17th of July 2024 - Blaye and Bourg sur Gironde

We started the day with a drive from Blaye along the Route de la Corniche Fleurie.  The road winded between limestone cliffs on one side and the Gironde on the other.  There were 19th-century stone houses built by sea captains below the cliffs and wooden fishing huts on stilts standing above the waters of the estuary.

 

When we returned to Blaye we visited the historic Blaye fortress which is a UNESCO-designated citadel that once protected Bordeaux from attacks by sea.  This citadel contains the ruins of a medieval castle, houses, squares and streets all within the fortress walls.  There was a great view of the estuary from these walls including of the S.S. Bon Voyage.

 

The tide was out when we were in Blaye so all there was of the river was mud.

 

In the afternoon we did a walking tour of Bourg also informally known as Bourg-sur-Gironde.  Bourg originated as a fortified villa built by the Roman prefect Pontius Paulinus in the 4th century.  The first picture is of what used to be the communal washhouse.  I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't want to wash my clothes in this water.