“As soon as there is no more water, it is very hot”, testifies Pierre, 37, who came with his family to the Bordeaux water mirror, between the Garonne and the Place de la Bourse. The whole family from Brittany has their feet in the water when the thermometer is close to 38 to 40 degrees on Tuesday at the start of the afternoon. “The children needed it and we knew where to go in Bordeaux to cool off a bit”, continues the father of the family. “We came to the Southwest because we wanted a little heat but that’s too much,” adds his companion Praveena, 30. Already scalded, these Bretons will not be long in going to cool down and perhaps even go back to the accommodation they rent in the Dordogne and which is air-conditioned… If the streets of Bordeaux are not deserted and certain courtyards near the river still benefit from a bit of air, crowds are limited in town, at least during the peak heat of the day.
A little further on, Geneviève, 64, and Christiane, 59, immediately brandish their Cannes origins to boast of a certain resistance to heat. Hat on her head and foot in the water, she finds the mirror pleasant but the water is already a little warm. At 2 p.m. that day, they agreed to go into the shade, once the misting cycle of the water mirror was over.
“We sometimes sell ice cream in the morning”
For tourists visiting Bordeaux or locals who want to escape the heat of their homes, the city’s parks and gardens can also be a solution. “When the heat is not excessive, the lawns are full because there is more shade, this is not the case”, explain Cédric and Clara who run the refreshment bar of the Orangerie, within the Public Garden. . If they sell ice cream and refreshments, they are not overwhelmed at the start of the afternoon. “There are more people from 5:30 p.m., Pointe Clara, even if we sell water all day and sometimes ice cream in the morning”. Between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., it’s the peak of activity for the bar, especially since a puppet show is organized next door by Guignol Guérin every afternoon in the summer at 4 p.m.
A little further, under the trees, Captain Michel is posted as guardian of the Petit Mousse, a beautiful blue and white wooden boat that connects the two small islands of the park. There too, he explains that the children are kept cool at the beginning of the afternoon and that the walks are done rather at the end of the day. “And on the water it’s never very hot, I feel a little privileged”, slips the captain. Those who remain caulked at home to escape the scorching heat will be able to enjoy the Public Garden late in the evening since the city exceptionally leaves it open, along with a few other parks, until 11 p.m.