My wife and I are just back from a break in the Bordeaux region. We were staying at an amazing old Chateau about 30 minutes from the city of Bordeaux. We were amongt sixty or so others who went over to the rented Chateau to help one of our friend's family celebrate the husband and two children's significant birthdays. It was a huge and magical castle sized place and I could blog for hours on the chateau itself and indeed the great wine, vineyards and countryside etc. Throw in all the good company of close friends, partying and late nights and it was indeed a blast!
In this instance I just want to briefly comment on the trams we experienced in the city of Bordeaux. I understand they were made by the same company who built the Dublin Luas trams. What struck me was how they designed them without overhead power feed lines - power comes from the ground. Much easier on the eye - no spoiling of the views of the wonderful city of Bordeaux. In particular - the trams travel across the lovely Pont-de-Pierre bridge and it would have been rather ugly to spoil the bridge with overheard lines.
Also, as you can see in my photo, along some of the route the tracks are over manicured grassed lawns. Trust the French to make a mundane city tram line look nice - and achieved with such a simple idea!
Bordeaux is a beautiful city and it has remained so even as it is being modernised. I wish we would more often put in the same attention to detail as we develop our own cities in Ireland. It doesn't always cost much money to enhance beauty, often just a bit of imagination. I take my hat of to the French in this category.
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5 comments:
It's a bit like the moon returning after a particularly long rest behind the clouds...
bienvenue... c'est merveilleuse ta retour... j'ete a Bordeaux en 1972... that's where I say my first autopsy.
Welcome back John,
I look forward to more tales of your travels and more pics.
I'd say it was a bit of a shock to the system returning to Ireland ...
I heard that it cost more to install the Luas here in Dublin than it did to place an explorer robot on Mars. And we still didn't get it right. As for Bordeaux, I'm not jealous one little bit. Good wine, lovely weather and a beautiful atmosphere don't tempt me at all. *sniff*
Welcome home!!!
Thanks all for the comments. I loved Bordeaux but as regards somewhere to live I would still prefer me jewel and darlin' Dublin!
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