After a few days at Hotel Belle Juliette, a delightful and reasonably priced four-star hotel in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, we took a train to Bordeaux for our 10-day live like a local experiment. Our Airbnb was on a quiet street away from the pulsing center of the city, on a tiny cobblestone street a few blocks from the Garonne river in a classic 18th century Haussmann building. It had floor to ceiling windows with heavy wood shutters, a charming living room and dining area, and was conveniently located right next to Vins Urbains, one of the best wine bars in the city.
Not long after we settled in Bordeaux, we discovered our favorite cheese shop, several nearby boulangeries for daily baguettes and croissants, and a supermarché where we stocked up on inexpensive yet outstanding butter, Bon Maman Intensif jam (it’s not the same in the U.S. and we seriously debated shipping some back), fresh vegetables, milk and other essentials. For me, grocery shopping is one of the great joys of being in a new country. Every aisle is an adventure, every package is a mystery.
We spent our days wandering the city, eating far too much cheese, going to markets, exploring nearby towns like the utterly charming Saint-Émilion, and drinking our weight in wine. It didn’t take long before we were smitten.
After many days and nights eating rich French food, we enjoyed the simplicity of a few meals at home, including the take out pizza and a good bottle of wine, pictured below. Jason cooked a few meals at home, and I’m not just sucking up when I say they were among my favorites. I’ll always remember the fresh scrambled eggs sprinkled with truffled cheese and the Chicken Francese he made in our petite Bordeaux kitchen.
Next up, our favorite wine bars, cafes, and patisseries in Bordeaux.