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Published: September 3rd 2007
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St EMILION to BIARRITZ - 9th May 2007 (Wednesday St Emilion 23º Sunshine& Biarritz 27º Sunshine)
We are not keen to depart Chateau Franc Pourret but it is time to move on. St Emilion matches every expectation that one might associate with driving in the south of France - it is with regret that we leave people and places that we will never forget.
My savvy navvy points us in the direction of Bordeaux but we skirt the City and take ‘périphérie’ (ring road) and head towards Archacon, which is on the coast (this is the way recommended to us by Catherine Ouzoulias). We drive through any number of small coastal villages that would be full to bursting had it been peak season and emerge on the other side of civilisation into pine forests that are set to be harvested.
Realising that this route is taking far too long we jump back onto the N10 for the final run into Bayonne and finally Biarritz.
Biarritz has that ‘Double Bay by the Beach’ feeling. There are lots of women with blonde bouffant hairdos with matching big Dior or D&G sunglasses. The men are well fed and dressed in
Beach at Biarritz
Very very Double Bay resort wear.
We are not quiet as well heeled and seek out some accommodation that won’t require us to hock the rental car. A three star hotel in this town costs 125 Euros per night (over $210) so you can only imagine what the 4 and 5 star joints are asking. After a bit of a walk and a bit of talk we locate the Hotel Bellevue which 20 years ago probably did have a Belle View. Now however, room 403 has half a view with the other 50% built out by developers with more money and better Mayoral contacts.
The Bellevue has been a grand old joint in its day but now it is a bit tired and past its prime. It is clean and comfortable and close to the action so we drop our bags and go!
We walk the streets of Biarritz looking for somewhere to eat. Everything seems to be closed or if open it is empty (and this makes one suspicious as to why no one is eating there). We settle on Italian (is this a tour of France?) and enjoy our meal al fresco.
Now that we are fed and
watered we seek to fulfil another of the seven deadly sins. Yes there is a Casino in town and we are going to check it out see if we can extract some cash from the local economy.
After having our Passports checked we wander into the den of iniquity that is the Biarritz Casino. As with most Casinos it is a tawdry affair and is segregated into top floor (gaming tables), lower floor (poker machines) bottom floor (basement = card machines). Regardless of the pecking order or level of play it is obviously compulsory that one must smoke as well as gamble. We spend an hour and rather than extract any cash we actually add 20 Euros to the Casino’s coffers (surprise surprise we didn’t win).
Glad to get out of the Casino and we walk along the picturesque ocean promenade airing our clothes and hair (Deb’s not mine). Home to bed and TV consisting of 7 Channels of static - the only Channel without static is running a Spanish Comedy Show. It appears not to be funny even to the Spanish.
The Bellevue may not have that Million Dollar view anymore but it does have great
Biarritz Boat Harbour
Steps into the sea........ comfy beds and we are asleep in 10 seconds flat.
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