Bordeaux: Waiting, Wandering, and Feeling Small Wins
May 7–9, 2025
Arrival Day - May 7
I woke up at 4:40 a.m. to check out and catch the 5:00 a.m. bus to the airport. My flight was at 8:10 am, and I still had to retrieve my luggage from storage and repack it into my big suitcase before heading through security. It felt like one of those mornings where everything required just a little more effort.
On the plane, I boarded with Group 2 and took my usual aisle seat. The man by the window spoke only French, and I struggled to understand him. From what I gathered, he wanted to try my travel pillow, and at one point he said something, half-joking, I think, about babies under two not being allowed on planes. Later, he opened a bottle of alcohol and offered it around until a flight attendant quickly shut that down.
When I landing in Bordeaux Airport at roughly 9:00 am, I purchased a ticket online to use the airport shuttle transfer, 30’Direct. Which took me to Gare de Bordeaux Saint-Jean. Here I had access to the local transport system and also the core of Bordeaux to explore. I had hours to wait before I could stay with my host, 6 pm, which later turned into 7 pm.
Thankfully, there was luggage storage at Gare de Bordeaux Saint-Jean. I paid €12.95 for 48 hours (up front, which I found interesting) and felt immediate relief once my suitcase was out of my hands. Though I still kept my backpack, and transferred some of my clothes into a smaller bag, for my two-night stay with my hosts.
I bought a 48-hour Transports Bordeaux Métropole (TBM) transit pass for €11, unlimited rides which I felt was smarter than paying €1.80 per trip, considering I'd be in Bordeaux for two days anyway. I was able to buy the pass in the train station. Then I took the tram to Jardin Public and wandered among flowers, snacking on Goldfish crackers and taking photos.
From there, I walked to the Miroir d’Eau at Place de la Bourse. The reflective water and historic buildings felt almost surreal. Eventually, my back started hurting, so I sat and let myself rest instead of pushing through.
Miroir d’Eau at Place de la Bourse
I retrieved a few things from my backpack at the station and stopped at Aldi for dinner supplies. Since couchsurfing is just a place to stay, you provide your own food!
I was quite nervous all day, as this would be my first time staying with complete strangers. I had built most of this trip knowing that in order to visit all the countries I want to see, I need to be creative. This includes finding ways to have a tighter budget. So I thought why not try Couchsurfing. I had done some exposure therapy beforehand. Now I'm actually here, about to stay with people I’ve never met before.
Knowing that I had the option to leave if I didn't like it was helpful. However, there was still the thought that well I'll be travelling for 3 months so I will have to get used to this and how it feels.
That evening, my host Stéphanie made green pasta and generously shared it with me. She even offered strawberries with sugar for dessert. We talked until about 10 p.m., conversation is part of how I’m “paying” for my stay. They told me about places I should explore and asked me to update them about Albania and Macedonia when I go.
I went to sleep grateful and tired, but steady.
A French Holiday - May 8
I woke up around 9:30 and allowed myself a slower morning. I made noodles for breakfast (the same ones I couldn't make in Barcelona), and they had bought me a croissant, which felt like such a small but thoughtful gesture.
I had planned to do a 10 a.m. walking tour but left closer to 11. So I skipped it and decided that it's okay. My hosts had given me a list of things to see, so I followed that instead!
My first stop was a Banksy exhibit near their home. It was eye-opening and politically sharp, the kind of art that makes you pause. I’d really only heard about him when I was younger, talking about the meaning of his work back then. So it was a refresher to walk around the pop-up exhibit and read the paragraphs that went with the artwork. They were giving out free posters at the end. I wanted two, but I didn’t know how I’d carry them.
I wandered toward Rue Notre-Dame, which was stunning, elegant storefronts, warm stone buildings, and that quiet French charm. I stepped into Church of Saint-Louis-des-Chartrons, Bordeaux, and of course, that’s when my SD card ran out of storage. My spare was back at the house.
Church of Saint-Louis-des-Chartrons, Bordeaux
Church of Saint-Louis-des-Chartrons, Bordeaux
Inside Church of Saint-Louis-des-Chartrons
I didn’t want to inconvenience my hosts by returning, so I navigated a purchase in very broken French and bought a new SD card. A small win. I spent the day wandering around, and sending updates to my friends back home.
Later, I found a canelé shop that was recommended to me by my hosts, La Toque Cuivrée. Canelés are small caramelized pastries Bordeaux is known for. The taste reminded me of Jamaican rum cake… and then I realized why. Rum. I only ordered one to start, eventually going back for more!
Because it was a French holiday, the streets felt completely different from the day before. Even though I walked many of the same roads, they were now alive with people. Children played outside churches. Someone begged quietly inside another. It felt layered, celebration and struggle in the same square.
I walked to see the Opéra National de Bordeaux - Grand-Théâtre, however when I went to book a tour online but I think that I was too late for the day, all spots were taken. I really loved sitting on the moment in the middle of the square just watching the tram pass in front of the Grand Theatre. It just showed me that you can really integrate old with new.
I really found that I enjoyed the TBM, it was on time, and very easy to use. Of course I did all of my directions with Google maps. Even buying the ticket was good, I had tried to buy it in French first but many workers spoke English and were able to help me.
I also spent some time just riding the metro up and down the line. Watching people in their everyday lives, both inside and outside of the tram.
I bought three magnets (and told myself I might buy more later).
Then it started raining. My head began to hurt, and I was hungry so I took the tram back to the Aldi close to their house. Only to find out that Aldi was closed because of the holiday, so I went back downtown to another location. There I grabbed some fake chicken and mini sandwiches before heading home.
That night, we ate dinner together at the table, even though we all had different meals. Bertrand and I watched We’re All Strangers together before I went to sleep around 10:00 pm with a massive headache.
Leaving - May 9
I woke up around 8 a.m. to pack and prepare to leave for Cérons.
Before I left, I gave them a thank-you playing card, a small token, but meaningful to me.
I ate some of the leftover fake chicken for breakfast, collected my luggage from the station, and headed toward the train.
Bordeaux felt like a place of in-between moments: waiting, wandering, small language victories, unexpected kindness.
Not dramatic.
Not perfect.
Just real.
