Consecrated by Pope Urban II in 1096 and rebuilt many times, The Cathedral of Saint Andrew of Bordeaux, commonly known as Bordeaux Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Andrew and located in Bordeaux, France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Bordeaux. As I navigated the area from my hotel to the river Garrone, this splendid bit or architecture was noticeable from a distance.
Massive flying buttresses
The Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux was opened in 1780. Unfortunately it was not open at the time I was passing but I remembered to look up.
This giant head called “Sanna” just outside the opera house is by Jaume Pliensa
Bordeaux, like most medieval cities was at one time surrounded by defensive walls. Most of the walls are now gone since, with the advent of cannon, they no longer served a purpose and provided local builders with a ready supply of stone. A few of the gates are still to be admired. Grosse Cloche is one of the oldest remaining belfries left in France with the massive bell dating from 1775
Along with Porte Cailhau, the Grosse Cloche (“Big Bell“) is one of Bordeaux’s rarest medieval monuments. Originally it was composed of six towers and one storey. Successive modifications changed its shape between the 15th and the 17th centuries and today it is composed of two circular 40 meter high towers linked by a central building. After a fire in 1755, a small tower with a lantern (“campanile”) was added to the top of the building.
The Water Mirror or Quay Mirror at 37,100 sq ft/3450 sq m is the world’s largest reflecting pool and is all of about 2″/5cm deep. It is located between the Garonne & Place de la Bourse and is obviously sought after on hot days.
On a cooler day the periodic spray fountains give it a surreal appearance
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