Day 3

2 October 2022

Well, what a day.

It started early with sirens waking us, but we were basically dozing as it was not a great night. We had the 3am jet lag awakening.

I came out at 7am to make a coffee for us, and looked down in the street to see a fire truck, police and ambulance. There were distraught older teens/young adults comforting each other and being questioned. The police were guarding the steps down into the underground car park of the shopping centre opposite to us. It was clear that something very serious had taken place.

It was hard to watch. So, we didn’t. We closed the shutters and left them to it. A little later we heard shouting and upon looking out, it looked like a parent had arrived and was consoling her daughter. We have no real idea what happened, and probably never will.

I set off on my own to pick up the hire car at about 9am. I caught the tram down to the station, all very easy and efficient. There was a lovely chocolate Labrador on the tram, with an Assistance Dog coat on. He may have been in training. I was busting to give him a cuddle, but refrained.

The car pick up was so easy….”the car is over in that garage and here are the keys, bye.” No paperwork, no viewing of the International Licence we were warned we would need and no credit card swipe. OK, I’m off !!

I even managed to convert the GPS to English, put in the address and not hit anything coming out of the garage. I had a pretty good idea how to get back to our place, so when the GPS wanted to take me, what I thought, was a weird way, I simply ignored it. It went into a melt down instructing me to turn around, go back, but I pushed on. When I entered the aforesaid car park opposite our place, it had the good grace to say: “you have reached your destination”. Thanks.

By the time I had returned there was no sign on the police etc. It is strange how life simply moves on after such events that if you didn’t witness would never even register on your radar. All would seem normal. Anyway, enough philosophy.

Food tour time. We head out for the 11.30am meeting place at the Marche des Capricins. This is the Market we visited yesterday. Our guide is Sara, a local and there are 10 of us. 2 French girls; 2 Germans (couple); 3 Americans (1 couple and 1 bloke) and 1 English girl. We were (apart from the American bloke in his fifties), of course, the oldest ones. The rest were all 30 somethings, and a good group. The 2 French girls were especially friendly and helpful, and the English girl was also great.

First stop was in the markets at a moule place where we had 3 different variations on a bowl of moules, plus frittes and a bottle of white. Then we headed off walking the streets and getting information on the way.

Next we stopped at an Italian place who make their own focaccia. We tried the focaccia with three different toppings. Delicious, oh, and another bottle of white wine. More walking via another outdoor market. By now the crowds out and about had increased dramatically. It is the done thing to head out for a long Sunday lunch at one of the numerous cafes. The place was buzzing.

We then went to a small shop that specialised in Caneles, the genuine article. You must close your eyes and bite into them, and they must “crunch” to be the real deal. More walking and then a specialist icecream place, more walking and then a Basque shop for a biscuity/cake thingy, and finally to a sit down Bordeaux café for cheese and cold meats, and a bottle of red. We finished up at 4pm, so a big day out.

We decided to not eat in, as had been our plan. We were going to shop at the markets for all the local produce and create a wonderful home cooked French inspired meal, bugger that, so the café downstairs it is !!