Place Fernand-Lafargue located in the Saint Eloi district is part of the historic center and was originally a market square, but today is a quiet corner of the city with a good variety of restaurants and cafes.

Now the square is a hip new area in Bordeaux with many restaurants, wine bars, and innovative boutiques.

The square is really beautiful and so serene.

Lots of boutiques in this area...

We are still in the Quartier Saint-Eloi which is one of the most picturesque districts in Bordeaux.

In the back you can see the 'Grosse Cloche' (Great Bell), which used to be the Town Hall's belfry.

 Currently the Town Hall is elsewhere, but the bell is still one of the symbols of Bordeaux.

This fortified gateway was also a prison.  Young delinquents were thrown into its dungeons fitted with thick doors and stout locks. 

The belfry of the old town hall was built at the 15th century. This symbol is still on the city's coat of arms.

The Grosse Cloche is one of Bordeaux's rarest medieval monuments along with Porte Cailhau.

Originally it was composed of six towers.  Successive modifications changed its shape between the 15th and the 17th century and today it is composed of two circular 131feet high towers linked by a central building.  After a fire in 1755, a small tower with a lantern "Campanil" was added to the top of the building.

There is a really small church right before entering the gate of the Gross cloche.

This is a parking facility but look how interesting it is with part of a car sticking out and hanging in mid air.

This is the Musee of D'Aquitaine.

Pey-Berland Tower

The Pey-Berland Tower was named after the archbishop of Bordeaux who founded the city's first university circa 1440.  The bell tower built between 1440 and 1450 is isolated from the rest of the cathedral and is situated to the east.  It forms a rectangular edifice and is topped by a small octagonal spire which is surmounted by a statue of Our Lady of Aquitaine.

This 164 feet tall high tower was built in the 15th century and from its top there is an excellent view of Bordeaux.

The bell tower was insufficiently squad to support the bells and hold the great bell so it was necessary to build a bell tower separate from the cathedral.  In 1617 a storm tore away the pinnacle and it was replaced in 1853 with a statue of our Lady of Aquitaine on top. 

Saint-Andre Cathedral

The Saint Andre cathedral is an imposing Gothic edifice located in the heart of the city.  It is the largest religious building in Bordeaux and was listed in 1998 by UNESCO as World Heritage site.

The Cathedral is one of the main landmarks in Bordeaux. The Cathedral and its bell tower were built at the end of the 15th century. Its steeple, 374 feet tall, is the second tallest in France. The tower was twice struck by lightning, and at the end of the 17th century a hurricane seriously damaged its structure. It was not until 1865 that it was repaired. Since then is one of the most astonishing views in Bordeaux.

Recently UNESCO added the French Pilgrim routes of Santiago de Compostela to the list of World Heritage sites.  Of the sixty-nine monuments accepted, three are in Bordeaux: the Saint-André Cathedral, the Saint-Seurin Basilica and the Saint-Michel Basilica.

The entrance of the Cathedral resemble the cathedral of Notre Dame but smaller.  Both are built in a Gothic style.

Town Hall-Rohan Palace

The City Hall of Bordeaux is located in Rohan Palace, a former residence of the archbishop of Bordeaux. It bears the name of the cardinal Ferdinand-Maximilien-Mériadec, prince de Rohan on whose order it has been built between 1772 and 1784.
The palace remained however as the archbishop residence only until French Revolution and after that it had other different uses - criminal court during the Terror, Imperial Palace under Napoleon I and Royal Palace during Restoration.

In 1835 it became Bordeaux City Hall
 

Hôtel de Ragueneau is one of the finest mansions of the XVII century in Bordeaux. It has been home to the Bordeaux municipal Archives since 1939. 

The mansion

In 1643 Jeanne de Seurin, the widow of Pierre de Ragueneau, advisor to the Bordeaux parliament, commissioned the architect Pierre Léglise with the building of her home. In the place of two old houses, he built a mansion with a courtyard in the front and gardens in the back. The building is built around a courtyard, enclosed with a wall set with niches, a clear indication of the family’s prestigious standing. The building work finished in 1656.

Between 1662 and 1679 the mansion was rented to the City which used it to set up the home of the Edict of Guyenne.

In 1847, it was again rented to the City which set up there the central Octroi services (the city entrance tax). The City purchased it in 1860.

After the abolition of this service in 1928, the city architect Jacques d’Welles, who designed the entrance gate in particular, oversaw important restoration work from 1938, in order to house there from 1939 the municipal Archives, as well as the Bordeaux National Academy and academic societies

More walking....

This place sell fresh seafood and you also offer tasting onsite of oysters, and shellfish.

Lots of seafood and it looks really fresh.

On the left is the Utopia St Simeon Cinema that used to be a church.

The Utopia cinema retains significant remains of St. Simeon Church thanks to old drawings found on the premises.

In this square you will also find some bars and restaurants. If the weather is good, a terrace in this square is one of the best places to relax and sip a drink.

Le Globe cafe on Place Gambetta.

Les Canelés from Baillardran.

The famous Canelés, a divine little caramelized cake, soft inside and flavored with rum and vanilla, symbolizes the elegance of Bordeaux's pastry making. 

Very nice shops.  Baillardran have the best Canelés and they are sold like hot cakes. 

Next...Chateau Citran