Expat names 'brilliant' European city you must visit that's 'so beautiful it made me cry'
A Londoner-turned-Francophile shares her insight on why the southern French city is so wonderful.
If you're after a slice of French sophistication this summer but can't bear the thought of negotiating Paris during the Olympics, why not check out one of the country's other glorious cities?
You could venture out to Lyon, Nice, Toulouse, Dijon and many more.
However, according to one British expat, you'll do well to find a better location for your summer jaunt than Bordeaux.
The southern city - situated on the Garonne River - boasts fabulous seasonal weather and chic French culture. According to ex-Londoner Janine Marsh, Bordeaux is so pretty it once made her cry.
The Brit, who now resides in Pas-de-Calais in the north of the country, said of the city: "It's quite brilliant - it's one of those places that has regenerated itself.
"A lot of people remember Bordeaux from the old days when the buildings were very dark and dirty. They were covered in pollution, but over the last 10 years, it's a different place.
"It's an amazing city, with Unesco-listed architecture. The late 18th-century architecture is beautiful."
She told GB News that one of the city's must-see spots is the Bassins de Lumières. She said of the city: "They've cleaned it up enormously.
"They've opened museums and cultural venues. There are submarine docks from the Second World War and they've turned it into one of the world's biggest and most amazing cultural art immersive venues. It's really astonishing and it's so beautiful it made me cry when I went there.
"You go in there and it's this place that's got this history of tragedy and now it's just huge, huge artworks on the wall. It's really, really beautiful."
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The expat added there were plenty of things to do outside the city too, suggesting: "You can just hop on a train and go to Saint-Emilion.
"You've got a beautiful little historic village with cobbled streets. It's hundreds of years old, it's beautiful and it's a great place for wine tasting.
"Also close to Bordeaux, you have Arcachon, which is the most beautiful seaside resort. You have Cap Ferret, which is very swanky - loads of millionaire's houses there.
"It's just astonishingly lovely. So you can actually do city, country and seaside all within one hour by train or by car."
