Elegant Seaside Cities

We hesitated about going to Biarritz . . . we thought it might be just another beach town but we had the car . . . so why not? 

We left Pau in the rain and made our way via a super highway.  The roadside scenery looked pretty much like we might be on any Interstate highway in the United States but there are no billboards here and no roadside trash.    We sped along in our little Fiat toy car at 120 km per hour.  It was a strange sensation to see cars whizz past us at what might have been 160 km per hour.

Sometimes we’d have glimpses of farms between the trees.  Fields of corn were brown and ready to be harvested.   Fields of sunflowers no longer radiant seemed to hang their big heavy heads down in shame.

We reached Biarritz in just over an hour.  Rolling dark clouds threatened to bring on a storm.  We parked on the street just outside the stunning Hotel du Palais and took our chances.  As we approached the beach we realized what a magnificent seaside place this is!  Luxurious hotels built for royalty back in the 1800s as well as newer resorts overlook the curving Biscay Bay.  The sea stunned us with its golden beach, its indigo water, and its wonderful rusty-colored rock formations just off the shore.  White pounding waves finished off the stunning view.  Those waves also attract surfers from around the world.

We read that in 1957 a movie, “The Sun Also Rises” was being filmed in Biarritz.  The screenwriter from California took a look at the sea and sent for his surfboard. The French had never seen anything like this but they quickly caught on.  Today Biarritz still hosts international surfing competitions.  While not too many people were swimming today, the waves were speckled with surfers waiting for the next wave.

Biarritz in its beautiful setting is a town of pure class.

As we enjoyed a seafood lunch there we decided to fill our day and drive on.  I wanted to see San Sebastian, a sister city on the Spanish side of the bay.  Only about 35 miles away, we decided today is the day.

The weather cleared.  The earlier rain made the landscape colors vibrant; blacks were blacker, and greens were made more green.  We reached San Sebastian in a little over an hour.  For some unfounded reason, I was expecting a small Spanish town.  Our directions to the city center took us along a tree-lined boulevard next to the river with beautiful old bridges elaborately decorated with statues and fancy street lights.  That was the first hint. We soon saw that San Sebastian is another wealthy, elegant seaside city on the Bay of Biscay.    With only a few hours to visit, we walked the promenade along the beach, strolled through the old town, Parte Vieja and window shopped the fine stores. It was interesting that people in San Sebastian seemed to speak much more loudly than in France. We noticed the change in street noise almost immediately. and wonder if today was an exception or will it be the rule?

Before heading back to Pau, we treated ourselves to ice cream and enjoyed the passing afternoon.  Stan suggested we omit the super tollways on our return and take the country roads for some good scenery.  How inviting!  Then we learned that the 1 hour 45 minute trip via toll roads back to Pau becomes 3 hours and 40 minutes otherwise.  So what did we decide?  Ah heck, who needs more eye-popping countryside scenes, and what’s another 15 euros in tolls?  

Sadly . . .

Au revoir chére France! We loved every moment here, your wonderful trains and buses, every sight we saw, every sip of wine, and each bite of your cunard, sauces, pates, and beef tartar. We thank you for speaking English for us and are grateful for your congeniality and warm hospitality. You welcomed us like no other.

Tomorrow – – – Santander, Spain!