South of Biarritz

We drove south from Biarritz, to Hendaye, across the Bidasoa River from Spain, where we saw boats in the marina with the Pyrenees behind, and we walked along the beachfront.  Hendaye was rather quiet this morning, with surf lessons in progress. 

We drove a bit north along the Basque Corniche to Fort de Socoa, built from 1627 to protect Socoa and the Bay of Saint-Jean-de-Luz.  Today it is an active sailing center.  

We drove around the bay, through Ciboure, to Saint-Jean-de-Luz, an historic fishing town with 12,000 residents, at the mouth of the Nivelle River.  We found our hotel, Les Almadies, then took a walk around town.  King Louis XIV married Marie-Therese of Spain in 1660 in Saint-Jean-Baptist Church, with a beautiful gilded baroque altarpiece and three stories of wooden galleries.  The King and future Queen stayed in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, for a few months before their wedding, and the houses they lived in are well preserved and used today.  

Saint-Jean-de-Luz suffered from weather and wave action over the years, and n the mid-19th century, Napoleon III authorized construction of new sea defenses, with large sea walls that took 30 years to build.  They continue to be maintained and added to every year.  As a result, the houses along the waterfront are set behind the sea wall and have bridges to the second floor.  The beach forms most of a semicircle, and is wide, with relatively came water.

We picked up some lunch in the market hall, and we walked up and down the beautiful streets.

 

Late Afternoon in Biarritz

Around 5 pm, Papa and I walked to the Rock of the Virgin.  Just before crossing the bridge from the mainland to the Island, we passed the memorial to those who died for France in WWI and WWII.  Over 300 young men from Biarritz died in WWI.  We crossed the bridge and saw the Virgin statue atop a carved rock, then looked back to see the city, north and south.  Beautiful!  

In the evening, we met Whitney’s family for dinner at a tapas restaurant, Etxeko.  It was delicious.  After dinner, we walked around the waterfront from the port to the casino.  We love being with our family!

Walking About Biarritz

Whitney took a morning run from their rented apartment in Anglet, while her family slept in, and met us at our hotel at 9 this morning, to go to the market Halle in Biarritz, just a block away.  Whitney picked up some apricots and a chocolatine plus a Basque tarte cerise. 

We walked down to the old fishing port, then along the boardwalk past Palais Hotel.  Whitney parted, to run back to Anglet.  Papa and I returned to the hotel for a bit of a break then went for lunch Cafe de Commerces, across the street from the market Halle.  After lunch we took a long walk to the Chapelle Impériale, then circled back by the Palais Hotel and the boardwalk to our hotel.  Biarritz is full of beautiful architecture from the 1800 and 1900’s up until the art deco era, not so much the architecture from 1970-2000.  The 100-200 year old, beautiful, ornate architecture is really beautiful.  And the La Grande Plage is quite stunning, with rocks in the surf, a lighthouse at the end of the curving beach, and a hundreds year old fishing port at the other end.  We enjoyed our walk!