Walking. And Walking
I think I have walked about (insert a large number) of kilometres today. At least 12 anyway.
It's Sunday of course, and there is very little open. I sat on a tour website this morning to see whether I could do a bike tour of the city - at least on a bike I could venture further out. The two tours that were available to me both came up with a comment 'this activity requires two participants'. Interesting (although frustrating) because it wouldn't let me book the tour. I've already been thwarted with tours being booked out, but on the few tours that did have availability, I kept getting this warning. Which annoyed me. So I contacted the tour provider (in Germany, by live chat on What's App) to be told that this seems to be a policy to keep even numbers. (Refer to my comment yesterday about being So Aware of Being Single). Seriously. The "Live Chat" apologised and said that the tour should now be available. Which it wasn't. So I decided to wander to the office (google said 4.5 ks). On second thoughts I decided to play on the trams to get there. 'sigh' but there are road works so the tram line isn't operating. So I decided to jump on the public rental bikes... but even though I managed to get a code and a number a warning sign appeared saying that my code was invalid (i had just been given it four times with a over-productive machine which kept spitting the code receipt out).
So, I've walked.
It's hot work - had to stop for a gelato. But I did get to rest my feet in the Miroir d'Eau. This is an installation down by the River Garonne which shoots out fine sprays of mist every 20 minutes, and is the largest water mirror of its kind in the world. Picture it those of us who have had small children in the heat: a whole bunch of kids in various stages of undress - all waiting for the spray to work. And then, because it is So Exciting, running with joy (even though they have been told not to, don't run, you will slip) and then slipping, and crying, and then the spray stops, and they are not ready for it to stop, so they cry some more... but i loved taking my shoes off and standing in the water. The Mirror thing is that when there is a thin layer of water, it perfectly reflects the city. Nice.
I found a few more churches too. So a few more photos, although it is incredibly hard to do them justice. Also incredibly hard to capture the absolute sound of silence, and the smell of years of just being. I love it.
As I stopped for the gelato, I witnessed 'too many bloody tourists' road rage. The issue was Le Petit Train which had stopped to let people check out something, and then had difficulty herding the people back in the train and so was blocking the street...
It's Sunday of course, and there is very little open. I sat on a tour website this morning to see whether I could do a bike tour of the city - at least on a bike I could venture further out. The two tours that were available to me both came up with a comment 'this activity requires two participants'. Interesting (although frustrating) because it wouldn't let me book the tour. I've already been thwarted with tours being booked out, but on the few tours that did have availability, I kept getting this warning. Which annoyed me. So I contacted the tour provider (in Germany, by live chat on What's App) to be told that this seems to be a policy to keep even numbers. (Refer to my comment yesterday about being So Aware of Being Single). Seriously. The "Live Chat" apologised and said that the tour should now be available. Which it wasn't. So I decided to wander to the office (google said 4.5 ks). On second thoughts I decided to play on the trams to get there. 'sigh' but there are road works so the tram line isn't operating. So I decided to jump on the public rental bikes... but even though I managed to get a code and a number a warning sign appeared saying that my code was invalid (i had just been given it four times with a over-productive machine which kept spitting the code receipt out).
So, I've walked.
It's hot work - had to stop for a gelato. But I did get to rest my feet in the Miroir d'Eau. This is an installation down by the River Garonne which shoots out fine sprays of mist every 20 minutes, and is the largest water mirror of its kind in the world. Picture it those of us who have had small children in the heat: a whole bunch of kids in various stages of undress - all waiting for the spray to work. And then, because it is So Exciting, running with joy (even though they have been told not to, don't run, you will slip) and then slipping, and crying, and then the spray stops, and they are not ready for it to stop, so they cry some more... but i loved taking my shoes off and standing in the water. The Mirror thing is that when there is a thin layer of water, it perfectly reflects the city. Nice.
I found a few more churches too. So a few more photos, although it is incredibly hard to do them justice. Also incredibly hard to capture the absolute sound of silence, and the smell of years of just being. I love it.
As I stopped for the gelato, I witnessed 'too many bloody tourists' road rage. The issue was Le Petit Train which had stopped to let people check out something, and then had difficulty herding the people back in the train and so was blocking the street...
And here are a few photos from the Monument Aux Girondins which we were introduced to yesterday. The three men in front of the lady in the statue are the three types of character for which the founding fathers of Bordeaux want no truck with - Ignorance, Lies and Vice.
Single say no more. Well written.
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