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Published: June 18th 2012
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Display cabinet in a patisserie/cafe Wed 13th First solid day of lovely sunshine today. When I packed I was expecting warm weather most of the time, so only packed a couple of pairs of jeans and jumpers. But while it hasn't really rained, it has been unseasonably cold - in Holland we had the coldest June day for over 50 years! So it was nice to finally get out some more summery stuff.
Eugénie and I drove into Biarritz, and she gave me the grand tour. It's good timing, cos holidays haven't started yet, so it's not too crowded, and the beautiful seaside town was looking its best. It's a bit of a Mecca for surfers, who come from all over the world, which, as you can imagine, makes it all the more pleasant to walk around! Michel has also been a keen surfer all his life, and so their house is full of beautiful and unusual Surf Art.
Anyway, part of our tour included a visit to Michel's father, 88, who used to be a doctor too, and still lives in the classic old house he used to practice
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Biarritz Cathedral in, and where Michel and his sister were born. He has preserved his consultation/examination room exactly as it was back in the day, so it's like a museum. Not only is it fascinating to see all the old medical equipment, but even more so because it's French! He was so chuffed that I was interested and taking photos, that he gave me a piece of his prescription paper to show the doctors I work with! He's very proud that it has his qualifications printed in all 3 languages of the countries and hospitals he studied and worked in. He gave us juice, and we sat and chatted, in a strange mix of English and French, about medicine, his late wife (who was an anaesthetist), pig valves, and WW1! He was just gorgeous, and it was the highlight of my day.
Back "home", and Pascale whisked us off for champagne at the breathtaking 'Hôtel du Palais', up above the Grand Plage in Biarritz, and the palace where the emporor Napoleon III married the Countess Eugenie in 1853. It was like casually sitting down for drinks in Versailles!<br style="line-height:
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Biarritz Cathedral 22px;" />Michel didn't come because he thinks it's full of snobs, so he joined us for dinner afterwards, in a much more casual, relaxed restaurant 'La Cantine' that is run by a surfing friend of his.
Eugenie's older sister, Raphaelle, arrived back from Uni in Madrid, where she's just finished her first year of Dentistry, at about 1 a.m, so we waited up for her. She did a year's exchange in Sydney a couple of years ago, and so speaks good English. She is as gorgeous as her mother and sister.
Thursday 14th Another stunning day. 26'C. Bizarre, after recent days of 11'C...A quick trip into the village to post some stuff to myself in Holland, so that I don't need to worry about being overweight within Europe. My suitcase I mean, although the food is too good to say 'No' to, so I have gained a little bit...A visit to the local cheese shop to buy some Camembert, Compte, etc to take to my next hosts. Vacuum packed to avoid detection! It's the perfect gift really, cos I'll probs get
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Biarritz to have some too! :P
Then off to the beach with Raphaelle. It's a four minute walk from the house. Lovely long beach, with a mixture of miniature shingles and coarse sand. Which is good, cos it doesn't blow on you! The water was freezing, so I was happy when she said it wasn't really safe to swim. I went in up to my waist, but could hardly get my breath! Got a tiny bit of colour, so am now just white, instead of über white!
In the evening Pascale took me to see Fabienne again before I leave. She is a doctor, and spent some years in an ashram in India, and is very interesting to talk to. She lives in a flat, high on the hill in a village just outside Biarritz, with sweeping ocean views all the way around to Spain, from the lounge room at the front, and an open view of the Pyrenees from her kitchen at the back. Stunning! And the sun doesn't set till really late - about 10, so the long evenings are really lovely. From there we went to a great restaurant for a dinner with
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Biarritz Fishing Harbour 20 Rotary women, who were all so warm and friendly, especially after sangria and wine! And that was it, sadly. The end of my French idyll.
Pascale called in sick the next morning, just so she could drive me 2 hours to Bordeaux, to save me catching a bus or train! Eugénie came too, and we said fond farewells at the airport. Inevitable tears on my part - I'm hopeless!We all had a strong connection and will definitely see each other again, in France or Australia or both.
They went to so much trouble to make my stay enjoyable and interesting, and made me feel at the same time, like a queen, and a member of the family.
I will never forget my time in the Basque country.
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Charles Wroth
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Bizarre, of Biarritz
Those random drunken Italians take the best photos, n'est-ce pas? I don't know how you have the gall to be seen anywhere near aucune Roche d'aucune Vierge. Beat you to Hash, hah-hah!