A Day in Biarritz, Basque Country
We woke up to a gentle misty morning and bird song... another day in paradise. Our boys, 18 and 22, were already in the kitchen getting a breakfast snack before heading to the nearby beach for a morning of surfing.
After getting a great cup of fresh French ground coffee and a pain au chocolat, my husband and I ensconced ourselves on our balcony to enjoy the beautiful view of the golden sands of Biarritz beach.
My daughter and our grandchildren were happily playing nearby in the comfortable living room, interspersed with watching French cartoons. Her husband, Mark was working on his laptop. He was delighted with the ease at which he can keep up with his emails and working while enjoying being with his family.
At ten we were ready for the day's adventure. Wendy, our wonderful VillaHost, had arranged for four-wheel Jeeps to be delivered to our villa. With our darkly handsome Basque guide leading the way in his Jeep, Mark and my husband drove as we headed out for a day in the Pyrenees Mountains. In about twenty minutes we were climbing our first mountain on rough tracks, probably old sheep paths, with lots of squeals of excitement from the kids, and not just the little ones!
You cannot imagine the incredible sweeping verdant green vistas, the quiet, and the exhilaration of our day of exploration. We had seen this countryside before on TV watching the Tour de France but the Pyrenees are so much more breathtaking in person!
We ended up in a mountain village, cobbled streets, red tiled roofs, and in the midst of a Cherry Festival market filled with colorfully striped tents and a jubilant holiday crowd. Ripe creamy cheeses, the local specialty of hot pepper jam, ruby red cherries galore, hand-made pottery, locally made espadrille shoes, golden fragrant honey, and wine, of course, accompanied us back to our villa in our bursting shopping bags. Best of all was Gateau Basque, the incredible pastry cake of the region.
After a restorative nap for the grandchildren and a shower for the rest of us, we strolled up the sea promenade to "The 100 Steps" for an aperitif. The guys all joined the local gentlemen in a game of petanqe (think bocci ball) before we walked to the harbor during a spectacular orange sunset for a fresh seafood dinner.
As we contently relaxed around the table afterwards, a lively discussion began about what our adventures would be the next day: a cooking class with a famous French chef, wine tasting with a French wine expert, exploring the charming near-by fishing villages, tapas and wine bar hopping in San Sebastian, or just having time together in paradise.
