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lobelia321The Pays Basque is wonderful! We want to buy a house there! I love the trilingualism of the area (all street signs in French/Basque on the French side of the border and in Spanish/Basque on the other side: I just love that!). I got such a kick out of getting into the car, driving for 20 minutes and being in Spanish Basque country.
We went to Bilbao, to the absolutely fantastic Frank-Gehry Guggenheim museum.
We went to three different beaches, and I love the Atlantic more than the Mediterranean, I think. It has surf!
Even when the weather is not good, it still somehow doesn't matter. It rained but it never got nasty and cold, and I sat on the beach even in the drizzle. It was mellow and never too hot.
There is not only beach (which, for me, wears thin after too many hours, although I love the beach) but also lively towns with elegant shops and not too touristy or vulgar at all.
The food is great!
We went wildwater rafting!
And the place we stayed in was just out of this world. It was like being lady of the manor for a week. I'm not too fond of rustic'n'rural but I do definitely like the countryhouse kind of countryside. And someone else made breakfast every morning! We often ate outside on the terrace, with a view of a huge enormous meadow, fringed by forest, and the Pyrenees in the background.
It was lovely seeing our friends, and meeting their French friends (and inflicting our rusty French on them for a week...).
This is not the last time we'll have been there. We kept noting down likely apartments to rent and properties to buy. (Um, like every other English person... except we're not English.)
The children had a good time, too. Now we all have to get used to being back in the rather coldish and wet UK again.
Wednesday: Arrival Biarritz airport. Met up with our friends and their French friend. Admired house. Children had snacks at home. Had dinner at the Trinquet where they played pelotes.
Thursday: Went to beach at Bidart. Waves very wild, with cross-currents. Had to stand behind secours guy who whistled if you strayed from the fold. Great fun. Got dumped a few times and bruised by other dumpees. Got sunburnt. Drove to Biarritz and walked about on park and rockpools near lighthouse. Fab view.
Friday: Went to Bayonne. Met French friend's boyfriend (both rather camp). Boyfriend showed us round ethnography museum. Saw cathedral. Drank amazing chocolate at chocolatier. Friend kindly took children home. Adults went to Musee Bonnat; took notes on academic paintings. Lovely Ingres! Evening dinner at mansion: about 15 French guests, incl. an academicienne, film people, writers -- great!
Saturday: Drove to Spain. Got huge kick out of border crossing Schengen style, no passports, no money changing, just bloody fantastic. Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao stunning. Koons' Puppy there. Architecture best thing, wandered about. Fantastic Bill Viola installation 'Go forth by day', really very, very good and moving. Took notes in front of late Rothkos; little son also 'took notes'! Promenaded along revamped riverside, was hour of passeggiata, throngs of folk, children on playground, fountain fun. Dinner at San Sebastian at 11 pm (!). Very tired.
Sunday: Went to beach at Biarritz. Wonderful large waves; I love floating up the waves before they break. Evening: we (without our friends) drove to Montfort, to have dinner with colleague's wife and children who lives in farmhouse and has chickens and such.
Monday: Wildwater rafting in foothills of Pyrenees, at Bidarray. Jolly moniteur. First time I slept without aches and pains.
Tuesday: Friends left. Felt sad. Went to Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Wandered about streets. Went to beach: small, safe waves. Too cool for me (rain) but children in there for 1 1/2 hours. Discovered old port and gorgeous old house, elegant and graceful.
Wednesday: Lunch at Bayonne. Cathedral again. Drove to Biarritz. Flew home.
We went to Bilbao, to the absolutely fantastic Frank-Gehry Guggenheim museum.
We went to three different beaches, and I love the Atlantic more than the Mediterranean, I think. It has surf!
Even when the weather is not good, it still somehow doesn't matter. It rained but it never got nasty and cold, and I sat on the beach even in the drizzle. It was mellow and never too hot.
There is not only beach (which, for me, wears thin after too many hours, although I love the beach) but also lively towns with elegant shops and not too touristy or vulgar at all.
The food is great!
We went wildwater rafting!
And the place we stayed in was just out of this world. It was like being lady of the manor for a week. I'm not too fond of rustic'n'rural but I do definitely like the countryhouse kind of countryside. And someone else made breakfast every morning! We often ate outside on the terrace, with a view of a huge enormous meadow, fringed by forest, and the Pyrenees in the background.
It was lovely seeing our friends, and meeting their French friends (and inflicting our rusty French on them for a week...).
This is not the last time we'll have been there. We kept noting down likely apartments to rent and properties to buy. (Um, like every other English person... except we're not English.)
The children had a good time, too. Now we all have to get used to being back in the rather coldish and wet UK again.
Wednesday: Arrival Biarritz airport. Met up with our friends and their French friend. Admired house. Children had snacks at home. Had dinner at the Trinquet where they played pelotes.
Thursday: Went to beach at Bidart. Waves very wild, with cross-currents. Had to stand behind secours guy who whistled if you strayed from the fold. Great fun. Got dumped a few times and bruised by other dumpees. Got sunburnt. Drove to Biarritz and walked about on park and rockpools near lighthouse. Fab view.
Friday: Went to Bayonne. Met French friend's boyfriend (both rather camp). Boyfriend showed us round ethnography museum. Saw cathedral. Drank amazing chocolate at chocolatier. Friend kindly took children home. Adults went to Musee Bonnat; took notes on academic paintings. Lovely Ingres! Evening dinner at mansion: about 15 French guests, incl. an academicienne, film people, writers -- great!
Saturday: Drove to Spain. Got huge kick out of border crossing Schengen style, no passports, no money changing, just bloody fantastic. Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao stunning. Koons' Puppy there. Architecture best thing, wandered about. Fantastic Bill Viola installation 'Go forth by day', really very, very good and moving. Took notes in front of late Rothkos; little son also 'took notes'! Promenaded along revamped riverside, was hour of passeggiata, throngs of folk, children on playground, fountain fun. Dinner at San Sebastian at 11 pm (!). Very tired.
Sunday: Went to beach at Biarritz. Wonderful large waves; I love floating up the waves before they break. Evening: we (without our friends) drove to Montfort, to have dinner with colleague's wife and children who lives in farmhouse and has chickens and such.
Monday: Wildwater rafting in foothills of Pyrenees, at Bidarray. Jolly moniteur. First time I slept without aches and pains.
Tuesday: Friends left. Felt sad. Went to Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Wandered about streets. Went to beach: small, safe waves. Too cool for me (rain) but children in there for 1 1/2 hours. Discovered old port and gorgeous old house, elegant and graceful.
Wednesday: Lunch at Bayonne. Cathedral again. Drove to Biarritz. Flew home.
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(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-26 02:49 pm (UTC)wildwater rafting sounds amazing - was it scary? did anyone fall out? did you laugh?
(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-26 03:15 pm (UTC)Nobody fell out of the raft but we were pushed out. I was mildly scared before I got into it, then not -- we had a monitor on board. And I did laugh in glee. Also, because the monitor guy made such bad jokes. The children adored.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-26 03:28 pm (UTC)i think your wandering about streets sounds like the best bit; i love looking at old buildings. and then the museum, of course. and then the amazing chocolate, oh yum.
i'm glad you had such a good time.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-26 04:42 pm (UTC)I've been meaning to squee over this in a comment to one on your posts (and then you went on Holiday):
I'm going to see Karl (-Heinz) at the end of October! He's coming to the Ringcon in Bonn! And Billy is going to come! I had an "Up Shit Creek" seizure when I heard it. :-D
*bounces around randomly*
Do you think Karl would like Kätzchen?
(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-30 10:29 pm (UTC)No.
:-(
He has no taste.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-31 08:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-08-28 05:29 am (UTC)