Bordeaux, Day 3: Day Trip to Bordeaux, Interactive Display at Bassins des Lumières

June 5, 2026

Today, everyone kind of split off into two different groups. We were all headed to Bordeaux, but had different agendas. One group went to the Wine Museum (which was having its 10th Anniversary celebration), and another group of us went to an interactive art display at Bassins des Lumières.

For our visit, we got to see two different presentations: one on Frida Kahlo, and another on Claude Monet.

The space itself is a Nazi-era submarine pen, but digital projectors are set up so that the walls are illuminated everywhere you walk.

Once the presentations began, I ended up staying put. But it was great to watch an area, and then turn to see the animations continue along every wall.

I was reminded of my time doing Flash animations. And started to fixate on all the different components that needed to be created. Every small detail that was animated needed to be generated, and it looked to be a tremendous amount of work.

It was a great use of the space – huge walls for the projections, and water to serve as a kind of mirror along the floor.

Mesmerizing, to say the least.

The “Citerne” area, which was an isolated space with its own projections. There were a lot of kids here, and padded mats were available for people to sit on the floor and just watch.

Fast forward a bit to us driving into downtown Bordeaux. The streets were a little hectic (bicycles and scooters everywhere), but we ended up finding a parking lot under the nearby mall.

I wasn’t sure how things were working. We didn’t get prompted to take a ticket, and all I ended up seeing was this kiosk/display by the gated entrance.

In a panic, I took a screenshot so that I could figure out what it was saying later. And then just drove in and found a parking spot.

Super tight space, but found a spot. Like my experience in Scotland, the parking garages in Bordeaux are just incredible compared to the States. Well-lit, open, and almost clean enough to where you could eat off the floor.

Earlier in the day, Tricia and Sebastian ended up tapping out – and headed back to the Chateau around mid-afternoon. Paige and Audrey hung with me and Liz, and we wandered around downtown Bordeaux briefly, before dinner.

We ended up meeting the Holder family for an early evening meal, before driving back home.

bordeaux france

« Bordeaux, Day 2: Lazy Morning, Wine Tasting in Saint-Émilion, Unexpected Peacocks, Dinner in Libourne