The Final Leg Of The Summer 2024 Journey
Bordeaux to Sarlat, France
On the final leg of our journey, we explored Bordeaux, navigated its bustling station, and admired scenic vineyards, reflecting on the contrasts across Europe.
We arrived at Bordeaux Airport after a very delayed and rough flight from Athens. From there, we made our way to our hotel near the St-Jean Bordeaux railway station using the airport shuttle bus. We had booked a night at the Ibis Hotel, located conveniently right across the road from the station.
Whenever we transit through Bordeaux, we choose to stay at Ibis. While it’s not flashy, it’s affordable, clean, and incredibly convenient.
After checking in and dropping off our bags, we set off for a walk to stretch our legs and find a grocery store. The streets of Bordeaux, however, were disappointing. They were dirty, littered with trash, and many buildings — including the supermarket — had broken windows. We noticed dodgy individuals lingering on every corner. It didn’t feel safe or pleasant.
We couldn’t help but compare this with the Eastern European countries we had just traveled through — all of which were clean and well-maintained. Western Europe feels broken.
That evening, we found a reasonable restaurant close to the hotel serving cheap and cheerful French classics. After a pleasant dinner and a couple of glasses of wine, we headed to bed.
The next morning, we made our way to the station. It was a Sunday, and the place was packed. Finding a seat was almost impossible. To make matters worse, someone stepped on my backpack buckle and broke it while we were trying to find space.
Hoping for breakfast at the station, we were disappointed to find only overpriced, unappealing sandwiches and vending-machine coffee. Once upon a time, French train stations boasted proper bistros. It was such a shame to see how much this had changed.
Finally, we boarded our train for the 200 km / 2.5-hour journey to our hometown of Sarlat. This route is stunning. The train meandered through vast vineyards, stopped at picturesque villages (including St-Émilion), passed medieval châteaux, and crossed wide rivers.
A friend was waiting to pick us up at Sarlat station and drove us home.
After 3,000 kilometers, 6 countries, 11 cities, 13 long-haul buses, 2 trains, and a couple of taxis, our amazing Summer 2024 journey through Eastern and Southern Europe had finally come to an end.