It is hard for us to believe but we have been in Biarritz, France for almost a month now. The spring weather has been varied and unpredictable. Although this has meant fewer beach days than we might have liked, there has been plenty to keep us occupied.
When the weather has been warm (we have had days of up to 30 degrees Celsius) the beach has been fantastic. We have spent most of our beach time at the Biarritz Grande Plage just a short walk from our apartment. Full days at the beach with picnic lunches and ice cream when it gets too hot have been great fun for all! Between building chateau de sable, playing rugby, soccer or paddle ball and playing in the waves the kids have been fully entertained.
On the Biarritz Grand Plage between the Casino and Hotel de Palais is an original carousel. The boys had a blast trying it out. They also got to try out the two level Carousel from Bayonne dating back to 1900. Matt was quite pleased that he got to ride a bull!
Biarritz has a nice little aquarium on top of the hill by the La Rocher de la Vierge. The boys especially loved les tortues and the giant tank with les requines.
In working to get the boys excited about our trip Katy bought the boys messages in a bottle to throw out to sea. Biarritz was a perfect place for them to write their messages and throw them off the cliff into the Atlantic. They decided the Rocher de la Vierge was the best place and had fun letting them loose on a stormy day. Of course five minutes later Matt was already asking why we hadn’t heard back yet:)
As always the food in France is a highlight. Cooking here often involves a spicy red pepper called espellette, while other favourites for us have included Jambon Bayonne, cerise confiture, olive tapenade, gateaux Basque (a cherry or cream filled cake) and a unique lightly carbonated/low alcohol cider. I also found a fantastic summer wheat ale by La Superbe brewed locally. Being on the ocean the seafood is also fantastic. The daily indoor market at Les Halles has been a great place to buy gateaux basque, moules, shrimp, local cheese, fresh bread, macaroons, saussicon basque, fruit and vegetables. Moules have quickly become a favourite with the kids. We enjoyed a great lunches at the Cafe du Commerce, Bar St Jean, and moules at La Tandem.
At the north end of Biarritz is the lighthouse. Our first excursion to the lighthouse ended with disappointment as the actual lighthouse was closed (open weekends only) but on our second visit we were able to climb 243 stairs to the top on a sunny day for some amazing views in all directions.
Bayonne was our first trip outside of Biarritz when I took the boys to a rugby match. Chocolate is big in this region, as this was one of the first places it was introduced from the Americas. At this point in the trip we were without car. One rainy afternoon, we took the bus to Bayonne and found ourselves walking 20mins away from the centre into the industrial area of town where we discovered an Atelier du Chocolate. Here we learned a lot about the production of chocolate, the kids decorated their own chocolate fishes and we sampled many fantastic varieties. Nick even managed to find a chocolate egg, with a real egg shell. The adventure was well worth the trip!
Bayonne has a much different feel to Biarritz. It is much older and has a more traditional French feel in the centre, but is also a very industrial city spread out along the river. This is a big contrast to the resort areas of Biarritz, Bidart and Anglet. The Musee Basque there is fantastic, giving both the history of the area and the Basque people. There were also lots of hands on exhibits for the boys to explore.
Three weeks in, Katy’s parents cycled into town and joined us for a week in Biarritz. They took the boys for a night so that Katy and I could get away. That gave us a couple days in San Sebastian to fully sample the tapas culture, with fantastic pinxtos including goat cheese risotto, pigs ear, and various other unique combinations of seafood, cured meats, and cheeses on little pieces of bread. It was also a great night away for Katy, Olivia and I, and a much needed break!
The rest of the week the boys had fun taking turns having sleepovers with the Nonna and Papa in their apartment with a fantastic view overlooking the Cote de Basque.
We went with Katy’s parents and their friends down to St Jean de Luz for a day. We were pleasantly surprised by what used to be a fishing and port for the corsaires and pirates. It had a much more traditional feel than upscale Biarritz and it was nice to immerse ourselves in it for the day. The church had a traditional basque interior with balconies on the side for the congregation. It also had a great protected beach which was perfect for the boys. They even found pirate treasure in the form of a pirate candy store.
After renting a car, we have also spent a couple afternoons just north of Biarritz in Anglet. It is a much more modern resort area with the typical condo type accommodations of the 1970s and 1980s and numerous golf courses. There are many great beaches and boardwalks to explore. We also found a great recreation complex at the mouth of the river. Along with an ice rink, there is beach access, a skatepark and huge play areas for the kids. This was one of Matt’s favourite spots as he could “skateboard” and play in the playground. The playgrounds were well laid out with 6 separate areas (2-6 years, 2-8 years, 2-12 years, a small soccer pitch, and two adult exercise area).
We also ventured out into the Basque countryside to take the single gauge railway up to the top of La Rhune. The railway ride was a little steep and unsettling for some of us but the views, landscape and wild horses at the top made it well worth the trip.
While in Morocco we met a nice couple from Ireland. The wife was French and had spent six months in Biarritz as an au pair twenty years ago. One of her recommendations was to go to a “Venta” for dinner. A venta is a traditional family run roadside restaurant in Spain or the Basque country. We found one nearby in Bidart, and while it was a little more commercial than what we may have found in the countryside (or twenty years ago), we had a great meal. Katy and I both had the Plat de Pays. I had a plate of jambon Serrano, followed by axoa de veau (mashed veal, onions, tomatoes sauté and flavoured with red Espelette pepper) with fries, followed by some black cherry gateaux basque and some patxaran liqueur (made by soaking blackthorn fruit, coffee beans, and cinnamon pods in anisette for eight months). Katy went with a salmon cru entree, followed by a tuna main with artichoke and olives, and Basque Brebis (sheep’s milk cheese) with cherry confiture for dessert. It was great to see the multiple pilota courts in the centre of town and the kids playing there while their parents enjoyed a meal or a drink.
As our month here comes to an end we are looking forward to our next stop in the Dordogne to explore the regional cuisine, chateaus, and hopefully some warm weather by the pool.
It's About the Ride 