Bordeaux and bugs
 

I will confess that I'm a wimp, but I really hate mosquitoes, midges (flying, biting critters). Does anyone know what the city of Bordeaux is like in late July?

The city of Bordeaux in late July is not much different from the city of Bordeaux in early March or any other time of year - a delightfully uniform display of 17th- and 18th-century architecture, wonderful restaurants and wine bars, a nice cathedral and bell tower, a good Beaux Arts museum, and some lovely parks.
About bugs, I have no idea. I've been to Bordeaux plenty of times in July and don't remember that bugs figured into my agenda or memories.
This reminds me, though, of a woman who called quite a few years ago wanting to rent our French house. She wanted to know if there were insects in the Dordogne, and I assured here there were plenty, as it was the country. " EEEUUWWWW!!!" she said, "I'm from Pahk Avenue in New Yohk, and we don't have insects there." I tried to convince her that there were indeed insects in NYC, but she would have none of it. When I told her we didn't have AC, that pretty much clinched it. She wanted to know if we would install AC "because everyone in New York needs it," I politely told her that I wasn't outfitting my home in France for New Yorkers and I thought she would probably be very uncomfortable in our home in France , given her expectations. She allowed as how I was probably right, as she was "looking for a luxury property that would sleep eight for under $400 a week and in France there are plenty of aristocrats with air-conditioned castles who need renters of quality like us." Right.