day 10 So many good things today!

Starting off with a light continental breakfast, croissant, yoghurt with cereal apple juice and those tiny coffees..... (Must say I'm missing a mug of coffee!).... And my vaguely planned day of wandering starts meandering through the tiny twisting back roads and broader thoroughfares with the expected stunning architecture I bumble into and under the Grosse Cloche, which was also prison! 

Tho I didn't see that as I walked through just happy to admire the beauty around me! 

One having a little poke at the British was the victor Hugo car park of all things! With a British racing green Jag bursting out of one of its levels! 😂

My first target was the museum of Aquitaine! But that was another under renovation..... The French are really building up for the new season wherever I go!.

Instead I head towards the Cathedral Saint Andre de Bordeaux with it's detached tower, presumably the cathedral was rebuilt after the war and the tower is original? 

the first thing you see on entry is a huge wooden cross with a multitude of bronze burning heart mounts hammered into it tho they look far too much like strawberries!

one thing I've really enjoyed with french cathedrals is the colour! British ones lack the vibrance

although ours are more likely to be the originals compared to war damaged France 🫤, tho I can't fault what they've rebuilt the towering vaulted ceilings being as good as any I've seen! 

Next I found my way to the local Auchan supermarket to load up for tomorrow's journey! And to find my fourth set of Bluetooth headphones this trip!!! Must stop losing individual buds!! These new ones are wired together.... Hopefully idiot proof!

Out the Auchan and across the road is the Musee de l'illusion! Not a big place but a fun visit for kids big and small! 

And their minions......

this place is a really nice and light hearted until you enter the vortex tunnel! Where You're in a rotating tube with a spiral pattern one step in and your balance is shot! Staggering drunks do a better job of staying upright, fascinating exhibit even though it makes you feel a bit sick! 

I decide next to chill out by the Garonne river walking through the Place de Quinconces a place of fountain(in the summer) and currently what looks like a circus, leaving the place de Quinconces by it's riverside entrance with two towing needles,almost Islamic looking! 

Its obvious that this entire area was once Docklands although any sign of warehousing is long gone! 

I take a seat in the now warmish sun and just soak everything in, opening a muslie bar to feed the pigeons and sparrows I just sat there observing life around me conversations being somewhat limited😄!

Then something that never happens in the UK occurred, a young woman (20 it turned out) came over and started chatting! In the UK they would just ignore you which is fine but this lass went out of her way to just be nice! And we sat and talked for a good hour! I can't say how refreshing this was to me! And apparently to her to (?) as we exchanged selfies and hugged as we parted company! ..... Anuka was her name! 

Where Paris was the city that smiles back Bordeaux is the city that talks to you! 

Quite touched by this encounter I carry on my wandering pretty much in a circle it turned out as I reemerge on the other side of the square from where I was chatting to Anuka right next to a metal detecting shop! One of only 11 in France! What are the odds!! 

i couldn't pass this by so I poked my head in and got talking(ISH) with Laurent the owner, not only does he sell machines he sells finds!! He even showed me an extremely rare gold stater that was worth about £8000 euros due to its rarity! 

Looking at his tray of Celtic coins on display from silver and bronze units he also has potins another copper alloy type Celtic coin which I'm not likely to find UK equivalents unless I detect in Kent... So I sold off the equivalent of one days travel to purchase this coin of the Sennon tribe...

Quite frankly the perfect item to carry around the world! 😄

Today's travels have shown me a few British pubs- The Sherlock Holmes, The Charles Dickens a Peaky Blinders themed pub and also some shops named in 'interesting' English! 

take a duck trip? 

And.....

well say no more!! 😄