We’ve just returned from our trip to Biarritz, which was enjoyed by all. We left on Wed morning and stopped off for some food for the journey, then had a picnic just after we passed through Bordeaux and arrived at the hotel around 4:30. We dumped our stuff and headed into town to have a look around. It’s a gorgeous town with a long sandy beach and a lot of amazing buildings. It was the playground of the aristocracy in the late 19th C. Napoleon III built a huge palace right smack in the middle of the beach and it’s now a 5 star hotel that isn’t open to the public. It reminded Will and I first of Brighton and then more of San Fran. I should also mention that the town is full of beautiful people, most of them in their 20’s but some F.I.L.F.s as well. Anyway, we had a beer outside and then headed back to the hotel where the nice man at reception recommended a restaurant to us.
It turned out the place mostly served fish and no meats that Will eats so he struggled a bit but they made up for it with their desserts so no one left hungry. We had a night cap back at the hotel where we chatted with the guy who worked there. Turns out he owns the place with a business partner and they’re both gay. He was most amused that we were living with the farmers in the middle of nowhere and couldn’t quite figure out what we are doing there. He’s originally from Biarritz but has been living around France and Switzerland (mostly in the Alps and the beach) for a number of years and moved back a few years ago to open this hotel. The place itself is great; the decor is 70’s kitch including a statue of Betty Boop that greets you as you enter. It’s called Hotel Mirano and if you’re ever in Biarritz, I can’t recommend it enough.
On Thursday, we first went to the Chocolate Museum which was small but enjoyable. Yes, they do give free samples so that alone made it a worthwhile visit. Next we headed down the coast and passed through a couple of small Basque towns before stopping in St Jean de Luz. It’s like a smaller version of Biarritz – even more upscale but also with an active fishing port and a lovely square. Louis XIV had a residence there and it fronts a lovely square where we sat and had a drink. From there, we continued down the coast to San Sebastian, just over the Spanish border. It’s a much bigger city than Biarritz but equally as beautiful. We had a 3 course lunch and although we’re not exactly sure what we ate, it was all very good. After that, we hit the Aquarium that is out on one of the piers. Its has the usual assortment of sea creatures in smaller tanks and one giant tank that had a walkway through it. You’re basically surrounded on all sides by the tank so the fish are swimming right over your head. Will tried to take some photos – I hope at least a few came out.
We had an ulterior motive for going to Spain and that is for cheap food/drink/diesel. Being just over the border, I’m not sure that you get the full Spanish discount but many things were still cheaper. We got close to a case of Rioja since it’s nearly impossible to find in France and we do enjoy it for a change once in a while. The biggest score was the Hellman’s mayonaise, which they sold for 1/3 of the price so we bought 9 jars. We had hoped to find cheap vodka but there was precious little to be had. The checkout lady was most amused with our haul. Natalie (the sat nav) didn’t enjoy herself in Spain, or should I say, we didn’t enjoy her. The damn thing kept sending us down the wrong streets so we finally managed to find our way back out despite her.
We arrived back at the hotel, changed and had a drink and then went for dinner. We ate at a Spanish restaurant but none of us was terribly hungry after the big lunch. Despite this, I managed a main (cod with chorizo) and a creme brulée for dessert. Will was more restrained and just had a main, the Basque Plate, which was basically ham, eggs and chips; Mom had an omelet with salad and a chocolate mousse for dessert. We had a nightcap and another long chat with our man back at the hotel before turning in. We left the next day around 11 and then came home via a winery in the Castillon area of Bordeaux. It was the one we found at the Brantome Fair a few weeks back and we regretted only buying six bottles at the time. It was fairly easy to find and we were greeted by an older gentleman who took us to the tasting counter. The chateau has been in his family for four generations and you can tell why they’ve been in business for so long. He was a charming guy and encouraged us try the wine as he was cracking jokes. We got ourselves a case this time and a box of rose for Sharon which we also sampled. Tonight, dinner was takeaway pizza from our place in Brantome and that was delicious as ever. Tomorrow we’re having a bbq with Sharon and the frenchies plus few others – details to come.