You are welcome to join us for our next event, organised by Wendy, on September 25th 2026. This is a visit to Bordeaux. Fuller details and transport options appear towards the end of this page. The 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 12h15 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Some of the historical reference is available at: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.
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
To contact Wendy for any further information (see below) dick_wendyfowler@hotmail.com
the restaurant
We shall meet at the brasserie, Latitude 20, at La Cité du Vin, at noon, for lunch at 12h15. The brasserie is on the ground floor. There is a security bag check outside. Bear to the right when you enter.
You do not need to buy a ticket to La Cité du Vin to access the restaurant. The lunch cost will be 29€ plus wine, coffee.
Each person pays for their meal on the day at the restaurant; a menu will be sent out a week before so that you can inform us of allergies etc. in advance.
Travel by car
Those who plan to drive can find parking across the road from La Cité du Vin at 2 rue de Gironde 33000 Bordeaux. It is possible to reserve a parking place in advance.
https://www.interparking-france.com/parking-bordeaux/en/park/parking-la-cite-du-vin-2
Travel by train
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. Those who plan to take the train will find that the Gare St Jean is at the other end of the city from the Cité du Vin, but the excellent tram system will take you there.
The tram platforms are in front of the station (exit from Hall A). It is necessary to buy a ticket from a machine before you board the tram and validate it as you get on.
Take tram C, D or F to Quinconces, the interchange, then change to tram B, direction Cité du Vin or Berges de la Garonne or Claveau – they all stop at the Cité du Vin.
Remember to validate your ticket again on boarding the connecting tram – but it counts as one journey if the connection is made within the hour.
You should allow about 30 minutes for the journey.
In addition to tram B, bus lines 7, 25, 27 & 53, stop at Cité du Vin.
Getting to les Bassins
The immersive experience (metaphorical rather than literal) at the Bassins des Lumières will be booked for 15h00.
Please pay Wendy on the day: 16€ per person.
As above, it is not a convenient place to reach on foot or by public transport, so Wendy proposes to book taxis to take us there and back, and the cost will be shared.
Please let Wendy know if you do not need this.
If you prefer to drive, there is free parking: Impasse Brown de Colstoun 33000 Bordeaux.
Hotels
For anyone wishing to extend their visit to Bordeaux, the city has many hotels, including the modest B&B Hotel at 147 rue Lucien Faure, near to the Cité du Vin and the Bassin à Flot marina, and two Ibis hotels, one on the right bank near the Botanic gardens.
Other attractions
Bordeaux is a delightful city for flâneurs: the buildings are magnificent and there are interesting boutiques down side streets away from rue Sainte Catherine (rue Notre Dame & rue St James are amongst my favourites); plus lots of coffee shops and wine bars, quiet ruelles and surprising squares. Stroll the quais beside the river down to the Place de la Bourse and the Mirroir d’eau.
A tram ticket (which is rechargeable at the machines) also gives access to buses and the ferry across the Garonne (Bato TBM)
Pick up a map at the Tourist Office, 12 Cours 30 juillet, near Quinconces. You can also book various tours here – open top bus, along the river, walking tours, food tours, etc..
https://www.bordeaux-tourism.co.uk/city-heritage/guided-tours
Visit the cathédrale St André in the heart of the city, place Pey-Berland. The Hôtel de Ville is nearby, and the vast bookshop Librarie Mollat on the Cours Pasteur
Have a coffee at Books & Coffee on rue St James and see la Grosse Cloche. Find the 15th century Porte Cailhau, on Quai Richelieu, south of the Place de la Bourse.
Markets
The Marché des Capucins (find a a table and order a white wine and 6 oysters) is Bordeaux’s covered market (closed Mondays) south of the basilique St Michel; and a Saturday morning market is held around that church for fruit, vegetables and housewares. Quai des Chartrons has a Sunday morning market (oysters and street food).
More information can be found at:
https://www.lostinbordeaux.com/the-best-markets-in-bordeaux/
If you want the full Cité du Vin experience (www.laciteduvin.com/en/info), this costs from 23€. It is recommended to allow 2 to 3 hours – there is a lot to walk around.
Museums
Musée des Beaux Arts – access via les jardins du Hôtel de Ville.
Musée des Art Décoratifs et du Design ( MADD), rue Bouffard.
CAPC musée d’art contemporain, Cours Xavier Arnozan – housed in Entrepôt Lainé, a 19th century industrial building: its original function was storage of colonial foodstuff.
Musée des Douanes, quai de la Douane.
Musée d’Aquitaine, Cours Pasteur (occasional temporary exhibitions)
And many more
The right bank of the river (the Bastide Brazza) was the industrial heart of Bordeaux but is being developed as an eco-system with lots of green spaces and interesting residential architecture. The ligne 25 bus (direction Bouliac) from the Cité du Vin takes you along the right bank, past the Darwin complex (vegetarian restaurant, coffee shop, bicycle repairs, skateboard park), via the Jardin Botanique to Stalingrad, where you can walk across the Pont de Pierre (you get a wonderful view across to the city) or take tram A (direction Haillan Rostand) to the Porte de Bourgogne across on the left bank.
We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible.
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