A Day in Bordeaux, France

The image in my head of Bordeaux was stuffy, snooty and uptight. I would think of the cost of First Growth Bordeaux and the pretense of collectors I have met over the years. But, when I stepped foot in Bordeaux, it was not at all what I expected. Bordeaux is a vibrant, exciting city thanks to their long-standing center-right mayor (and former prime minister) Alain Juppé who started a massive regeneration program in 1995. He opened up the riverfront, made the city center pedestrian friendly, cleaned up the old buildings and installed a hi-tech tram system. Today Bordeaux is not only the largest urban world heritage site but has been ranked as France's second favorite city after Paris.