Bordeaux walking tour: history, culture and best shops

Hi there, my name's Emmanuel, I'm from Bordeaux, and like all good Bordelais, I love wine, my city, and cheese (but that's because I'm French, not just from Bordeaux). I've been a guide since 2019 and even though I'm young, I've done several jobs before that. I first studied for several years at the University of Bordeaux, specializing in copyright law. I graduated in 2012, and as I'm a big film fan (mainly old Hollywood movies from the 50's and 60's), I decided to move to Paris to work in this field. I spent five years working for a documentary festival and then in a big company that managed music rights. I loved Paris for its museums, cinemas, and nightlife, but in 2017 I wanted a change of scene. I left everything behind to travel to South America, where I spent the whole of 2018. Mainly in Argentina, but also in Chile, Peru, Colombia. . . This experience changed my life and I then realized that I wanted to talk about history, architecture, traditions, and be outside most of the time! That's why I decided to come back to Bordeaux and train to become a tour guide! Quite a paradox for someone who didn't like public speaking as a child and wasn't very good at foreign languages at school! As a guide, I started by working for various companies in Bordeaux and doing tours on foot, by bike, by tuk-tuk. . . I've guided in the street, in private places, in stadiums, in wine estates, in a brewery. . . And then I decided to offer my tours and work as a self-employed person. It's often said that you're good at what you love, and that's even truer when you're a guide: you have to love your subject to talk about it well! I was lucky enough to get my official guide card from the French government in 2023. This means that I can guide my clients around all the historic sites and public museums, as well as visit them myself free of charge for life! A great advantage! As a person, I love history, from almost any period, and I read history books and magazines almost every day. Cinema is my second passion, and despite my busy schedule I manage to go 1 or 2 times a week. And over the last few years, I've developed a huge interest in wine, not just wine-tasting but also wine-making and viticulture. I'm a curious person who likes to 'get to know' things and people and understand them. I also think a lot about what makes a good visit or a good guide. I've concluded that a good guide is both professional and friendly, precise but with a sense of humor, able to adapt without the customer asking for it, and generous with advice and suggestions. But don't forget this: the perfect tour is also made by YOU! As visitors, you are also the actors of your visit. So let's make it a beautiful and memorable one together! I hope we can discuss this during a tour or over a glass of wine. I look forward to seeing you in Bordeaux! Emmanuel I graduated in copyright law in 2012 after 6 years at university, but then chose to retrain as a tourist guide between 2019 and 2020 at a private school (INFA). In 2023 I passed my C1 level in English (the maximum level is C2), after 6 months of intensive lessons at Wall Street English. I was then able to acquire my official professional guide card, which allows me to guide in historic monuments (such as Bordeaux cathedral) and public museums (such as the Musée d'Aquitaine on the history of Bordeaux). Finally, in 2024 I obtained my WSET (Wine & Spirit Educational Trust) level 3, which enabled me to improve my knowledge of wine. I like learning and I think that a good guide has to keep training to bring new information to his or her customers. I do not organise pick-ups from La Rochelle or Le Verdon.