Sun and Surf In Biarritz

A pre-Easter break of sun and surf was calling me. In March, I don’t have any illusions of balmy beaches on French coastlines, but ocean breezes beckon me regardless of the temperature.

I loved catching the winter sun in Nice in January, so why not Biarritz, which can often post the warmest Spring temps in France.

Biarritz is known as the surfing capital of France, so big waves are guaranteed year-round.   Not that I am surfing these days, lol, but just for the pleasure of seeing towering whitecaps and the sounds of surf.

The waves can be so large that it is dangerous to walk along the rocks.  Each year, some unfortunate souls disregard warnings and are swept out to sea.

It is also the largest city in the Basque Country, making it a wonderful change of cultural scenery.

The Basque, both in France and across the Spanish border, 35 km away, are a proud population with the Basque language still spoken at home.

Basque, unique and not resembling any other known language, has stumped linguists who haven’t yet fully comprehended its origins, which is still debated.

Culinary wise, the Basques are famous for Bayonne ham, chocolate, Pyrénées cheeses,  Gateau Basques and a cuisine with  Spanish influences.

I was mostly on the hunt for chiperons, or the small squid that run along the Basque coast.  I occasionally see them at my local poissonnerie, but not often enough.

I had briefly visited Biarritz before I moved to France and wanted to go back for a longer stay.  I chose it to be my first adventure of travelling solo again.

Before I moved to Paris, I would occasionally travel to France alone, but since, I have been lucky to have enjoyed the presence of my beautiful daughter.

Aimee loves to travel as much as I do, but due to work obligations, she can’t be available for sudden off-the-cuff travel.

I must admit I was apprehensive about travelling alone again.   Although I always did all the planning and logistics, I had become dependent on her presence for help if needed.

My train was leaving from Gare Montparnasse at 7:05, which meant I would have to take the metro or walk, as the bus would not be starting till 6:30.

I did a dry run on Metro Line 4, to ascertain how many stairs I would have to take to get out of the Metro. Montparnasse metro station is huge, and can be like a labyrinth with lots of stairs and one long automated walkway to get to the train station.

Wanting to avoid that, I took only one flight of stairs to the Odessa exit and walked along the Rue du Depart.

It was freezing cold and still quite dark when I arrived a little past 6:30 with time to grab a croissant before departure.  I wanted to get to my seat early to ensure room in the luggage rack.

 

I love slow travel, which for me is best defined as experiencing the moment without any rush to take in as many sites as possible.

Some of my favourite times are just sitting in the sun on the balcony, listening to the surf, watching fishing boats and sunsets.

There weren’t long lists of things I wanted to do in Biarritz, except go to the aquarium, enjoy their les Halles, walk around the port, watch surfers, and indulge in my culinary pursuits.

Aimee gave me a little sketchbook and colour pencils, encouraging me to draw.

Upon arrival, it was easy to find the bus to my hotel on the coast near the old town and port.  I had forgotten though, how hilly Biarritz is!

I would be in for some great cardio jaunts to get around!  The small supermarket, restaurants, Les Halles and some good restaurants, all nearby, were on fairly steep streets to reach, with the port below.

I loved watching surfing students paddle in with their colourful boards and was amazed at seeing so many people sunbathing on the small port beach.

My first night, I was intent on finding those chiperons I was craving. La Commerce restaurant across from Les Halles had them.  Simply grilled a la plancha, and smothered in garlic, parsley butter, they were delicious!

Besides the great little calamaris, a white wine called Egiategia from vineyards around Saint -Jean -de -Luz near the Spanish border was fabulous!

It has the rare distinction of being partially vinified in barrels submerged in the cold Atlantic for several months!

Bursting with bright flavours of vanilla, pineapple and citrus, it was a perfectly refreshing wine to accompany the chiperons.

The next morning, I spent on the balcony trying my hand at sketching the ocean surf.    I wasn’t talented enough to capture any real resemblance of the endless white-capped surf, much less the multi-nuanced colours of the sea.

I kept hearing Aimee say, ” draw anyway, as it is not important how it looks, but how it captures your feelings of the moment.  ” Wise words.

Les Halles de Biarritz was full of all the Basque specialities and their excellent coastal seafood.

I took in the Aquarium in the afternoon, perched on a cliff overlooking the sea and Notre Dame de Rocher.

I love learning about the various local fish that populate the Bay of Biscay.  Looking at the different types of floating jellyfish is meditative;  following them slowly floating up and down, a slow-motion sea ballet.

Like any kid, I  love seeing the feeding of the seals.  Their adorable whiskered noses and seal antics,  sliding out of the water in seconds to gulp down buckets of whole fresh mackerel kept me glued to the scene.

Second night out, I enjoyed a creative take on the excellent black bottom Basque pork,  with red wine reduction, and corn mousse. AOC Irouléguy, the Basque red wine, with a wonderful perfume of cherries, was perfect with the dish.

Dessert was dollops of corn and hazelnut mousse with caramelised popcorn.

My last day was spent hanging out on the balcony and buying some gateau basques and unique macarons from Maison Adam Patisserie.

This very old pastry shop, originally from Saint Jean de Luz, dates back to 1660 and is still owned by the same family of pastry makers.  Their sought-after macarons were served at King Louis XIV’s marriage to his Spanish cousin Marie-Thérèse in Saint Jean de Luz.

The major cathedral set near the banks of the sea held an unusual object. A large surfboard just inside the entrance had been blessed to honour surfers lost riding the giant waves.

My last night in Biarritz drew me to  La table de Michel, where I had an excellent stuffed loin of rabbit.  However much I enjoyed the taste of rabbit, I was confronted with ongoing conflictual feelings I have around eating meat.

Offering a prayer of gratitude to the poor soul of the rabbit was the least I could do, as American Indians offer for animals consumed.

Eating out solo each time can be a source of unease for some, but I was warmly welcomed and served and didn’t feel self-conscious at all about a lack of a companion.

I got out early on my last day to Les Halles to buy some Ossau Iraty cheese and more gateau basques for Aimee and Laurent.   A family stall,  Maison Maquirriain’s cakes were delicious and very fresh.

I wanted to bring back that lovely white wine, Egiategia, but ditched the idea because of the extra weight I did not need to heft around.

Since I got to the station too early for my afternoon train back, I decided to sit on a bench outside and sketch the Gare of Biarritz with its red shutters. typical of the architectural style in the Basque Country.

During the ride back to Paris, I had a sense of self-accomplishment that all went well, and the little things I had worried about, I handled without any problems.

For me, this inaugural trip built a little cornerstone of self-confidence about travelling solo again.  Yea!