For many of us the family dimension takes over at this time of the year. The same applies in les Landes, about 30 minutes north of Biarritz where I grew up, this means that you submit your entire body and soul to a marathon at the table. Yes, amazing food, and great and not that great conversations get shared for hours with families over Christmas and then with friends as the 31st approaches. I will not write more about foie gras, shell fish trays, chestnut stuffed birds, bûche de Noel, duck confit and magret, galette des rois, Sauternes, Jurançon, Médoc etc… I prefer to eat and drink them in good company than write about them. Let me focus instead on what else I enjoyed.
The weather was full of contrasts, we had both Winter and Spring in this 2 week period. A thin layer of snow and cold temperatures covered the valleys, plains and mountains of the Basque country and Landes region ( traffic in Paris was paralyzed for a few days!) but soon after Christmas we enjoyed peaks of 19 degrees Celsius with opportunities to walk and bike in t-shirts. Our extended family was able to catch the cold front and some fresh snow, and ski La Mongie-Barèges, the largest ski domain of the Pyrénées, a 2 hour drive from the Basque coast. The Tourmalet pass, a demanding and well known stage in the Tour de France, separates La Mongie from Barèges ski resorts. In the winter, the road is of course closed to traffic with an altitude above 2000 meters. It is right on top of the pass though that we took off our skis and recharged with a mulled wine and crêpes au sucre. The inn, most likely a busy place in the Summer, appears very quaint in the Winter with supplies brought by people on ski or snowmobiles. There is an old fashioned feel to it with old black & white pictures of Tour de France cyclists, pioneer skiers and alpinists from the 50s. La Mongie-Barèges offer low key skiing, not the glamour of the Alps, but it is a mountain where you feel more like a shepherd at times skiing its narrow bowls. The mountain village of Barèges with its old grey slate roofs and thick walls does it for me for a couple of nights. The village has offered spa treatments and various water based therapies for years leveraging the rich properties of its hot springs. Lately a swimming pool fed by hot springs has been opened to welcome everyone for after ski relaxation, a nice plus since hotels only offer basic services.
Back on the coast in Biarritz, the city shines over that 2 week holiday period with evening light shows on buildings and ocean waves. The 2km coastal walk from la Plage des Basques to the lighthouse is quite enjoyable with the waves crashing loudly on shore. One of the operas of the New York Met was broadcast live over the holiday and lots of choral singing fed the musical soul. In Bayonne, our family indulged the century old recipe of foamy hot chocolate in which you drop spoonfuls of chantilly that deliciously melt in your mouth. Yes the streets and old walls of Bayonne are full of local life at this time of the year. We wrapped up our evening by attending a professional rugby game with the local team facing Paris Racing. Bayonne people have supported their Aviron Bayonnais team for years for the best and the worst. In the Southwest of France, soccer is only a TV experience for people but a rugby game is like a religious experience of some sort: you have to attend it! Fragile ears and shy singers should avoid it but I had fun re-immersing myself in this rugby culture.
My Southwest of France in December was also rich in bike rides and walks. The Adour River is surrounded by ancient flood plains, called les Barthes, that provides today a rich habitat for birds ( egrets, storks etc…). Along the shores, hundred of years ago, boats carrying merchandise were pulled by oxen taking full advantage of the tide currents. Today those paths offer easy bike rides or hikes on flat roads surrounded by trees, grass, water and old farms.
Living away from the ocean for most of the year in Toronto, Canada, I need to spend some hours walking along the beach. I particularly enjoy the wild and rough beaches hidden behind sand dunes along the Landes coast. They are part of a 200km stretch of uninterrupted sandy beaches from the North of the Basque country all the way to Arcachon near Bordeaux. You will find trendy resort towns along the way, Hossegor and Capbreton being the big draws close to home, 30 minutes north of Biarritz. That region is often referred to as the California coast of Europe with a dominant surfing culture and wild nature. Hollywood glamour you will not find. Walking the boardwalk in Capbreton , it is a pretty down to earth type of crowd made of locals and big city Frenchmen and Spaniards craving for fresh air and ocean.
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