You are welcome to join us for our next event, organised by Wendy, on September 25th 2026. This is a visit to Bordeaux. Its highlight will be les Bassins des Lumières which use the old submarine base to provide visually stunning, enormous projections of artwork with sound accompaniment. The present exhibition is dedicated to works by Henri Matisse and Frida Kahlo.
We shall meet for lunch at the Cité du Vin brasserie, Latitude 20. The 3-course menu is 29€, plus wine.
In the afternoon, we shall move to the nearby submarine base to enjoy its current exhibition.
The submarine pens were built in 1941 during the German occupation of Bordeaux, as a base from which Italian submarines could operate, initially in the Atlantic and subsequently in the Mediterranean. In 2010 part of the structure was opened to the public as a cultural centre for the performing arts and exhibitions.
Further detail and information can be found at:
www.bassins-lumieres.com/fr/frida-kahlo
www.bassins-lumieres.com/fr/matisse
These links help to show the sheer scale of the projections.
Some of the historical reference is available at:
https://www.bassins-lumieres.com/fr/decouvrir/un-peu-dhistoire#3/1
Note that strobe lighting may be used as part of the show. Tickets will be 16€ per person. We plan to arrange shared taxis from Cité du Vin to les Bassins-Lumières since public transport options are poor and the distance is a walk of about 30 minutes. The taxi cost will depend on the numbers wanting to join the ride and we will endeavour to give you a better idea of this as soon as final numbers are confirmed.
Anyone able to extend their stay in Bordeaux might wish to make their own arrangements to visit La Cité du Vin, which costs from 23€. (2 to 3 hours is suggested)
Bordeaux station has lines to a large number of destinations for anyone wishing to travel by train and avoid the headaches of traffic and parking in Bordeaux. From the station, Bordeaux St Jean, take Tram C (buy a ticket at the tram stop in front of the station) to Quinconces (the central intersection point for trams) and change to Tram B, direction “Claveau” or “Berges de la Garonne” or simply “Cité du Vin” and alight there. In addition to tram B, bus lines 7, 25, 27 & 53, stop at Cité du Vin.
If you have not already signed up and would like to join this visit, please contact Jeremy Trace as soon as practical: jeremy.trace@outlook.com
We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible.
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