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The Basque CountryAnyone who has read Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises has to be interested in the Basque region and its people. The seven Basque provinces of France and Spain have a distinctive language and culture, and the people are extremely proud of their heritage. The family and home comprise the center of life, and the food, dance, and song echo the boisterous Basque autonomy. The rugged and beckoning Pyrénées Mountains anchor the valleys and seacoast.
I’d always heard about the glitz and glamour of this famous Côte Basque resort but hadn’t been here. In the 1850’s, Empress Eugénie and Napoleon III put the fishing village on the map, building their summer palace on the sea. The noble, rich, and famous followed them for the next three-quarters of a century. It is still the most visited and fashionable seaside resort in Southwestern France, and the beautiful people still come, but the trendy coterie of stars and affluent stargazers moved to Cannes and Nice in the 1920’s. The village is built on a hillside with cliffs jutting down to the sea. White-capped waves crash against the boulders, which is inevitably stunning, but the wide sandy beach adds a perfect touch for swimming and sunbathing. We crossed a small bridge to a rocky island with a terrific view of the beach and Hôtel du Palais on one side, and the Rocher de la Vierge with a statue of the Virgin Mary looking out to sea on the other. There is an air of faded elegance to the resort, and since Biarritz is the “retirement capital of France,” it must be rocking for retirees. LodgingI would happily book a stay in the Hôtel du Palais, drink a coup de champagne, and imagine myself at court with the ever-chic Eugénie who created a stir wherever she went throughout France. Alas, we only had time for a short but spectacular walkabout since we were late to St-Jean-de-Luz. Hôtel du Palais**** TransportationThis is the second time we’ve come to France for an extended period of time and leased a station wagon from Europe by Car. The first time I’d read that if you were staying longer than three weeks, it was more cost effective to lease. We made arrangements in the U.S., and both times picked up brand-new cars—the first a Renault, this time a Peugeot. It couldn’t be easier, and the cars have been great! They also come with insurance, which makes things more trouble-free. At the end of your stay, you hand them back the keys. We’ve driven all over France in these automobiles from Paris to Provence to the island of Belle Ile. Jim is the driver, and I navigate. I highly recommend the company. Europe by Car
It’s only a few kilometers from Biarritz to St-Jean-de-Luz, which is another popular seaside resort though not as chic as the former. In fact, we liked it better. The village is as pretty as its name, with plane trees lining the avenues and a seaside promenade following the arc of sandy beach. The Basque architecture mixes Spanish and French details, and the village is white, light, and silvery with splashes of Southern color and sunny energy mixed in. The port is attractive and busy, with fisherman bringing in their catches of sardines, anchovies, and tuna. LodgingWe didn’t have a hotel reservation—big mistake—because the Season was about to be in gear. The weather was bright, hot, and sunny, and vacationers were flocking to the beach like mad. We lucked out and found a room at the Hotel Hēlianthal, which looked blocky on the outside but was pleasurably modern and attractive within. Our room was luscious, with a terrace overlooking the garden, and the bathroom and products were fabulous. The hotel also has a plush spa that looks onto the beach and sea, and the staff was marvelous—especially Jean-Christophe D'Ambreville, the head of reception. He helped us enormously, and we relished every moment we spent in his hotel. Moderately expensive. Hotel Hēlianthal*** Cafés, Restaurants, and BistrotsOn the Basque food trail, we found La Ruelle for dinner, which was crowded with locals and visitors and smelled like garlic, good olive oil, meat, and fish. A raucous table of patrons was having so much fun that we joined in while a minstrel came and sang mostly American folk songs. It all felt festive yet cozy, vibrant with the traditional Basque food, smells, and cheer. I ordered calamari cooked with olive oil and tons of garlic. It came brown and bubbling. Wow. Moderately priced. La Ruelle We spotted this restaurant on our first drive through town and ambled back for dinner. Amazing Serrano ham was our first course and fresh fish came second. The waiter delivered a tray of enticing drinks—cherry red served in snifters with ice–to a table of local men after their dessert. “What is that stuff they’re drinking?” I asked the waiter, with my usual insouciance. That’s how we became enamored (rhymes with hammered) of Basque Pacharan. Moderately Expensive. Le Bar Basque TransportationThis is the second time we’ve come to France for an extended period of time and leased a station wagon from Europe by Car. The first time I’d read that if you were staying longer than three weeks, it was more cost effective to lease. We made arrangements in the U.S., and both times picked up brand-new cars—the first a Renault, this time a Peugeot. It couldn’t be easier, and the cars have been great! They also come with insurance, which makes things more trouble-free. At the end of your stay, you hand them back the keys. We’ve driven all over France in these automobiles from Paris to Provence to the island of Belle Ile. Jim is the driver, and I navigate. I highly recommend the company. Europe by Car
Across the bay protected by a seawall, Ciboure is quieter and smaller than St-Jean-de-Luz. We’d driven the few minutes over for lunch and found a row of restaurants with terraces that face the moored boats and port toward St-Jean. A tethered fleet of young student sailors was being pulled behind their teacher like a row of baby ducks. Henri Matisse had holed up here for a time during WWII, which compelled Jim to return later that afternoon to sketch. Socoa Fort guards the harbor, and the seawall is high and big—a great spot to paint or for a walk with fine views of the intensely blue harbor. Cafés, Restaurants, and BistrotsTraditional dishes and seafood reign on the menus along the Basque Coast, and Ciboure is a great place to experience them and admire St-Jean-de-Luz across the bay. We came for lunch, but I imagine the twinkle of St-Jean’s lights in the evening would be quite an allure. The Restaurant la Marine along the quay to the Socoa Fort was a fine place to enjoy the view and food. Goblets of Sangria were quite refreshing, and I ordered a salad with perfectly cooked plump scallops. Jim indulged in a nice platter of Fruits de Mer. We lunched outside under an umbrella, but the dining room was quaint and charming, with old photos of the coast lining the walls. Moderate. Restaurant la Marine TransportationThis is the second time we’ve come to France for an extended period of time and leased a station wagon from Europe by Car. The first time I’d read that if you were staying longer than three weeks, it was more cost effective to lease. We made arrangements in the U.S., and both times picked up brand-new cars—the first a Renault, this time a Peugeot. It couldn’t be easier, and the cars have been great! They also come with insurance, which makes things more trouble-free. At the end of your stay, you hand them back the keys. We’ve driven all over France in these automobiles from Paris to Provence to the island of Belle Ile. Jim is the driver, and I navigate. I highly recommend the company. Europe by Car
If you’re visiting St-Jean-de-Luz, you have to drive the 30 kilometers or so to Spain’s San Sebastian. The romantic pull of Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises wouldn’t let us resist, and neither of us had ever been to Spain—I don’t know why—except to stop at the Madrid airport, and San Sebastian called. It was not the sleepy village we imagined, but a vital and big city set on a half-moon bay of azure ocean. We motored over on a Sunday afternoon, parked, and promenaded along the harbor with the Spanish citizens, then caught the end of an orchestral concert in the gazebo on the end of a grand boulevard. As we wandered along the streets and squares of San Sebastian, we looked through the doorways of restaurants and bars to see giant platters of tapas lined up on the counters scenting the air with their savory aromas. The crush of lunch had ended with cigarette butts stomped on the floors, but a crowd still sat in the afternoon sun eating and drinking while others sauntered socially. We stumbled upon a trio of jazz musicians—including an accordionist—playing for a crowd. Jim sketched the scene while I poked around the colossal and attractive Constitution Square. I’d like to return to San Sebastian and get to know it better. We found no trace of Mr. Hemingway. Cafés, Restaurants, and BistrotsWe were starving and wandered down the grand boulevard looking for food, and as usual, it was past lunch time. When we came to El Café Del Boulevard, it was open and serving. We stopped and sat down. First, the waiter brought huge tumblers of delicious Sangria and then mouth-watering tapas of various combinations of bread, anchovies, mayo, ham, roasted peppers, and croquettas (which resembled mashed potato hush puppies peppered with bits of ham). We lapped them up, then ordered a steak that we split. Great food and drink and much cheaper than France. I highly recommend it. El Café Del Boulevard TransportationThis is the second time we’ve come to France for an extended period of time and leased a station wagon from Europe by Car. The first time I’d read that if you were staying longer than three weeks, it was more cost effective to lease. We made arrangements in the U.S. and picked up brand-new cars—the first a Renault, this time a Peugeot. It couldn’t be easier, and the cars have been great! They also come with insurance, which makes things more trouble-free. At the end of your lease term, you simply hand them back the keys (the maximum is six months, though you can buy the car if you want). We’ve driven all over France in these automobiles, from Paris to Provence to the island of Belle Ile. Jim is the driver, I’m the navigator. We highly recommend the company. Europe by Car Need To KnowWith the new European Union, driving from one country to another is a breeze. Before the Madrid bombing, we never saw any guards at the border. That’s changed, but so far all they’ve done is wave us through. |
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Copyright © 2005 James Morgan & Beth Arnold. All rights reserved
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