Biarritz, France -day 2

We were determined to surf today. Pierrick had given us a brochure for a company he knew, but when we got there, they were already full for the day. We walked down to the beach and passed another surf school: Plums École de surf à Biarritz.  

We got a lesson right away and had to suit up in smelly wetsuits and Ripcurl rash guards. There were 8 in our class. Another couple who spoke French, a young girl named Holly from Ireland, and one girl and two French teenage boys. 

We took our boards down to the beach and sat in a circle and introduced ourselves. Then we stretched a bit. 

The two younger girls stayed with us (the newbs) as it was only our first lesson. The girl instructor took the rest into he ocean while we learned the basics on the beach. 

We had the skinny dude with curly hair teach us in Frenglish. There was only one girl who spoke French so he apologized to her and attempted mostly English. 

He showed us how to lie on the board with our hands square below our shoulders. Then how to prepare our feet to jump up. The jump can happen more slowly hen you think. The position is the most important part. You want your s dominant foot back, and to step up first. You want to be far enough up the board, and have your feet square to the board. 

He was adamant about flexing down into a squat position for more control and keeping your back hand down and your front hand up. This helps you balance (it really does). He also showed us paddle techniques for getting out and taking a wave. 

After proving to him that we could stand up in the proper position (attitude, as he explained it), we went into the water. 

We paddled out and prepared ourselves for a wave. Our instructor seemed pretty confident that we would all get up. I didn't think this was likely. 

Holly, the 11 year old from Ireland went first. She got up in her first go and surfed out to shore.  That made us a little more determined to get up! The instructor was good at helping us if we wanted it. He would hold us on the wave and tell us when a good one was coming. Then he would tell us when to paddle and when to stand (negotiating the waves is the hardest part, aside from actually paddling out there). He set me up, and told me to go go!

I focused straight ahead, got to my feet, and surfed my first wave! It was awesome. I was slightly off balance and pushed right, but I still got some good distance. 

It was like being in a movie. I loved the feeling of moving through the water whilst standing upright. Exhilarating. 

Shay was determined to do it alone and paddled hard on waves that were maybe too big for a beginner. He was having trouble standing, as his feet always ended up too far to the back, tipping the board as he stood. 

After a few more rounds I was getting the hang of it. I got up a bunch of times and stayed for a bit. It was very helpful having someone tell you when to move and watch what you were doing right and wrong. 

I would definitely like to practise again! Biarritz was a great place to learn because it seems that most people there aren't pro star surfers.  The really good surfers come in a little later. 

They only surf (or teach and rent boards at low tide here). At high tide the waves are crazy big and extremely hard to negotiate. Shay rented a board a little later in the day and found this out first hand. He wasted half an hour on the far end, trying to get over the breaks. This can be exhausting. 

Which way is the beach?

Then he moved down the shore where more of the surfers were but the current kept pulling him into no surf zones and the life guard would blow his whistle at him. 

After the hour was up, a very tired Shay came and joined me on the beach. The tide was coming in fast. We had to move our towels three times, and the last time was one second too late as a crashing wave dispersed higher than anyone anticipated. We only soaked one towel which was good. 

It's coming for you!!

After playing in the waves, we decided to walk back to the apartment to shower and come back for dinner. If we could stay at the beach all day, we would have. It got busy later in the day, but the people were very nice and it was clean. 

They have a speaker that dictates announcements and notices to anyone at the beach. One was an alert for pick pockets on the beach. 

On our way home we bought some food for tomorrow's breakfast and lunch. We were trying to blend in.

We showered and came back for a cheap dinner. We had spent 70 euros on surf lessons so we wanted to keep it cheap. Unfortunately you get what you pay for and our 20 euro dinner wasn't much to write home about. 

We didn't want to end our eating experience in France on that note, so we stopped for crepes and gauffres on the pier. I got the Nutella crepe and Shay the chocolate, banana and chantilly gauffre. Go big or go home!

There are paths in all directions lines by beautiful gardens and ocean. We walked along past the fishing boats, and museums and over to this Mary-like statue above a huge rock over looking the sea.

Our walk home was a sad one, as we knew it would be our last in the city. We didn't want the night to end.

Biarritz, France

Another early day today. We requested to have breakfast at 8, and when we came out of our room to the shared kitchen/eating area, breakfast was waiting. We enjoyed baguettes, croissants, fruit and yogurt with another couple from Australia. They had been touring around for 5 weeks and were heading up to Paris after a day in Amboise. We packed up and headed out to Biarritz.

So Shay and I have decided to move to Biarritz. It is beautiful here. It is Orange County meets the Amalfi coast. Huge chateau style hotels and churches built into the rocky cliff side over looking the waves that lap up on the sandy beach and rock croppings. 

The drive from Amboise was long, the tolls were high and the gas was expensive. We paid one toll of 36 Euros and about 4 other tolls of 2 euros. It took over 5 hours. Gas was 1.64 per litre. We got into town and were greeted by a Speedo-clad Pierrick (a French Robert de Niro) who so graciously welcomed us into his home.

Sit down and drink that coffee!

You can also get soup from the cappuccino machine

The bouncy castle in the back is standard.

Pierrick showed us around the huge apartment. There were two bedrooms a bathroom with washing machine (where we very quickly started two loads of laundry), a full kitchen and a large family room. It was Awesome. We came in the same entrance as the family but our flat was on the second floor. They had rooms on the third floor as well as the main floor and a backyard that was large enough for a pool. 

Our street

Pierrick told us all about town. He had maps for us, and told us all of the sights to see and things to do. He explained that the light house was for men only at night, and we looked at him skeptically, and he said it again, "at night the light house is for men only." We caught his drift. 

He explained where we could surf, the beach that was for "babies and mommies," all while sweating and dabbing himself with a small paper towel that was disintegrating on him by the minute. He told us where the train station was, and that he would take us there after we dropped off the car at the airport.

We went to the station to purchase a ticket and did so in French! We learned that we had to take the train to Hendaye, then switch trains and go the rest of the way to San Sebastian, where we would switch trains again to Pamplona. Hopefully it all works out!

After getting our tickets we wanted to see the beach. We drove in only a few circles, miscounting the roundabout exit once. From the flat, we could walk to the beach. It was only 800m. We jumped in the ocean and fell in love. We ate dinner over looking the sea and sunset, then walked along the promenade lit up by the lighthouse and other restaurants.

People congregate on the beach at night to watch the tide come in and drink with their friends. Walking home at night in the dark was not a problem. We felt very safe here. Can't wait for tomorrow!

Amboise France

We begrudgingly woke up at 7 the next morning. Packed up our things, showered and ate some of our groceries. We walked over to Europcar and picked up our rental car.

It was relatively easy. We had pre-paid and it all went smoothly. We booked through autoeurope and got the CAA discount. It was $251 for 3 days for all the insurance and 0 deductable. We wanted to be able to return it in any state, just in case.

Driving back to the flat was a little nerve racking. Our street was one way, and our flat was locked behind an ominous door. Shay drove past it the first time. We went around the block again and this time got to it. I had to jump out to open the gate. Shay could pull in to get off the road while I ran up the 4 flights of stairs to get our belongings.

We headed on our way driving. Shay was a champ in the city and made it through the roundabouts like a pro! Traffic getting to and on the A10 was very heavy and turned our quickish, less than two our trip, into a 3 hour plus -long slow drive. We stopped at a "Flunch" on the roadside where they have espresso and cappuccino machines, as well as flull fledge dining.

Compared to our roadside stops which generally consist of a Tims and Wendy’s, this was pretty neat to see. The picnic areas are large and families are spread out relaxing in the shade and eating on the grass or at tables. There is usually a large bouncy cow castle for kids to jump in. We stopped at one that even had a rock climbing wall and bocce. 

The food is cafeteria style, but the good kind. You can have shaved ham, or lasagna or chicken and rice, an assortment of fruit, and pastries, and soups. They don’t do burgers and fries here, or anything that can be purchased to go. Even drinks are "to drink there." If you get your coffee, you stand and drink it at the tall table beside the machine. The cups are small, and there are no lids. We even noticed that our car didn’t even have cup holders in it. Drinking is a stationary event in France. We are so used to multi tasking, we needed to start accounting for our drinking and eating times.

We drove into Amboise, a town nestled into the Loire around Chateau Amboise. We walked around the town, but decided against a castle tour for 15 euros pp. 

We walked around town and took in all it's Frenchness, right down to the accordion playing street busker. 

We wanted to go to Clos Lucé, the DaVinci museum, and what a good choice that was!

Clos Lucé is down a quiet street, and is where Leonardo Da Vinci spent the last 5 years of his life chilling with his good friend King François I. In the house you get to walk through Leonardo's room, the bedroom of Marguerite de Navarre, sitting rooms, the kitchen and into the basement where all of his inventions are laid out with 3d animations to show how they worked. 

Did you know that Leonardo Da Vinci invented the bicycle, screw wrench, life buoy, paddle boat, swivel bridge, multi direction rifle, tank, Archimedes screw, ball bearing,  machine gun, water wheel, catapult, the first automobile, and steam hammer? I had not known much about Da Vinci the inventor. I think he was also a painter?

After you tour the restored house you exit through the gift shop and into the gardens, the very best spot! Here, spread out amongst landscaped acres, Leonardo's inventions are assembled in real size for you to play with! Shay went right for the canons and multi directional rifels. He had fun spinning the tank riffle as well. 

Remembering happy times with Becky and Jarvis in Ponta Delgada last year. We are big fans of "hands on" museums. I loved the hanging art in the forest “lights on faces” and the paddle boat that you could drive for 2 euros. 

We took so long to get the steering right because our seat was broken, making it very difficult to move the back paddle from left to right.

I'm on a boat!

We eventually managed, and splashed our way through the ravine. It was not a dry ride, but hilarious.

Many of the exhibits also had a piece to read and you could even listen to a re-enactment or explanation in your language of choice. Very fun.

From here we drove to our B &B, La Grill Dorée. It was a nice little country home where we were situated on the top floor. The owner was sweet and spoke only French, but slow enough that I could understand everything she said and respond appropriately. 

We got our keys and our wifi password and settled in before getting ready for dinner. We were worried we would not have luck finding a place to eat based on how busy the town was when we walked through. We headed down the strip in front of the castle and found several restaurants with the odd free table on the patio. These were all on the street in front of the castle, a pretty spectacular dining view.  We ended up eating at Chez Bruno. We both had beef, Shay the Rib eye in Foie Gras sauce, and I the Steak skirt in pepper sauce. Escargot and tomate mozerella to start. (I had originally ordered the Beouf Foie gras and Shay traded with me after I didn’t like the texture of steak. (I don’t want to have to chew too much when I eat steak). Shay finished up with a crème brûlée, and we walked around the town a little more.

This time we crossed over the bridge to view the castle from the other side just as the sun was setting. Beautiful.

Early to bed!