We hired an Opel van in Valencia to take surf boards golf sticks and all Janet's luggage, as she will head home after this stop. MB is heading to the US then South America to fish.
We have estimated that the 650 km trip will take six and a half hours. We have to travel through the Pyrenees so we weren't exactly sure how long it would take,we were prepared to stop overnight.
The roads were very good, some were tollways. We drove about 1.5 hours each at a time with a stop for lunch. It was great traveling through the country which is dry and landscaped with all sorts of farming, wheat, olives, fruit trees but little livestock. We passed through the Iberian province and then through the Pyrenees to the Basque country. Here we thought it looked like Switzerland as all the buildings look like Swiss chalets.the Pyrenees are great mountains, emerging from Spain into France, and Biarritz.
Our friend Phil
Grace lives here, where he works for Quicksilver. Phil found us an apartment in a small arty hotel, 'Villa L'Arche, right on the cliff overlooking the ocean at 'Bidart'. This is about 5 kilometers south of Biarritz. When we arrived the weather was hot with an offshore wind, with a reasonable swell. There were hundreds of people surfing all along the coast. Our nice 2 bedroom apartment overlooks the Bay of Biscay. We have a good beach at the base of the cliff. The water is about 18 degrees. It is ok to swim but for a long surf you need a wetsuit, which 'Gracie' says he will obtain from Quicksilver. Bidart is a quaint small village about 200 meters from our apartment.
Next day the sea is flat calm. We have learned that there are eight golf courses in the area. So, we decide to visit several to work out which ones we would like to book and play. Firstly, at 'St. John de Luz'. After much trouble finding the course due to poor signage, we are not happy with the course we find, but we later learn that the course next door 'Club Chantico', is much better, and last week they played the ladies French Open there. This was won by a Victorian Golf Club member Stacey Keating.
Next we drive to the north side of Biarritz to the small village of 'Anglet', where there are two courses and club 'Chiberta', looks the best. We also pass 'Le Phere', which looks good also. We book Chiberta for the next day. That night we have dinner at a very good fish restaurant 'La Tantina de la Playa', which is on the beach at the base of the cliff only 50 meters from our apartment.
Phil
Graces's wife Trudy is away in Zurich so he has dinner with us every night.
We play Chiberta golf club the next day. We are late for our Tee time but fortunately are given a new one playing with a lively Scottish couple, David and Leslie Wood who are members of Dunbar golf club. Chiberta is a really interesting links course, with some great holes along the beach. MB plays well and wins even though we run out of time for the last few holes as we are running late for our massage.
Our masseuse is Kim, a Vietnamese French woman. She is a
Very good therapist. That night we have dinner down the road at 'La Cuchuracha'. It is a excellent meal with our favorite Bordeaux red.
The next day the sea again is flat with no surf. We have a very interesting yoga session with Isabella using medium and small rubber balls for stretching. We drive to St. Sebastian in Spain only 15 minuets away to pick up Josh at the airport.
After our French style lunch of Baguettes with ham cheese tomato and avocado, MB and Josh head over to Quicksilver to get a wetsuit. Quicksilver is large here with a very well stocked showroom, it is very impressive, and a 50% discount through 'Gracie'. On our way back we hire a surfboard for Josh. There a small surf break running so we take the opportunity to go for a surf.
The next day we are playing La Phere,
Biarritz. It is a short course but in good condition. Again, there are some great links holes, but slow play. MB wins by one point to go all square in the European cup.
The next day the weather has turned fowl. There is huge swell rolling in, it looks like Portsea back beach on a big day. We play also at 'Chantico golf club' at St. John de Luz. It is a good course in a large forest. After the rain it is a little heavy, but very good greens. It is quiet hilly with some great looking hills. It looks like winter is setting in. We get some rain, JB play's well to win and go one up in the European cup.
Next day weather has improved.We play golf at the 9 hole course Ilbaritz with Phil.Quite short course right on the cliff almost all the hole overlooking the sea.Some really spectacular par threes even though to short for the girls.
No rideable surf as swell to big.We have another yoga session with Isabella.Josh and his friend Jessica join in.Again new interesting technique known as 5 Tibetan Rites.She is quite spiritual.
Saturday.Swell still large ,few surfers venture out but you need to be young and fit.
We go into tour Bairitz with Gracie.As he has lived here for 30 years he is a great guide.He explains that this is where European surfing began,but the town is very sophisticated with stunning 19th century architecture,very good shops, restraunts ,theatres and parks.JB visit Gallerie Lafette,with 30% discount can't help buying some beautiful French jumpers and t -shirts.
To our surprise the surf in town is really good.
When we get back to Bidart MB and Gracie try to surf down the road at Guethary.Its to hard,MB gets knocked around and can't get out,Gracie only does a little better.
Josh has taken a motor scooter to San Sebasten which he says is great.On the way he saw really good smaller surf.
That night we have dinner with Trudy Grace who has returned from Switzerland.We go to a really great funky bistro on the beach at Guethary.It,s all decked out with surf memorabilia.We are joined by Phil,s Swedish mates Susan,Magnus,Boa and his dog.
Its packed and fun.
Sunday.Really wintery,stormy sea and raining.we go to local church for mass.The church is like an Shakespearian theatre with 3 level balconies at back and sides.
We have Kim for a massage then cocktails of Bordeaux red "Chateau La Grace Dieu(St Emillion).
Monday.Phil has booked golf at Seigosse Golf Club,about 25 kl north of Bairitz.The area is Hosseger which is headquarters for all the major surf companys in Europe including Quicksilver to whom Gracie consults and the surf board factory where Gracie is a shaper.
The golf course is really great,some tough interesting holes.MB beats JB by 1point to square the Europe Cup.We have decided to play the final back in Australia.
We then visit the surf board manufacturing factory.to thing we have been surfing for so long and didn't know how they are made.Most of the production is still done by hand.We leave Gracie to his job of shaping a new board.
Bairitz has been another real surprise to us,we new it was renowned for surfing,we now know why,it is good.But Otis also very sophisticated,good golf courses.excellent restaurants,good sandy beaches and great wine.
We are driving to Bordeaux tomorrow where we leave Europe for a while.
Tuesday.Bordeaux is a beautiful city,similar feeling to Paris with its impressive 19th century river front apartments and many other public buildings.After we return our car to the station we wander through the older car free centre.We have an excellent dinner at "Gabrielle's"then pack to leave JB to Rome,MB to New York.We talked about our 6 best places we visited and our 6 surprises.We decided to include this in our final blog.
JB and Mick.