Blogs from Aquitaine, France, Europe - page 8

Biarritz is a seaside town on the coast of France. It is famous for its beaches, calm seas, and url=https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/break-for-the-boarder-biarritz-is-the-perfect-place-for-novice-surfers-to-catch-their-first-waves-1685484.htmlbooming surfing scene. However, it also boasts of a posh side: you will also find elegant villas, upscale restaurants, and multiple spas here. It may sound like an unusual mix, but it works. This French belle is certainly in a class of its own. The city came has become a famous beach retreat after Napoléon III and Empress Eugénie de Montijo discovered it. It has since become a favorite amongst holidaymakers. There are plenty of holiday rentals and apartments in Biarritz to stay in. We spent a handful of days exploring the area and we saw why locals and ... read more

A short drive from the Atlantic coast is Dinan, a quaint, cobblestoned, village. Our B&B was built in the 15th century facing the village square which is very centrally located. Debra did a great job in booking our accommodation as most of the places have been in convenient locations, clean and comfortable and reasonably priced. The trade off to those benefits were accessibility by car, parking and narrow winding stairs. Most of the times, we just took what we needed out of our suitcases which made the logistics of getting in and out a little easier. Of course, many of these places were built when the average person’s height was about 5ft. 5 inches so I was constantly battling the doorways etc. and the stone arches always win!!! On our way to Bordeaux, we detoured to ... read more

It’s been a few days since the last blog entry, but that was because I figured I should just do one entry about my time in Bordeaux. Unlike my time in Alsace and Burgundy, my visit to Bordeaux has been about one thing, and one thing only: wine. So I left Beaune on Thursday morning. I had toyed with the idea of visiting Perigueux along the way, but as it turned out, I would have reached there about 4:30pm and that was a bit late to see much. The drive across to Bordeaux was over 6 hours, so I wasn’t going to be feeling like doing much anyway. The drive was pretty good though. There wasn’t much traffic, and even though I was on highways and motorways the whole time, the scenery ranged from nice to ... read more

Today started at 12:19 am with someone in my shared bunk space having to pee. They were using a bright led headlamp. Woke everyone up. I purchased a led headlamp too, but it has a red light option so you don't wake everyone and blow your night vision at the same time. Breakfast was served at 7 and everyone was on their way to Roncevaux, Spain. Total was 17.1 km of steep climbs and winds gusting up to 50/kph. I found myself leaning into the wind so I would get blown off the trail. The winds were headwinds for most of the way, making the trek just a little more challenging. Arrived into Roncevaux at about 1:30 pm. There is no drinking water at the monastery where I'm staying (183 beds), but there is a prominent ... read more

Not to be confused with anything Peter Mayle wrote, such as a A Year in Provence. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/jan/11/year-in-provence-peter-mayle Caroline and I arrive in Paris on July 5 after an eventful stopover in Dubai. On arrival we were told the plane would leave from terminal A, however somewhere along the way this changed to Terminal C and we, happy in our ignorance, spent two hours sitting in the Emirates Business Lounge in Terminal A. We just managed to board the plane with minutes to spare because of an unscheduled terminal change. The bus ride from terminal A to terminal C was a pretty tense affair, in fact I am working myself up to do battle with Emirates and Caroline is in full Rottweiler mode. On arrival in Paris, the rental car pickup goes very smoothly, although the GPS ... read more