Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Le Bateau dans Bordeaux
So The Philanderers rugby world cup tour continued at the weekend, with a fine few days in Bordeaux. Fine was the key word as the weather cracked the flags and a few glasses were raised to the outstanding performances from the teams of the Northern hemisphere......hmmmm!
The Ireland v Georgia game was a cracker with the local and neutral in the crowd cheering on the Georgians, who should have won. It was just their self belief and a sense that they weren't used to winning which ultimately cost them. England were, of course, England but the Tongan win over Samoa gave them a bit of a hand, so a quarter-final spot should still be on the cards.
But enough of the rugby. Bordeaux is an excellent place for a long weekend. It seemed bigger than Lille but had many of the attributes, good food, chic filles and plenty of wine. The city sits about eight miles up the river Gironde so it came as a shock to see a ten storey cruise ship in town the first morning. A trip to the harbour area though quickly enforces the long term use of the city as a port, not least when the German Atlantic fleet used it as a base during the Second World War. The Cockleshell Hero's, a team of Royal Marines, are remembered for their sorte up the river in canoes, when they destroyed a number of German cargo and war ships. Two of the twelve survived and returned home via Spain and Gibralter. The others were either drowned or captured and executed.
So thats the RWC embraced for the moment, next stop Paris for the semi's if L'Angleterre manage to make it!!
The Ireland v Georgia game was a cracker with the local and neutral in the crowd cheering on the Georgians, who should have won. It was just their self belief and a sense that they weren't used to winning which ultimately cost them. England were, of course, England but the Tongan win over Samoa gave them a bit of a hand, so a quarter-final spot should still be on the cards.
But enough of the rugby. Bordeaux is an excellent place for a long weekend. It seemed bigger than Lille but had many of the attributes, good food, chic filles and plenty of wine. The city sits about eight miles up the river Gironde so it came as a shock to see a ten storey cruise ship in town the first morning. A trip to the harbour area though quickly enforces the long term use of the city as a port, not least when the German Atlantic fleet used it as a base during the Second World War. The Cockleshell Hero's, a team of Royal Marines, are remembered for their sorte up the river in canoes, when they destroyed a number of German cargo and war ships. Two of the twelve survived and returned home via Spain and Gibralter. The others were either drowned or captured and executed.
So thats the RWC embraced for the moment, next stop Paris for the semi's if L'Angleterre manage to make it!!
Labels: Bordeaux, cockleshell heros, gironde, RWC
¶ 3:04 PM
