The Final Leg Of The Summer 2024 Journey

On the final leg of our journey, we explored Bordeaux, navigated its bustling station, and admired scenic vineyards, reflecting on 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 to pick up a few essentials. The streets of Bordeaux, however, were disappointing. They were dirty, littered with trash, and may buildings including the supermarket we went had broken windows. We noticed dodgy individuals lingering on every corner. It didn’t feel safe or pleasant, which was disheartening. Sadly, this scene seems to be reflected in many cities across France and much of Western Europe.

We couldn’t help but compare this experience with the Eastern European countries we had just traveled through—all of which were clean and well-maintained. While it’s true that areas near main train stations can often feel a bit unsafe, this is far more pronounced in Western European cities. We did not see this in the Eastern counterparts.

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, and simply moving through the crowd was a challenge. To make matters worse, when we finally did find a spot, someone managed to step on my packs buckle, breaking it.

Hoping for breakfast at the station, we were disappointed to find only overpriced, unappealing sandwiches and coffee from a vending machine. It was awful! Once upon a time, French train stations boasted bistros where you could enjoy a good meal and a decent coffee. I vividly remember having a wonderful lunch at this very station not too long ago. It’s such a shame that this is no longer the case.

Finally, we boarded our train for the 200 km / 2 and a half hour journey to our hometown of Sarlat. This route is stunning. The train meandered through vast vineyards, stopped at picturesque villages (including St-Émilion in the heart of the Bordeaux wine region), passed medieval châteaux, and crossed wide rivers. At last, we arrived in Salat, the final stop on the line.

A friend was waiting to pick us up at the station and dropped us home. 

After 3,000 kilometers, 6 countries, 11 cities, 13 long-haul buses, 2 trains, and a couple of taxis, our amazing journey through parts of Eastern and Southern Europe had come to an end.

Where to next? Let’s wait and see!