The city of BORDEAUX is stunning when approached from the south along the river. It's big, with a population of over half a million, and obviously rich - as it has been since the Romans set up a lively trading centre here. Especially attractive is the relatively small eighteenth-century centre, paid for by the expansion of colonial trade. The rest is scruffy and, even with its long history, contains few sights. But if you're just passing through - it's the main regional transport centre - there are a couple of sights worth checking out, and plenty of cheap places to sleep and eat. The atmosphere is inviting and worth sticking around for. The City Bordeaux is reasonably spread out along the western side of the River Garonne, with the eighteenth-century old town lying between the place de la Comédie to the north, the imposing buildings of the river bank and the cathedral to the west. North of the centre is the vast open square of the esplanade des Quinconces , and further still, the Jardin Public , containing some very scant remains of Bordeaux's Roman past.