France 2015 - Bordeaux and BD Avenue bookstore

This year's adventure in France included a day trip to Bordeaux. This lively city is so much more than I expected. A hub for students and commerce, it also is one of the most accessible cities I've encountered in France.  Quite the rare find for the mobility-challenged!

From its gleaming, modern tram system that you can access from the train station for easy transport around the city....

 to the number of stores and sites had ramps as well as steps at the entrance .. it was clear to see why you'll see more folks in wheelchairs around town here than other cities. Historical towns .. even big cities like Paris .. are full of cobblestone streets and sidewalks, lots of stairs with no few ramp or elevators .. not issues for most visitors, but real obstacles to others. Bordeaux sparkles with welcome for so many to enjoy.

Interesting quote here on this part of city planning from Lonely Planet webpage on Bordeaux...

The new millennium was a major turning point for the city long known as La Belle au Bois Dormant (Sleeping Beauty). The mayor, former Prime Minister Alain Juppé, roused Bordeaux, pedestrianising its boulevards, restoring its neoclassical architecture and implementing a high-tech public transport system. His efforts paid off: in mid-2007 half of the entire city (18 sq km, from the outer boulevards to the banks of the Garonne) was Unesco-listed, making it the largest urban World Heritage Site.

Bolstered by its high-spirited university-student population (not to mention 2.5 million tourists annually), La Belle Bordeaux now scarcely seems to sleep at all.

Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/southwestern-france/bordeaux#ixzz3SVYR7osy

All the photos in this post are sites I enjoyed during a walk around the few blocks close to the BD Avenue bookstore site .....

 below is main shopping street on a Saturday ..

 Interior of enclosed shopping plaza ...(it has escalators and elevators!)

 Typical outdoor square .. the city is full of these!

A visit to Bordeaux offers a truly French experience ... without the overwhelming size and traffic of Paris. In fact, Bordeaux has over 300 historical outdoor monuments ... in all of France, only Paris has more. In just a few blocks of walking in Bordeaux you'll find: Cathedrals; Museums; Architecture;  History; Cafes and restaurants; Shopping; City life; Scenic river and bridge views;  Parks. And it's the capital city of the world's wine industry.

 Just one sample of the cathedrals and churches...

Entrance to decorative arts museum...

Bordeaux had its own airport and is easy to reach via France's train system -- about 3 hours from Paris (that trip will be 2 hours starting in 2016 when the new high speed train line connects). The train ride from Angouleme is about an hour.

Artists and comics fans -- the big news about Bordeaux is the 2015 opening of  a new attraction: BD Aveneue  bookstore ---Here's a link to the store's facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/bdavenuebordeaux  and website  http://www.bdavenue.com/
This is the view from the bookstore, looking out towards the square where it's located.

 Side street next to store entrance...

 View of outdoor sculpture in front of the store .. and the Bordeaux Apple store next door...

 All the white-washed windows on the ground level below are the store front for BD Avenue store...

 Here's a closer view of the storefront..

And the front door...

When it opens later this year, BD Avenue will be a state of the art,  3-story bookstore, comics store, and art gallery located in the heart of the city,

UPDATE: Store is open in temporary location. 
More info here: https://www.facebook.com/bdavenuebordeaux/

It is right across the street from the city's Grand Theater, a stunning example of 18th Century architecture.

Here's the interior staircase of the theater...

 Inside the lobby is this model of the building..

 This is the period interior of the theater's cafe ... perfect isn't it???

Longtime SNB pal Anabelle is involved with this new venture, and I'm so glad I took her suggestion to check out the city and the store's location. Once this venture is up and running, there are exciting plans to host guest artists from the US as well as Europe for signings and exhibitions. Trust me, artists, you will be blown away by this city! A great chance to experience French culture and art fans in a city that's easy to navigate and a unique balance of history and modern amenities.

Bordeaux has lots of hotels in a range of prices .... easy to access from Paris or Angouleme. Like red wine and a french meal .. a visit to Bordeaux is the perfect pairing for YOUR French adventure...

More on Bordeaux here:
http://www.bordeaux-tourism.co.uk/

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/france/southwestern-france/bordeaux

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bordeaux

Angouleme 2015 -- Calvin and Hobbes exhibit UPDATED 2/24 with link to more photos

Highlight of Angouleme festival this year was exhibit of original Calvin and Hobbes artwork by the reclusive Bill Watterson...... What a treat to see the watercolors .. and the amount of white-out he used on the strips!

Perfection is a goal. Practice is what makes perfect possible .. but perfection is an illusion. Persistence, mistakes, inspiration, commitment .. that's what's real.

Here's link to recent brief interview with Watterson, featuring his Angouleme award...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2014/11/07/new-bill-watterson-art-calvin-and-hobbes-creator-on-why-he-accepted-angouleme-honor-i-thought-the-whole-thing-was-bananas-qa/

here's an excerpt: BILL WATTERSON wasn’t aware he’d been nominated. Shoot, until he Googled it, the cartoonist didn’t even know the award existed.

His syndicate, though, called him with the news early this year: France’s esteemed Angoulême International Comic Art Festival had just named the “Calvin and Hobbes” creator as recipient of its Grand Prix award for lifetime achievement — a prize that usually includes serving as event president the following year. Apparently, in a fashion that’s delightfully French, the festival bestows the typically obligation-laden honor without asking in advance whether you’ll accept the concomitant duties, from jurying to appearances.

“People started talking about all the obligations that went with the prize, so I thought the whole thing was bananas,” Watterson tells The Post’s Comic Riffs in his only American interview about the honor, “but Angoulême assured me there were no strings attached and they’d work with whatever I’d be willing to do.

“Drawing the poster sounded fun, so I agreed to do that,” notes Watterson... 

Also fun ... seeing all this art ... enjoy!

More photos of the exhibit on this tumblr link .... http://theartofbillwatterson.tumblr.com/