Our travels into Biarritz was easy today...without too much traffic and a prime parking spot found in Centre-ville.
Biarritz is a luxurious seaside resort town on the Bay of Biscay (Atlantic coast).
It is only 18 kilometers from the Spanish border.
With it's casinos and beaches it is a major tourist destination.
Beautiful hydrangeas in multiple colours were everywhere.
The promenade along the beach front...
Oh yes please, one of each!
La Grande Plage..chairs, umbrellas and cabanas for rent.
Hotel du Palais ( formerly Villa Eugenie)
In 1854 Empress Eugenie,wife of Napoleon III built a palace on the beach now a luxurious Hotel.
Biarritz was a popular holiday destination for the Royal family and other dignitaries such as Winston Churchill and has been a playground for the rich and famous for over a 100 years.
Today, it is a popular tourist spot and a haven for surfers with many surfing competitions held here.
The rock tunnel underneath the Hotel du Palais.
The park overlooking the promenade...
Sometimes instead of stopping to smell the roses, a park bench is all that is needed and is just as good to enjoy some people watching and a view of the azure ocean.
Monsieur Honey is enjoying the view and activities.
And as he often says, "Even if we weren't here, all of this would still be happening!"
It is like the "Sliding Doors" analogy.
When this guy found out it was our last day on the Basque Coast he suggested we head to the beach to ...
"Catch some rays and waves!"
Next stop the Beach in Bidart for a seafood lunch at the seaside and an afternoon of sunshine!
Icy cold "Sangria de la Maison"... La Tantina de la Playa. Plage du Centre 64210 Bidart
Shrimp in a creamy garlic sauce.
A plate of seafood... "Crevettes, huîtres et bulots".
I knew what everything was except for the "bulots" ... even looking at them in the seafood counter I still wasn't sure what they were?
When we got back to our room, I did some research ... Bulots = seasnails!
They were cooked in a spicy seasoning and served with garlic mayonnaise.
I love escargot but these things although very flavourfully seasoned were very chewy.
Do you think anyone else was people watching today?
All I needed was my sister and grandchildren to play "jump the waves"!
Can you imagine how much fun that would be, just like when we were kids?
Surfing school ...lessons about to begin.
Hitting the water first without the boards...
An hour later finally on the boards...
What time is my lesson?
Okay, maybe for now this is how close I'll get... It's pretty rough water today!
At least I got my feet wet in the waters of the Bay of Biscay in the Atlantic Ocean.
The water was clean and not as cold as the Med...in Collioure.
My first foot in the Med ...ten years ago!
