Once again it has been a long time since I was in Bordeaux. The last time my daughter was about 9 months old (now nearly 14!) and was sitting underneath my tripod whilst I was shooting a house.
It seems that I have been revisiting a lot of places recently that I went to 10 , 20 or even 30 years ago. I feel like they created impressions and memories but going back again has enhanced my appreciation. Maybe for the most part I see it with different eyes.
The main reason for going to Bordeaux was because I was part of an exhibition created by Casapiane and my gallerist Aurélie ( also here at Aurelie’s Gallery). So I decided this would be a perfect moment to finally meet Aurélie in person as we have only talked online or on the phone and to see my prints in situ.
Bordeaux is surprisingly not easy to get to from Provence by train. Either you have to go up to Paris and back down again or change 2/3 times and go down South (which takes forever). So the simplest thing was to hop in the car and head to Bordeaux which is actually (off tourist season) a 5.5/6 hr car journey. So very manageable.
Bordeaux is a magnificent city, known for it’s wine, gastronomy, history and architecture. Apart from the grandeur of the city I particularly loved the houses known as ‘Eschoppes’ an architectural heritage of Bordeaux built for workers and craftsmen. They are well sought after now.
It’s a wonderful city to walk around and there is also the tram which is also a great way to get around. We particularly enjoyed the area known as the ‘Chartrons’ and discovered a great shop called PH7 which at the time of writing this I have learnt has just closed its doors.
Bordeaux is a great city to shop, yes full of shops in the centre without heading out to a hideous shopping mall. It has that Parisian vibe with restaurants and cafes. I wasn’t there long enough to discover everything but it does make me want to go back again.
We were also lucky enough to be there whilst they had the antiques fair on called ‘Brocante de Quinconces’ which lasts for about 2 weeks and is on twice a year. The Sunday morning ‘Les puces de Saint Michel’ is also worth a wander and a great spot to have a coffee and people watch.
We also enjoyed strolling through the Jardin Public with all the wonderful colours and don’t forget to look at all the magnificent doors and windows and what’s above them. They are called Mascarons - masks. Apparently there are more than 3000 of them in Bordeaux.
So as I briefly touched on earlier I was thrilled to be involved in this project by Cecile and Aurelie and so I decided to make the effort to be there and meet them in person. I am so glad I did as on the back of it I sold a photograph and we got an article out in Cabana which you can read here.
The house had been closed and untouched for 30 years and with the magical touch of Cécile she created a wonderful mise en scene. Everything including the house was for sale. For me it was a photographer’s dream. Not only to be included and have my photographs on display but to be able to photograph and capture a moment in time.
So if you are looking for a city break, I can definitely recommend Bordeaux. I think there is something for everyone there to find.
Joanna x
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What intriguing photos -- it's always fascinating to get a REAL photographer's view of a place.
I agree that Bordeaux somehow has a semi-Parisian feel, which is quite surprising. I wish I could go there more often, but it's not easy to get to from Aveyron either!