Biarritz and Cambo-les-Bains
Rain was in the forecast on Sunday when we left the castle and headed further south to the San Diego of France. I call it such because it is in the southwest corner of the country, has sunsets on the ocean, has the warmest climate, and borders a Spanish speaking country to the south.
Again, toll roads were available about half the
trip, the rest to be driven on local roads. As most of France is when you drive
the back country in dry weather, the scenery is picturesque with a thousand
shades of green and quaint villages dotting the hillsides.
Passing through the Bordeaux wine region, we saw nothing but vineyards: long strings of grape vines climbing symmetrically up the slopes. Take your time to do a winery tour and you’ll find out that the grapes at the top of the hill produce a completely different wine from those at the bottom. The slight differences in temperature, sunlight, moisture and soil bring about a drastic change in the wine.
We were not disappointed to have 75 degrees and sun on the beach. Our hotel was on the sand and the GPS guided us from the outskirts of town through a maze of one-way streets made barely passable by haphazardly parked cars.
Valet parking was $40 a day, but well worth to
ditch the car and spend the next 2 days on foot. Our room at the spa hotel had
a partial ocean view which was fine to experience the waves and get a glimpse
of the beach, lighthouse, and stately mansions next door.
Room view, I thought it was great until I saw the full ocean view
We changed and headed to the pool, checking out
the sauna, steam room, and indoor pool then booked massages along the
way. An immense pool overlooks the beach with bar and snack facilities at
hand. I sent photos to Ed and Candace gushing about the marvelous beach weather
and luxurious hotel, getting a glum response of “thanks, it’s cold and raining
here”; it’s only 250 miles away.
Biarritz is a surf town with lots of young, active people who enjoy the beach - especially a splendid last Sunday in September. This was a perfect way to relax after 12 days of road trips. But it didn’t last.
Lighthouse at night - I was surprised
the direct light didn't shine in the window.
I always love sunsets on the beach. If you
look closely, the mountains on the horizon
are northwest Spain.
Both Tom and I began coughing Sunday night and by the morning we felt an awful fatigue and flu-like symptoms. We checked with our prior hosts and had not been contagious while visiting. Either the drenching thunderstorm on Point-du-Hoc, or the biting wind of Mont Saint Michel with a crammed bus ride, or both, gave us some nasty microbes.
Tom flew back to Paris Tuesday morning to catch
a flight back home and I headed out to see friends in Cambo-les-Bains. I
felt bad that I arrived in such a depleted, noisy and possibly contagious
state, but Alain & Martine were gracious and welcomed me anyway.
Alain & Martine, two of the nicest people living in blissful retirement
By Thursday I was getting worse and they were able to get me a doctor’s appointment. (Going to a doctor in France is part of a future blog page). Some parts of Europe you can get antibiotics without a prescription, but here I got my “ordonnance” for antibiotics, a cough suppressant spray and pain relief pills. With no insurance, the visit and three meds cost about $50.
Alain & Martine Bessard have a beautiful
home in Basque country in which they rent out 3 rooms as a Bed & Breakfast.
It’s called Villa Gastandeia and you can find it on Chambre-Hotes.fr website.
They are a half hour from the beach just over the border from Spain in the
Pyrenees foothills. It has spectacular scenery with mild weather - I wish I had
felt better to take a day hike.
We met on a South American cruise two years ago
and kept in touch hoping to visit last year but had to cancel. They spent their
working lives in Paris and tried to move to the South of France on the
Mediterranean (le Midi), but found the people cold and mistrusting of newcomers.
Cambo-les-Bains is one of a few spots in France
for mineral water “Cure”; it is an 18 day regiment of water therapy under
doctor’s supervision to cure Arthritis, Rheumatism and other such afflictions.
This is Basque country spreading out over the
Pyrenees in two countries - they speak their own language, have their own
schools and don’t consider themselves either French or Spanish. They are a
close-knit community; it took a while for Alain and Martine to be accepted, but
after 19 years they feel quite at home with good local friends.
Countryside view from a restaurant patio in town. As always, great
meal and wine.
Friday morning I bid adieu to these two great folks and hope we will meet again soon either in Cambo, the USA, or traveling.
Comments
Post a Comment