Col and Pams Travels: The Atlantic Coast Continued Post # 8

20.07

Rendez-vous with Corine, Rene, Justine and Guillaume at the market before we headed South, down the coast via Vieux Bocou, Hossegor and Capbreton, hopefully we’ll get back to explore further. We noted the many ‘Aires’ in the pine forest with their ‘barrier’ security, showers, toilets and electricity for an average cost of 12 euros per night (price stays the same throughout the season). A good cost effective back up during the high season. Passed Biarritz to St-Jean de Luz and our friends, Thierry and Jacqueline and their talkative cat, Dju Dju!

We’re in Basque Country now, at the foot of the Pyrenees straddling France and Spain. Known for it’s sun, surf, beach resorts, little villages full of Basque culture, biking and hiking trails.

Thierry and Jacqueline live about 3kms from the ‘centre ville’ in a stylish laid back residential area. Fantastic to see them again since their Rugby World Cup visit to New Zealand in 2010.

They live in a beautiful old villa, typical of this area, filled with ‘bric a brac’, art and lots of character! We strolled to the ‘centre ville' and it’s environs, the port and the beaches and explored for about three hours.

St-Jean de Luz is a seaside town which sits on the mouth of the River Nivelle and overlooked by the Pyrenees. It has a quaint fishing port pulling in catches of sardines, tuna and anchovies. A very pretty town that has a small relaxed village feel! Upmarket trendy shops and cafes line the main street. Thierry explained some of the highly priced shops are a consequence of the high rentals charged here, nevertheless. St-Jean de Luz has retained an old world charm. We remembered the tree-lined Square from years ago and the pretty Port.

The town and it’s long white sand beach are on the eastern side of the Baie de St-Jean de Luz. We walked along the beachfront promenade via the Eglise St-Jean Baptiste (largest Basque church) and through the narrow winding streets leading home.

We met Benoit, Thierry and Jacqueline’s close friend, a ‘Blues’ musician who’s an expert on the harmonica. He’s suffering the year’s of playing this instrument and is having dental work so he can continue to play.

After swims at the beach close to Thierry and Jacqueline, ‘Plage d’Erromardie’, aperitifs and a great evening!

21.07

Thierry is busy helping friends move today, we’re going exploring ‘en velo’ (on bikes)!! Found a great bike path which took us passed ‘Plage d’Erromardie’ where we found the Municipal Camp perched on the cliff top overlooking the beach. (24 euros over the July and August high demand period including electricity - cost effective by all accounts). The bike path followed the coast, through small seaside villages to our first destination and a ‘trip down memory lane’, Bidart Plage. We found the spot on the side of the river and near the beach where we ‘free camped’ years ago in our VW Van. The ‘leg hospital’, ‘Les Embruns’ is still ‘up the hill’ though it has had a ‘makeover’ and the forest that surrounded it has been replaced with cafes and houses. We met our friends Jean-Michel and Arlette here with baby Virginie (who is no longer a baby!) and have remained good friends ever since! Bidart Plage is still beautiful while remaining unsophisticated in a good way!

We continued on the path up through Bidart Village, along the coast and 5kms down the hill to Biarritz! Biarritz thrived as a resort in the mid-19^th century when Napoleon III and his Spanish born wife visited regularly. Parked the bikes and walked along the coast path for a stunning panorama of the rocky coastline, with it’s striking architecture including the art deco era. Onwards passed the centrally located beaches that fill the inlets and over the footbridge to the Rocher de la Vierge (Rock of the Virgin) named after it’s white statue of the Virgin and Child which juts out for views of the mountains in Spain. Enjoyed lunch near the Square then headed back via another central beach, the tiny cove which houses the Port. Whilst retaining it’s glamour, Biarritz is a beautiful surfing town with a relaxed, laid back feel!!

We headed back via a well earned swim at the little village of Guethary. It’s hot!! We lost the pathway for a while and ended up carrying our bikes across a bumpy field as the Garmin didn’t recognise the newly built road. Back onto the pathway and home, 35kms, it’s 6:30pm and still hot!! Aperitifs and dinner on the terrace.

22.07

We wanted to try some of the great seafood St-Jean de Luz offers so we walked into town via coffee at Thierry’s friend’s cafe, to the ‘Poissonnerie’ (fish market). An amazing selection of shellfish here as well as fish we’d never heard of. We brought anchovies (10 euros) and a Bonito fish (15 euros). Back to the cafe, ‘La Buvette des Halles’ for a pre-lunch snack of oysters! We met Jean (a Woody Allen look alike) and his wife Maria, the owners.

We crossed over the Pont Charles de Gaulle to the pretty little village of Ciboure which is separated by the quaint Port of St-Jean de Luz on the Western curve of the bay. Into the 17th Century Church here and on to meet another friend of Thierry’s who

restores ‘’bric a brac, then home.

In the afternoon we swam at the little beach, ‘Les Flots Bleus Plage’ in town where we had fun on Thierry’s stand up paddle board. We prepared a marinade for the anchovies under Thierry’s guidance and then stuck them in the fridge, has to be for a minimum of one day, to soak! A late dinner that continued into the ‘wee hours’ – lots of laughs!! Thunder and rain during the night.

23.07

A croissant breakfast outside and ‘goodbye’s’ to Benoit who is catching the train back to his home in Paris. We hope to catch up with him again on our return trip.

Off to the market in town with Jacqueline and brought fruit, veges, cheese, eggs and bread. Soft drinks at Jean’s cafe and home. In the evening the aperitifs included some of the anchovies in marinade with toast – delicious!

24.07

We hiked the Pyrenees to the top of ‘La Rhune’, the highest peak in the area (900 metres) for a spectacular view of St-Jean de Luz and it’s environs and across to Spain. If you don’t feel like hiking you can take the cog train up the mountain. Took us 5 hours return to hike!!

As soon as we got back to St-Jean de Luz we threw ourselves into the sea at ‘Plage d’Erromardie’ near Thierry and Jacqueline’s house before a late lunch/dinner of spaghetti, hit the spot!

25.07

We walked into St-Jean de Luz town centre via an explore along the beach promenade and the characteristic narrow streets leading into town, to buy fish and groceries. No luck with the fish as the Poissonnerie had closed early for ‘sleepy time’. Managed to catch the last of the stalls open at the produce and meat market adjoining the Poissonnerie then headed home. In the early evening we rode towards town to the main beach for a swim – bliss! It’s 7:00pm and hot! Marie (Jean’s wife) came over for aperitifs on the terrace and Michel (makes surf boards) joined us later for anchovies in the marinade we had prepared (vinegar, olive oil, water, salt) on toast. Michel quickly made his way through half the plate, I think he enjoyed them!

26.07

We biked, walked and swam at the beach in town! Another beautiful day! In the evening we met Garry’s brother Jeff, and his wife Denise who live in Bidart. We were joined by Denise’s sister and Sean. Aperitifs and a BBQ dinner under cover around the pool as it’s raining. Jeff and Sean came to this part of the world over 25 years ago to play rugby and took advantage of the opportunities given to them with such success that they never ended up going home (back to NZ). We had a great night that went on into the ‘wee hours’!

On our way home we stopped at the famous and funky

‘Heteroclito Bar’ at Ghethary which has a terrace overlooking the beach. A well known surfie spot and still cranking at 2 am!!

27.07

We went sailing today - with a difference! The boat we’re sailing in is a replica of a ‘balleineer’, used in the 18th Century to harpoon whales, which Thierry and his friends, Nico (the Captain), Yakes and Bernard had built! It has two sails and rowing oars.

We became known as ‘the revolting crew’!! We met at the pretty seaside town of Hendaye situated around the corner from St-Jean de Luz. With two sails set we were off around the Bay and into the Atlantic. The wind came up and the boys were very excited until Bernard felt sick from the swells and threw up! Col and I were a bit ‘green’ for a while however when the winds had subsided, rowing the boat back to shore helped. We stopped rowing when the 'big trendy party launch' heading to Bayonne passed us, the Captain and his 'revolting crew' got up and danced and were applauded (good there is no one who knows us haha)!! We are the first people from the southern hemisphere to sail in the boat! Back to St-Jean de Luz for a swim at ‘Plage d’Erromadie’ where the surfers were making the most of the swells!

28.07

We biked along the bike path passed ‘Plage d’Erromardie’ and up the hill to a small beach near Playa Camp. Swims then back to Erromardie for lunch overlooking the beach (Caesar salad, squid and coke 29 euros). We spotted a backpacker of the ‘fury kind’! A black cat was ‘very much at home’ sitting on the back of a back packers pack. We biked back into St-Jean de Luz for coffee in the tree-lined Square (two grand creme, 7 euros). Nice enjoying the atmosphere and ‘people watching’. The French are such characters! They’re setting up musical instruments in the rotunda for a concert tonight, very popular in summer!

In the evening we went to Spain!! We met Lolli and Raumutcko at a lively traditional restaurant for dinner in Hondarribia just across the border. We ate marinade octopus, followed by pork, lamb, chips and salad with wine and cidre, then sorbets, 44 euros per couple and very tasty. A fun night!

29.07

We spent the day getting organised, cleaning and packing in readiness for our departure tomorrow. Biked to town for swims to try and cool off! We ate tapas and drank champagne and looked at old surfing photos in the evening! Another late night with lots of laughs!!

30.07

Sad goodbyes until next time!! Thank you to Thierry, Jacqueline and Dju Dju for an incredible, fun time which we very much appreciated!! We left in ‘sleepy time’ (12noon-2:30pm) to avoid the hordes. The traffic coming into St-Jean de Luz is ‘backed up’ for miles!! We hit the ‘pay motorway’ and headed North following the coast and through the Pine Forests. (6 euros). Back onto the D652 through the surf meccas, Capbretton and Hossegor making our way to Vieux Boucau and lake at close by Soustons. We’ve been told there is a great ‘Aires’ camp here which is close to the beach and the lake as well as the little surfee village. The area is beachy with a laid back feel, it’s pretty and there is everything you need here, however both Vieux Boucau and Soustons are ‘heaving’ with traffic and people, the ‘Aires’ is packed (there are a few spaces mainly without shade), the camps are swamped and we decided to continue on. This is an awesome place to stay out of the school holiday period. We need some quiet time after all the late nights, all the cheese, wine and aperitifs (which were bloody marvellous!).

Back to Lit-et-Mixe where it is pretty but quieter as it is 7kms from the coast. This doesn’t worry us as we’re right on the network of bike paths here. Lorraine and Steve from Wales welcomed us back. The nights entertainment did not keep us awake!!

31.07

Had a ‘blobby day’ reading, catching up with emails and swimming in the pool!! Just what the doctor ordered!! We’ve been told temperatures are heading up to 35-40 degrees over the next few days. Evidently last year was much cooler this time of year, around 25 degrees and June was wet. Walked into the village in the evening and used the Tourist Office’s wifi to send emails. The fan over our bed is very much appreciated!!

1.08

It’s 40 degrees today!! Shade and a swimming pool are a must!!

2.08 – 10.08