We delayed our departure from Arcachon to make sure that we got the breakfast that we had paid for! Warned in advance that it was the usual French continental, we were sitting at the breakfast table early having fruit and muesli when the jovial proprietor arrived to set up - he saw what we were doing, and hurried off to get bread so we could have ‘his’ breakfast earlier than scheduled - this was a bonus, allowing us just a little bit of extra time to see some of Arcachon’s highlights before hitting the road to Bordeaux. A popular holiday destination, there are lovely villas, a great park built on the site of a casino, lots of beaches nearby and all the attractions that go with the beaches (surf schools, paragliding, canoeing, boating etc). And of course (being France) the ‘restaurations’ - seafood and in particular the local huitres (oysters). We went to the markets, rode along the beach for a bit (they have even gone to the trouble of constructing a timber bike path over the sand), visited Parc Mauresque (site of the casino) - this is on a hill, and can be accessed by a lift from the bottom, and from there climbed an observation tower built by Eiffel (which moved disconcertingly as you ascended), walked through the pedestrian centre and the promenade - trying to cram as much as possible into an hour or so. All the while we were hearing the sound of jets passing overhead. There is a firing range that is along the coast used by the military (also a test centre for missiles), and it appears some kind of exercise was happening. The ride into Bordeaux was remarkable for the straightness of the road and the flatness. This kind of got boring, but made for fast time once we got clear of Arcachon and surrounds. One thing we came across when we detoured to find a toilet - a piece of the ‘Atlantic Wall’ built by the German army to try and prevent the invasion. This was hidden just off the old main road. A small placard gave some information about the ‘Atlantic Wall’ in general and a bit about where this bit of it fitted into the big picture. Some parts of the route were along the main road with a separated bike path, and some on the road itself. We arrived in Bordeaux via a seemingly circuitous route, but once seen on a map, the most direct. As it was through built up areas, it was a lot of stop/start, and always having to watch for red lights and stop signs, and checking to see if we were following the GPS track. Luckily we arrived without too much drama to our accommodation close to the heart of the town of Bordeaux. This is a big place, with lots of history. With 1,195,335 in the metropolitan area, it is the sixth-largest in France. Being at the center of a major wine-growing and wine-producing region, Bordeaux remains a prominent powerhouse and exercises significant influence on the world wine industry although no wine production is conducted within the city limits. It is home to the world's main wine fair, Vinexpo, and the wine economy in the metro area takes in 14.5 billion euros each year. Bordeaux wine has been produced in the region since the 8th century. The historic part of the city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble" of the 18th century. After Paris, Bordeaux has the highest number of preserved historical buildings of any city in France. (Lots of stuff about Bordeaux is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bordeaux ) After a good night's sleep, it was time to try and see a bit of the place.