Latest / Abide Meditation App / Travel Bedtime Story _ Stories of the Old City Part 2 _ Relaxing Bedtime Story for Sleep

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Travel Bedtime Story _ Stories of the Old City Part 2 _ Relaxing Bedtime Story for Sleep · Abide Meditation App

• 0:02
  Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Get Sleepy, where we listen, we relax,
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: and we get sleepy. I'm your host, Thomas, and it's
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: a pleasure to have your company. Tonight, Elizabeth is back
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: to read the second installment of our exploration through beautiful
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: Bordeaux in France. If you haven't heard the first episode,
• 0:34
  Speaker 1: don't worry one bit. Tonight's tale can absolutely stand alone,
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: and you can always go back and listen to Monday's
• 0:43
  Speaker 1: story another time. Now then, get nice and comfortable in bed,
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: and allow yourself to settle down. into the position that
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: feels best for you right now. This is your time
• 1:08
  Speaker 1: to let go of the day. Remind yourself that you've
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: done all you can today and you deserve to unwind,
• 1:24
  Speaker 1: to relax and rest just as much as anyone else
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: so begin with a nice deep breath in feeling the
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: rise of your chest and stomach then softly release the
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: breath as your muscles relax and your worries and cares
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: begin to fall away With each deep breath, you can
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: imagine any disruptive thoughts or any tension you're holding rising
• 2:12
  Speaker 1: to the surface along with the motion of your chest
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: and stomach. And then, when the breath is released and
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: the body sinks back down, those undesired thoughts Or areas
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: of tension. Fall through the mattress. All the way down.
• 2:40
  Speaker 1: Into the ground. And into the earth. Where they are absorbed.
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: And removed from your body and mind. Bit by bit.
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: Breathe in. and back out and allow anything you'd like
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: to let go of to be absorbed into the Earth's core.
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: The Earth that gives us all life cares so deeply
• 3:24
  Speaker 1: for each one of us and it can assist you
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: tonight in removing and relieving your stress, tension, or even
• 3:37
  Speaker 1: any sense of responsibility. Just let it all sink down
• 3:48
  Speaker 1: and fade away. When you're ready, you can let your
• 3:57
  Speaker 1: breathing fall back into its natural rhythm as we make
• 4:03
  Speaker 1: our way to a little street in central Bordeaux, ready
• 4:10
  Speaker 1: to explore the historic surroundings. This is where tonight's story begins.
• 4:46
  Speaker 2: A bell rings as you make your way along a
• 4:49
  Speaker 2: brick-lined street. The sound of people setting coffee cups down
• 4:58
  Speaker 2: on tables of a sidewalk cafe nearby provides an easy
• 5:04
  Speaker 2: background noise. There are no cars along this narrow and
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: picturesque street. in central Bordeaux, but it is busy with walkers,
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: a bicyclist or two, and, of course, the café-goers. You
• 5:29
  Speaker 2: can still hear their pleasant chatter underneath the echoing of
• 5:35
  Speaker 2: the bell. You're on your way to meet your local guide, Jean-Marc,
• 5:43
  Speaker 2: for your second day of discovering the wonders of this
• 5:48
  Speaker 2: historic French city. It's no coincidence that a bell is
• 5:55
  Speaker 2: ringing this time. It's precisely that bell you're going to see,
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: and it's where your rendezvous with your guide is set
• 6:07
  Speaker 2: to take place. Called the Gross Clock, or the Big Bell.
• 6:16
  Speaker 2: It's one of France's oldest belfries, and among the city's
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  Speaker 2: most cherished monuments. You look up as the bell tower
• 6:29
  Speaker 2: comes into view, framed at the end of the street
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  Speaker 2: between the attractive buildings that line either side. The tower
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: looks similar to the beautiful medieval gatehouse that you saw earlier.
• 6:49
  Speaker 2: Like the other, it reminds you of a tall and
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: narrow fairy tale castle. A rectangle of solid looking stone
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: is topped with several round towers and an impressive arched
• 7:08
  Speaker 2: opening at the bottom turns it into a gateway. And
• 7:16
  Speaker 2: a gateway is exactly what it was meant to be.
• 7:22
  Speaker 2: You know that the Grosse Cloche was one of the
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  Speaker 2: entrances to the old walled city during the Middle Ages.
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  Speaker 2: The medieval period was a tumultuous time after all, and
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: Bordeaux like many other towns, was surrounded by defensive walls.
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  Speaker 2: This gatehouse differs from the one you saw before in
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  Speaker 2: various details, however. The most significant is that an enormous
• 8:02
  Speaker 2: bell hangs in an opening about two-thirds of the way
• 8:07
  Speaker 2: up the building. It is this bell that sent vibrations
• 8:15
  Speaker 2: through the neighborhood just now, marking its ceremonial monthly ringing.
• 8:26
  Speaker 2: As it happens, it also marks the time of your
• 8:30
  Speaker 2: meeting with Jean-Marc. He thoughtfully set your rendezvous at a
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: time when you could hear the impressive sound but from
• 8:44
  Speaker 2: the protective distance of a couple of blocks. You approach
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  Speaker 2: the solid stone gateway and see him waiting in the
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: shadow just outside the arch itself. Your guide's posture is
• 9:06
  Speaker 2: at once relaxed and ready. He welcomes you his eager
• 9:16
  Speaker 2: eyes sparkling at the appreciation on your face. You can
• 9:23
  Speaker 2: see him light up in anticipation of sharing his passion
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: with you, the history of his beloved city. After exchanging
• 9:36
  Speaker 2: a few pleasantries, Jean-Marc launches into what he does best,
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: spinning yarns. He's a master at weaving stories and historical
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: details into a tapestry of human experience that comes to
• 9:57
  Speaker 2: life in your mind's eye. To begin, he points out
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  Speaker 2: that a weathervane sits at the very top of the building.
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: It's shaped like a lion, which was, he says, a
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: symbol of the English monarchy He explains that the gatehouse
• 10:24
  Speaker 2: was built when Bordeaux belonged to the English crown. You
• 10:32
  Speaker 2: have learned the history. The city was once part of
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  Speaker 2: an independent region called Aquitaine in the early Middle Ages.
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: The area passed to English control when its duchess, Eleanor,
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: married the heir to the English throne. It remained connected
• 10:59
  Speaker 2: to England for three centuries, then finally became French after
• 11:06
  Speaker 2: a generations-long conflict known as the Hundred Years' War. The
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: gatehouse was a defensive structure, but Jean-Marc tells you that
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: people long ago sometimes jokingly referred to it as the
• 11:26
  Speaker 2: Golden Lion Hotel because of the lion on the weather vane.
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: It's with details like this that your guide, in his
• 11:38
  Speaker 2: lilting way, so captivates your imagination. Even as he speaks,
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  Speaker 2: You can almost hear the raucous laughter of medieval guards
• 11:53
  Speaker 2: echoing off the stone walls. Together, you pass into the
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: cool shadows of the archway. An engraved plaque is set
• 12:08
  Speaker 2: into its yellowish stones here. Your guide draws your attention
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  Speaker 2: to this plaque now. it gives a translation of a
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  Speaker 2: Latin inscription that is engraved on the giant bell itself.
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  Speaker 2: The inscription provides a fanciful account of the bell's multiple purposes.
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  Speaker 2: Jean-Marc gives his own translation of it, reciting softly, I
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  Speaker 2: call to arms I announce the days. I give the hours.
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  Speaker 2: I chase away the storm. I ring the holidays. I
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: proclaim the fire. And so it did. Centuries ago, the
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: tower's bell was rung to alert the inhabitants of the
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  Speaker 2: city when they were under attack or at risk from
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  Speaker 2: dangers like fire. You and your guide continue through the
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  Speaker 2: archway to view the gross cloche from the other side.
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  Speaker 2: stepping into the warming rays of the midday sun, you
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  Speaker 2: find yourself in a narrow stretch of a pedestrian street
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  Speaker 2: that ends in a wider, modern road beyond. There, a
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  Speaker 2: stream of cars flows over modern asphalt, carrying the residents
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: of Bordeaux to their fairest destinations. Nowadays, Jean-Marc tells you,
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  Speaker 2: the bell is rung for a handful of ceremonial occasions,
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  Speaker 2: as well as at noon on the first Sunday of
• 14:22
  Speaker 2: each month. Its powerful peal rings out on New Year's
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  Speaker 2: Day and four other important dates. Three of these dates
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: relayed to the First and Second World Wars, both of
• 14:44
  Speaker 2: which took place on local soil and loom large in
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: the recent history of this old land. The bell rings
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  Speaker 2: on the 11th of November, marking the end of World
• 15:02
  Speaker 2: War I. It also rings on the 8th of May,
• 15:09
  Speaker 2: in observance of the end of World War II in Europe.
• 15:16
  Speaker 2: And on the 28th of August, the anniversary of the
• 15:21
  Speaker 2: day Bordeaux was liberated after that conflict. And the bell
• 15:29
  Speaker 2: rings as well on the 14th of July, often called
• 15:35
  Speaker 2: Bastille Day in English. to commemorate the start of the
• 15:40
  Speaker 2: French Revolution, which brought an end to the monarchy and
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: heralded the eventual French Republic. The gentle rush of traffic
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  Speaker 2: from the modern street behind you penetrates your consciousness as
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  Speaker 2: you absorb these details. The warm sun is filling you
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: with a contented, peaceful feeling, and your mind wanders pleasantly.
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  Speaker 2: You can almost feel the movement of history in a
• 16:22
  Speaker 2: place like this. The continuum of human experience is so
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  Speaker 2: real and ever-present here, where the ancient and modern coexist
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  Speaker 2: in such harmony. Low metal pillars separate the bit of
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  Speaker 2: car-free street where you stand from the busy road. You
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  Speaker 2: know from experience that these can be retracted if an
• 16:59
  Speaker 2: authorized vehicle needs to pass. Here On this pedestrian stretch,
• 17:08
  Speaker 2: stone bricks form an alluringly old-fashioned pattern on the ground
• 17:15
  Speaker 2: in place of asphalt. A woman near you is taking
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  Speaker 2: a photograph of a couple of children smiling in front
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  Speaker 2: of the bell tower. Two young people, students perhaps. stroll past.
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  Speaker 2: One of them is wheeling a blue bicycle slowly. They're
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  Speaker 2: in no rush. The student seems to draw your attention
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  Speaker 2: to a detail you hadn't noticed before. A dozen or
• 17:57
  Speaker 2: more colorful bicycles are lined up neatly, along one side
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  Speaker 2: of this pedestrian block. They stand in front of a
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  Speaker 2: store entrance, presumably a bike shop of some kind, lending
• 18:15
  Speaker 2: a charming, ordinary touch to this age-old place. The woman
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: and children are done with their photo shoot now, and
• 18:28
  Speaker 2: you hear the little ones chattering happily as they skip away.
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  Speaker 2: Beside you, Jean-Marc is speaking again. Like the gatehouse itself,
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  Speaker 2: the bell within it has a story too, he tells you.
• 18:51
  Speaker 2: Or the bells, plural that is. because over the years,
• 18:59
  Speaker 2: many different ones have hung in this ancient monument. Some
• 19:07
  Speaker 2: 500 years ago, soon after Bordeaux became part of France,
• 19:13
  Speaker 2: the French king took the bell from the tower to
• 19:18
  Speaker 2: punish the city for a revolt. A few years later,
• 19:25
  Speaker 2: it was returned, to reward their improved behavior. The specific
• 19:35
  Speaker 2: bound that the rather petty king took away is long gone,
• 19:40
  Speaker 2: of course, but the current one is no spring chicken, either.
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  Speaker 2: It was made in 1775 just before the United States
• 19:56
  Speaker 2: of America declared its independence but now Jean-Marc is leading
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  Speaker 2: you away from this vestige of medieval Bordeaux towards a
• 20:10
  Speaker 2: more modern sight. You turn to face the asphalt paved
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  Speaker 2: road with its stream of cars. It's wider than the
• 20:24
  Speaker 2: narrow and winding streets of the oldest parts of town,
• 20:30
  Speaker 2: and it's favoured with wide sidewalks. This street embodies the
• 20:38
  Speaker 2: bustle and flow of a very current city. But the
• 20:44
  Speaker 2: signs of the past are still all around you. Graceful
• 20:51
  Speaker 2: buildings of warm colored stone, with wrought iron balustrades, stand
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  Speaker 2: along the street. They look very much like the iconic
• 21:04
  Speaker 2: buildings of Paris, that form the popular image of French cities. Large,
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  Speaker 2: leafy old trees line the street, shading its sidewalks. You
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: stroll in this pleasant shade now, simultaneously observing the passers-by
• 21:34
  Speaker 2: and admiring the grand buildings. You're passing one now that
• 21:43
  Speaker 2: has large rectangular windows partially covered with picturesque iron grates.
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  Speaker 2: The stone facade is decorated with ornate engraving. Two columns
• 22:03
  Speaker 2: Stand on either side of the building's enormous arched entrance.
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  Speaker 2: Within it, a double doors of polished wood, carved in
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  Speaker 2: incredibly intricate designs. You pause, entranced by its beauty. Above
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  Speaker 2: this magnificent doorway, you see words engraved in the stone
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  Speaker 2: in elegant letters. Lycée Michel Montaigne. A high school. Your
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  Speaker 2: breath catches a little at the loveliness of this place
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  Speaker 2: of learning. Then you walk on. Jean-Marc. guiding you towards
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  Speaker 2: your next destination, you don't hurry though, both of you
• 23:10
  Speaker 2: know that a big part of your experience, is just
• 23:14
  Speaker 2: walking these ageless streets, watching, soaking it all in, you
• 23:25
  Speaker 2: breathe gently, rhythmically, as the two of you fall into
• 23:32
  Speaker 2: perfect step. Soon you reach St. Catherine Street, famous as
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  Speaker 2: Europe's longest pedestrian-only street. You turn into it and are
• 23:52
  Speaker 2: swept away immediately by its tremendous charm. It's a lovely
• 24:01
  Speaker 2: and busy shopping street, filled now with people. Some of
• 24:09
  Speaker 2: them appear to be going about their errands. Others seem
• 24:13
  Speaker 2: to be enjoying a leisurely stroll. But all of them
• 24:20
  Speaker 2: are clearly enjoying themselves. And you think, how could they
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  Speaker 2: not be? The allure of this beautiful street is as
• 24:32
  Speaker 2: powerful as the pull of its appealing shops. The street
• 24:39
  Speaker 2: is paved with glossy, beige, diamond-shaped tiles. Square, grey tiles
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  Speaker 2: line the sides, forming an attractive contrast. Shoes clatter appealingly
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: along this glossy pavement as voices mix and mingle around you.
• 25:10
  Speaker 2: A young woman passes by, carrying a selection of shopping
• 25:15
  Speaker 2: bags on one arm, a colorful bouquet of flowers clasped
• 25:21
  Speaker 2: in the other. An old man approaches from the other direction.
• 25:29
  Speaker 2: A long, thin baguette emerges from an interesting cloth bag
• 25:35
  Speaker 2: that hangs on his shoulders. It's a bread bag, you realize.
• 25:43
  Speaker 2: Couldn't possibly serve any other purpose because of its narrow shape.
• 25:51
  Speaker 2: You continue down this charming street And soon another imposing
• 25:58
  Speaker 2: archway is rising up ahead of you, marking the end
• 26:04
  Speaker 2: of St. Catherine Street. This one is quite unlike the
• 26:11
  Speaker 2: gross cloche where you began today's adventure. The interior of
• 26:20
  Speaker 2: the arch is much higher, and it isn't housed in
• 26:24
  Speaker 2: a castle-like medieval structure. This is a triumphal arch built
• 26:35
  Speaker 2: in the 18th century, after the old medieval walls had
• 26:40
  Speaker 2: been taken down. On the other side of the triumphal arch,
• 26:48
  Speaker 2: and framed by it, you can see a tall skinny
• 26:53
  Speaker 2: obelisks standing in a large plaza. This, your guide tells you,
• 27:03
  Speaker 2: is the Place de la Victoire, or Victory Square. You
• 27:12
  Speaker 2: pass under the impressive arch and step into a huge
• 27:16
  Speaker 2: cobblestone plaza with white stones forming diamond patterns that radiate
• 27:25
  Speaker 2: out from the obelisk in its center. This fascinating sculpture
• 27:33
  Speaker 2: is made of so-called red marble, which in reality looks
• 27:40
  Speaker 2: sun-faded and pinkish. Nearby, a metal statue of an enormous
• 27:49
  Speaker 2: turtle faces away from the obelisk. The obelisk and the
• 27:57
  Speaker 2: turtle are quite modern additions to the plaza. Jean-Marc tells
• 28:05
  Speaker 2: you they're meant to honour the importance of the wine
• 28:09
  Speaker 2: industry to Bordeaux. The turtle indicates the slow, steady rise
• 28:18
  Speaker 2: of the industry, since the Romans brought choice vines here
• 28:24
  Speaker 2: thousands of years ago. In days long gone, this big
• 28:33
  Speaker 2: open area served as fairgrounds that stood just outside the
• 28:39
  Speaker 2: walls of the city. Today, it's alive with people, strolling about,
• 28:49
  Speaker 2: or lounging at the foot of the obelisk. A knot
• 28:55
  Speaker 2: of young people are deep in conversation nearby, and several
• 29:00
  Speaker 2: bicyclists glide across the cobblestones. Jean-Marc proposes a break now,
• 29:11
  Speaker 2: suggesting you might enjoy a beverage at a café to
• 29:15
  Speaker 2: the side of the plaza. You agree readily. He leads
• 29:24
  Speaker 2: you to a row of pretty chairs lined up neatly
• 29:30
  Speaker 2: under large red umbrellas. You sink into one of the
• 29:37
  Speaker 2: comfortable chairs. made of woven vinyl, a waiter with an
• 29:46
  Speaker 2: immaculate apron tied round his waist appears and you order
• 29:52
  Speaker 2: a month aloe, This refreshing drink is made with a
• 29:59
  Speaker 2: sweet mint syrup mixed with cold mineral water. It's a
• 30:06
  Speaker 2: favorite with you. You love it in part for its
• 30:12
  Speaker 2: pleasant freshness, especially on a warm afternoon like this, but
• 30:19
  Speaker 2: mostly you love it for its uniqueness. To you, It
• 30:25
  Speaker 2: represents the south of France in a visceral way. It
• 30:32
  Speaker 2: evokes this magical region immediately to all your senses. The
• 30:42
  Speaker 2: waiter brings your drink in a tall, slender glass. The
• 30:48
  Speaker 2: liquid inside is a bright, kelly green. and the glass
• 30:54
  Speaker 2: looks almost frosted from condensation forming around the outside. An agreeable,
• 31:05
  Speaker 2: minty smell meets your nostrils and you breathe it in deeply.
• 31:14
  Speaker 2: You take a sip and the coolness greets your tongue.
• 31:21
  Speaker 2: At the tables around you, Many voices speaking assorted languages
• 31:27
  Speaker 2: of the world mix and mingle in the afternoon air.
• 31:36
  Speaker 2: You allow your eyes to close for a moment as
• 31:39
  Speaker 2: you listen. The various voices and languages seem to blend
• 31:47
  Speaker 2: and meld together into a combined human tone. you fancy
• 31:55
  Speaker 2: you can almost understand, there's a flow of French from
• 32:02
  Speaker 2: multiple directions of course, and nearby you hear a string
• 32:09
  Speaker 2: of what sounds like Italian, you catch the name Bordeaux
• 32:17
  Speaker 2: said almost reverently, a bit farther off you hear a
• 32:24
  Speaker 2: snatch of English as someone admires the great plaza before you.
• 32:34
  Speaker 2: In another direction, you hear the lilting notes of a
• 32:39
  Speaker 2: Scandinavian tongue. Through all these voices runs an enthusiasm, a hope,
• 32:50
  Speaker 2: an admiration. And a reverence for the beauty of human
• 32:56
  Speaker 2: endeavor that surrounds you all. And it is this undercurrent,
• 33:04
  Speaker 2: this shared energy, that forms the combined expression you imagine
• 33:11
  Speaker 2: you can comprehend. You can feel its meaning and emotions
• 33:18
  Speaker 2: deep within you. It reflects the human experience shared amongst
• 33:27
  Speaker 2: all these people from all across the world and shared
• 33:35
  Speaker 2: amongst all those people who came before, whose stories linger
• 33:42
  Speaker 2: in this place.
• 33:43
  Speaker 3: You breathe in slowly, Recognizing your connection to all of
• 33:54
  Speaker 3: them with a deep knowing that fills your being.
• 34:05
  Speaker 2: You feel at one with the world around you and
• 34:09
  Speaker 2: the sweep of time. And then you breathe out again,
• 34:19
  Speaker 2: utterly at peace in this place, this time, and this
• 34:28
  Speaker 2: story of Bordeaux.
• 34:52
  Speaker 3: You Thank you for watching. Thank you. Thank you for watching.
• 37:29
  Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you. This is the first time I've
• 38:47
  Speaker 3: seen this in real life. This is the first time
• 38:49
  Speaker 3: I've seen this in real life.
• 38:50
  Speaker 1: This is the first.
• 38:51
  Speaker 3: Time I've seen this in real life. This is the
• 38:54
  Speaker 3: first time I've seen this in real life. Thank you.
• 39:35
  Speaker 3: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for watching. Thank you.
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: You