24th May
Leaving Bordeaux late morning, we headed about 50 kms to Arcachon and Dune du Pilat, a huge sand dune which is increasing in size each year, climbing to the top of the gazillion steps where we took photos of the fabulous views before we were almost blown away.
We then zoomed down the fast road and were surprised when the autoroute suddenly became the toll motorway, obviously fairly recent work and not marked on our 2013 map but we paid the 2Euro60 toll (had no choice really) and continued on our way to our next overnight destination, St Paul les Dax, only to find that all 8 sites in the ‘aires’ were already occupied so we negotiated the heavy traffic to nearby Dax…also full so on to ‘Powerade’ (actually Peyrehorade), 24 kms away and a lovely drive with little traffic. After settling in and scoffing a bowl each of delicious minestrone soup bought from the nearby supermarket just before they closed, we walked through the interesting old town, almost deserted although it was only 9pm and still light, too early for the locals to be out and about…
they started to arrive as we went back to Boris for a good night’s sleep.
25th May
Before we left ‘Powerade, Mike found and bought a bike that he liked, from the Carrefour supermarket behind our parking spot and we drove west to Anglet, 2kms north of Biarritz on the coast. We parked up, chatted to neighbours Paula and Dick from Wiltshire, had lunch and ventured out and about on the bikes. The wind was blowing but the sun was shining, a lovely place to be but after the dune climb the afternoon before, the old legs were a bit weary, so I headed back home and Mike rode to the lighthouse at Biarritz. We stayed at Anglet for two nights…Sunday was gorgeous, sunshine, blue sky, the Atlantic looked inviting and we considered going swimming but after a ride to one of the other beaches nearby, opted for a very pleasant afternoon in the sunshine enjoying the company of our neighbours.
This morning when we woke at around 6am, the eastern sky showed great promise of another warm, sunny day. Bloody rain!! By the time we were on the road after a drive through Biarritz and a stop at the lighthouse to admire the view, it was raining…heavily. We did have a successful stop though at Bricolage, France’s equivalent of our Bunnings, with Mike finding a few little bits and pieces he’d been looking for but on reaching our intended overnight stop at Bidart, just 15kms down the road, we were told that the sites available were not suitable for motorhomes because the heavy rain had rendered them too boggy. On then to St Jean de Luz, which is where we are now. It was still raining heavily when we arrived but by the time we’d parked and had lunch, the sky had lightened and the rain had stopped so we donned the walking shoes and investigated the town. A lovely place with narrow streets, some cobbled, interesting architecture and inviting beaches
…not quite warm enough for the swim in the Atlantic we had hoped for but the sun was shining and looked promising for the morning.
28th May
It’s Tuesday morning and it has been raining steadily all night. We’ve had breakfast and next time the rain eases, which it has done a couple of times so far, we’ll walk the short distance into the town…there is a covered food market there, open in the mornings, which we decided yesterday to visit before we leave. That won’t be today, no point in driving in this inclement weather so our plan to venture into the Pyrenees will wait another day, at least. We can see the Pyrenees, not too far away though shrouded in cloud. We’re keeping our fingers crossed! Although this camping car site is situated on a main road with the railway line directly behind us, it was reasonably quiet last night…it was the rain that woke us through the night, not the traffic. We’ve seen several TGV trains from our ‘kitchen’ window, only feet away as Boris is backed up to the railway fence.
The rain has stopped and the sky seems to be getting lighter so we’re away down town!
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