delicacies!

This is Spring in Bordeaux!  It feels like summer and lets us enjoy the weekends as we approach the full Summer holiday.  The girls will be done with school soon...and then true summer begins for them.  My oldest at 16 is looking for part-time babysitting jobs, in between times with her friends...then it will be off on vacation for some family time away.

 I will be trying to write more and continue to share this beautiful region with everyone.  If you are on facebook, twitter or instagram, you will see more photos of our daily life.  I wish everyone a great start to summer!

Lac Bleu - Parc Forestier in Leognan - Gironde

Parc Forestier du Lac Bleu - Leognan

It's still school vacation and  we chose this vacation to stay around the area.  This plan has given the girls time to relax and just do whatever they felt like doing.  This has been a great motto for the week - sleeping in, taking our time getting up, no pressure to be anywhere and the freedom to choose a plan each day.  A bit of refresh and rejuvenate.

However, I'm a firm believer in getting outside and taking in the fresh air, so we tried each afternoon to find something to do. (Honestly, there were a couple of gloomy rainy days)  Perhaps it was as simple as walking to the local park/playground or just riding around the neighborhood on bikes.  Honestly, it's sometimes hard to get the teenagers out of the house!  A couple of days we ventured further out and today we choose to take a picnic to a local lake and hang out for the afternoon with friends.

We spent a lovely afternoon exploring this new area.  This is lac Bleu - a small lake located in Leognan just west of Bordeaux.  It was a mere 20 minute drive from my house.  Of course this is "off season" but it was still a nice area to explore and just sit. It's a park that's advertised as a relaxing place to picnic and walk around.  Fishing is even permitted in season.

We choose to have our picnic lunch right next to the lake, there was just something about being close to the shoreline.   There was a picnic area, complete with tables located on the East side of the lake, but it was further from the water. Once we settled our picnic spot, we were joined by many ducks who were of course, looking for a hand-out.  I'm sure if we started throwing bread at them, we would have had many more visit.

After we had our lunch, my friend and I decided to walk the perimeter trail of the lac.  A short walk around but it was nice and peaceful.  The girls were just having a great time playing and talking to each other.

As we returned back to the main side, we chose to enjoy a coffee at the café/restaurant located right next to the lake.  A nice way to end the meal.  The girls decided to hang on the patio and talk while my friend and I enjoyed our coffee in the enclosed terrace.  I'm sure in nice weather, this whole area has a beautiful open-aire feel and attracts many to stop and enjoy the view.  The restaurant serves lunch daily. 

 So after enjoying a nice picnic, a causal stroll and a coffee, it was time to head back home.  It's definitely an area that I would head back to, in nice weather.  A bonus that it's a mere 20 minutes from the house - a great place to take an afternoon or evening walk.  A nice place to take in some serenity and escape a little from the city life.  A welcome oasis located just outside of the Bordeaux.

Parc Forestier du Lac Bleu

Chemin des Terres Rousses 33850 LEOGNAN