LETTRE DE BORDEAUX

Bordeaux, 6 October 2024
My dear reader,
It’s Sunday, October 6th, and I’m writing to you from my home in Bordeaux. Winter is slowly settling in here. In my garden, the leaves have already turned red from the cold, and there’s a scent of burning wood in the air—a fragrance that heralds winter and one I absolutely adore (though rest assured, it’s undoubtedly coming from my neighbors’ chimneys). By the way, if you love this unique aroma, I recommend Diptyque’s Feu de Bois candle*—it’s a bestseller!
I absolutely love this time of year—Halloween is just around the corner, and Christmas is fast approaching! I adore this season so much that every year, I decorate my (artificial) Christmas tree at the beginning of November, right after Halloween and All Saints’ Day, so I can fully enjoy this period that always seems to pass too quickly. Speaking of which, I’ve started working on this year’s gift guides, which promise some wonderful surprises! You can get a sneak peek via the newsletter I’ll send out on the 1st of November (I invite you to subscribe if you haven’t already!). I’m really excited to share all my gift ideas—French and Parisian, of course—for the holidays, which I hope will delight you and your loved ones.
As I mentioned in my previous article, a new season means new rituals! The days are getting shorter, and since I have the habit (unfortunate or not?) of writing in the evenings, I’ve brought out my favorite seasonal candles—especially Gabriel by Trudon*, which I’ve told you about many times, and Fir, a limited-edition candle sold only during the holiday season that I managed to find on Trudon’s website here. This candle literally smells like a Christmas tree, and it’s absolutely magical!
I’ve also pulled out my favorite seasonal dessert recipes: authentic gingerbread, fruitcake with candied fruits, and tarte tatin. By the way, I’d love to bake a pumpkin pie; if you know a really good recipe, please send it my way :). Last year, I tried a recipe from a famous French pastry chef, but it didn’t turn out very well! I think I messed up the filling by using “potimarron” (red kuri squash) instead of “potiron” (pumpkin). Also, the chef added a lot of spices like anise and candied fruits to the filling. The pie wasn’t really tasty, to put it politely ;).
If there’s one thing I love about autumn, it’s preparing and savoring traditional hot chocolate (see the recipe here). If you’re looking for a lighter and less caloric version, I recommend heating a cup of plant-based milk (I love rice-coconut milk) and adding a tablespoon of low-fat cocoa or a scoop of Cacao Glow*—a sugar-free cocoa powder with marine collagen, guarana, vitamin C, and vitamin B8—which is absolutely delicious! I’m also a tea enthusiast, collecting the iconic black Mariage Frères tins—I have a rather impressive collection in my kitchen cupboards. While my all-time favorite tea remains the unbeatable Casablanca, when autumn arrives, I prefer more indulgent teas and rooibos with gentle spices and fruits echoing the season, such as Esprit de Noël (spiced black tea), Wedding Impérial (black tea with chocolate and caramel notes), Christmas Cake tea (black tea with praline hints of vanilla caramel), or Rouge d’Automne (red rooibos with candied chestnut flavor). Finally, as every year, I’m delighted to find seasonal fruits and vegetables at the market: plums, Williams pears, chestnuts, porcini mushrooms, squash, and butternut. I hope to share new seasonal recipes with you this month, each more delicious than the last!
Switching gears, a few weeks ago, we visited Arcachon, a small seaside resort about an hour’s drive from Bordeaux. For locals, Arcachon is somewhat like Deauville for Parisians. It’s very charming and quite upscale, too. There’s a beach, a lovely harbor, and a quaint town center with shops, bars, and restaurants—perfect for spending a day or an afternoon. For a bit of history, this seaside resort emerged in the 1820s when sea bathing became fashionable.
But what I loved most—and what I highly recommend you visit—is the Ville d’Hiver (Winter Town), which developed between 1862 and 1865 under the guidance of the Pereire brothers. At the time, it was a sort of open-air sanatorium designed to accommodate wealthy patients suffering from tuberculosis. Affluent clientele from Bordeaux and all over Europe came to shield themselves from the harshness of winter. Even today, the majestic period villas of the Ville d’Hiver offer an incredible array of architectural styles (as you can see in the photos below)! From neoclassicism to neo-Gothic, passing through chalet style, there’s a multitude of intricate woodwork, bay windows, belvederes, turrets, verandas, balconies, and protruding structures—all asymmetrical and beautifully crafted—that adorn the facades. Drawing from different styles, they are emblematic of the “picturesque” movement that flourished along the seashore in the 19th century.
I believe my favorite is the Villa Alexandre Dumas, built in 1895, with its lovely polychrome facade of red and glazed bricks. Today, these sumptuous residences have become family homes, which you can freely admire while strolling along the tree-lined avenues, sheltered from the wind. It’s a true open-air museum—a walk that literally takes you back in time—which I highly recommend if you come to stay in the Bordeaux region!
Finally, there’s a chance I’ll be spending a week in Paris this December, and I’m really excited about the possibility (Paris is only a 2-hour high-speed train ride from Bordeaux). In my next letter, I’ll share all the boutiques, offbeat museums, and places I’d love to explore—if the trip goes ahead. I can’t wait to tell you more! Until then, I wish you a wonderful October. Take care ❤️
*affiliate links.
Bien à toi, Léonce.