Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷 | City Walk, Sun, Peace, Poetry | Afropean Reflections; Re-uploaded to Fix Audio

Bordeaux, France 🇫🇷 | City Walk, Sun, Peace, Poetry | Afropean Reflections; Re-uploaded to Fix Audio

Is this like a specialty cover? Oh, it [Music] is. Walking through Bordeaux naturally lends itself to reflection. In this vlog, a reflection on the pace of life, the search for peace on a difficult day, reflection on afropan living movement, and the many places some of us quietly carry within. On this note, intersectionality is a word I’ve been hearing a lot lately, especially in the context of being mixed race. It’s an interesting word which to me means that our late experience is never just about race but also about location, citizenship, culture, and context as well as other things of course. Continue on to cause du 30. So come with me. Let’s walk through Bordeaux the European way. [Music] [Music] The first thing that caught my eye when I entered my hotel room was this writing on the wall. I don’t speak French, so of course I had to look it up. It says, “There’s more philosophy in a bottle of wine than in books.” As a writer and a book publisher, I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or feel slightly offended. Did I pick the wrong hotel? Was I in the wrong city? What happened to that perfect alignment I so proudly claimed in my last vlog? Being in the right place at the right time every time. The whole reason why I came to Bordeaux was to contribute with poetry to an art exhibition. But as I started to settle into the rhythm of Bordeaux, the words began to make sense. What I would soon learn is that here, wine isn’t just an alcoholic beverage. It’s a way of slowing down. It’s about sharing space and savoring moments with others. Sometimes to the spontaneous rhythms of drums and the swirling presence of capoera dancers moving through the city with the kind of freedom their ancestors were denied. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] Yeah, that [Music] Do you remember Arl? The same exhibition on the vastness of our identities is taking place in Bordeaux. Hence why I’m here. This year we have a voice over in Euroba as well and in French which is um an addition to what we had last year. And then I also need to record another one in Polish. I wanted to do it today, but I am so exhausted. Um, what’s been happening is just so it’s it’s personal, so I’m not even going to get into it. But the weather is beautiful and actually, you know, Bordeaux is such a calming place as well. So, I’m so glad to be here because I need a minute. I need a minute. That’s all I can say. And I’m just glad I’m here. I wasn’t sure if I if I was going to be able to make it until the very last minute. Even at the check-in, I was wondering if I should go or stay for reasons I’m not going to share. But um I’m here and I’m glad I’m here. The the city is just such a calming place. Bordeaux reflects a way of life that values conversation, connection, and community. It is beautiful and harried and kind. So maybe the quote on the wall wasn’t really about choosing wine over books. Maybe it was a quiet reminder just for me to live more, slow down, relax. Maybe I was here to realign, regain the balance I so easily lose in London. Bordeaux was exactly where I needed to be in that moment. The hotel and the room were just right. I came here to offer my poetry, but it turns out Bordeaux had its own art just for me. So as we walk through sunny Bordeaux, I am layering the poetry of this city with the poem that brought me here. Switching first in English, then in French, and finally in Yoruba. But first, let me give you some background. I wrote this poem for an art exhibition exploring travel, migration, and the experience of being made of both Europe and Africa, as well as living or switching between the two continents. The poem was written over a year ago, but it was born out of a state of mind I found myself in again just a few days ago during a conversation with a good friend. I said to him, “My family and friends are scattered all over the world. I don’t even have a home country.” He reminded me gently, “That’s not true. You have three home countries, not one.” Just to be clear, I love having roots in different places. But every now and again, I need a reminder that it’s a gift. So this poem is about movement, about living between worlds, about the weight of it, yes, but also about the joy of learning to love it all over again. I see you and your lineage spanning four generations, living in the same nook of the same town at the same time. If only I could walk in your shoes today. Today I am spread too thin, spread across multiple locations, caught up in distinct narrations of twin situations. And yet here you are, one blood and one mind, not pressed to conceal across oceans to find. I crave your endemic life today, but today will pass. And when it does, I’ll find my way home. My home within me. I’ll find myself adopting multiple places and uttering desperate words as if they come from one source. I’ll find myself again code switching and loving it. Gathering the facets of me from all corners of my world into one. Once more I’ll be smiling at the snowflakes and then basking in the scorching sun. [Music] smoke. Woo! [Music] for gener. Fore distinct the situ. Foreign speech. Foreign speech. Foreign [Music] speech. [Music] Fore the moon. Come see the monet. the moment on. So you guys, I’ve been walking and walking and walking. I really need to clear my head. Okay. French. Can’t see anything in English. I like the title. The cover is interesting or African looking. Those were Oops. Bordo is such a peaceful place where I am at least. I like it. It’s not as big as London, which makes it not as overwhelming as London can be. And it’s new. I’ve never been here before, so it’s nice to be someplace new. Not that I Well, I do go to new places often, but still in Europe, I usually go to places that I already know. This one, I don’t know just yet. It’s nice. I sat on that bench for two hours. Had a long conversation on the phone, prayed, did not read a book. So, I am going back to the hotel. That’s if I can find it because I’ve been walking for so long that I really don’t know where I am to be honest. Now, I’m just going to put it on Google Maps and I’m sure I’ll find it eventually. I wonder how far out away I am. I just sat there for like a long time. As you can see now, it’s dark. When I sat there, it wasn’t, “Oh my god, I need to brush my hair or something.” Um, what was I going to say? I needed a minute. I needed a minute, you guys. And I’m so you know it’s just today has been a difficult day but it’s been um such a you know encouraging day as well you know because because of people really the people who care you know amongst the people who don’t there are always people who do care about other people and that’s all I’m going to say. There was something else I wanted to say, but I just forgot. It just escaped me. I am super exhausted. Like totally exhausted. I was going to work today. That didn’t happen at all. I just walked for like two hours straight. And then just to clear my head, I needed to do that. I forgot there was something I wanted to say. Let’s just end it here. I guess it will come to me if it’s important. And if it doesn’t, that means it’s not. So yeah, let’s find the hotel. Try find the hotel. [Music] It’s a tough [Music] road. I’m walking. No matter what they say, I am walking. That’s all that matters. Keep walking. Don’t give up. Keep on keeping on. As Nigerians say, or should I say as we say, as my people say. [Music] 80 rock. [Music] These guys are running while I’m walking. Should I be running? Yes. But not today. Today we are walking one step at a time. I’m on the crossroads. Four possible scenarios. Let’s try to pick the right one. Okay, this looks legitimate. Yeah, I think this is it. Okay. Oh, that’s it. That’s it. I remember that. Yay. I did not get lost. I wasn’t actually far away. It’s just that I walked around in circles. Round in circles. Exit the roundabout. Turn on. I am not driving. I could totally live here. The only thing is I need some food and I don’t see any shops that are open. It’s a problem. It’s a big problem cuz I don’t like to be hungry. [Music] [Music] Hello. Speech. Speech. I actually don’t feel like going back to the hotel, but it’s so nice. It’s so warm. Um, I think it was 15° C, which London isn’t there yet. Um, it’s nice. It’s just nice and it’s quiet and peaceful and I should stop saying and it’s ghetto. I like it. So you guys, I started traveling Africa right with you, but I feel like we should travel Europe a little bit more. What do you think about that? I mean, I’ve done it a lot in the past, but I’ve never documented my travels. So, now that I’m documenting, I might as well just do it again. That would be so fun. Right. Right. A quick Aropan observation. Bordeaux has its share of mixed race couples, especially black and white, like the one walking ahead of me. But overall, I’ve noticed more pairings of white men with black women, and not the other way around. a trend I’ve seen more in France than in some other European countries or the UK, at least in the French cities I’ve been to, especially Paris and Bordeaux. Back at the hotel, the hotel feels very French, if that’s even a thing. It is a thing. Okay, it was a good walk, you guys. I haven’t walked this much in a minute. Thank you for joining me. Thank you for walking with me after a long walk. The best thing is a bath. I don’t like showers. A bath. And that’s what we’re going to do. It allows you to just relax and just ah, you know. So yes, that’s what we going to do. We are going to have a bath. ASMR. You’re welcome. There was one other thing that I wanted to say. You know what, you guys? This thing makes such a difference having the right passport. It is sad but traveling back from Nigeria Oh my god, you guys. I am in Casablanca. Yes, transit flight about to fly to London. These guys are so cheeky. The immigration people in Casablanca. I don’t know why. Absolutely for no reason. Just a month before arriving in Bordeaux, I had flown from Lagos to London via Casablanca. I watched other passengers traveling with only a Nigerian passport, held up at immigration, questioned and required to present a visa just to pass through Morocco, a country on the African continent. It’s a strange feeling realizing that in this case, my European passport gave me more freedom in Africa than my African passport did. Passport privilege is real. But it wasn’t just about that. It was about the reality that sometimes even on the African soil, bonash seems intended more for Europeans than for Africans. Thank you so much for watching. If you enjoyed this, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe to the channel. And if you’d like to stay connected beyond YouTube, join the African Monica email list. You’ll find the link in the video or channel description.

This is not a curated Bordeaux walking tour but a reflective city walk through Bordeaux, France – a gentle wander shaped by sunlight, movement, and a few unexpected thoughts.

I decided to layer this Bordeaux walk with the poem that brought me here – Switching – presented in English, French, and a little Yoruba (a Nigerian language). This poetic walk offers more than just nice views of Bordeaux life; it’s a meditation on identity, movement, and finding peace on a difficult day.

There’s art in these Bordeaux streets, and in the moments of rest it offers – perfect place to slow down and reflect on the questions that come with having roots in many places (if that’s what you’re into).

Whether you’re drawn to Bordeaux France for its culture or curious about Afropean reflections, I hope this city walk offers something meaningful.

Note: This video was originally uploaded on Friday, but due to unintended auto-dubbing that affected playback and visibility, I’ve re-uploaded it with clean audio and the correct settings (plus a few minor visual changes).

Thank you so much for your support and patience – for this Bordeaux vlog and for me. 😊