A short family getaway.

My parents having a farm, they don’t take a lot of days off. And with both their children living abroad, it’s not the easiest to travel together. But every year, we organize a short trip to discover a part of our beautiful continent. This year, we decided to stay in the South of France, near the ocean, in Labenne. From there, some daily excursions led us to the ocean, the beautiful cliffs of the “Corniche Basque”, the cute village of Hondarrabia, amazing views of the Pyrrenées mountains. Bref, it was a great idea!

 

On a rainy, stormy, windy and cold November Sunday afternoon, we set out to discover the beauties of Biarritz. Our visit was limited to the beachfront, a short walk to the “Rocher de la Vierge” (that we didn’t even reach) and a comforting tea with a view!

There is nothing better than to watch the stormy ocean beat up the coast while sipping a hot drink inside a cozy café. Note that there is a secret observation room above the Casino, it has sofas and huge windows that overlook the beach, it’s just great!

Next day the weather was much more promising so we put on our walking shoes and set on a “hiking” journey. An early walk through the dunes of Labenne to enjoy the morning sun. It reminded me of an Ecology class we took during the first years of university. Our teacher took us to the Dunes next to the ocean, to observe the Flora. It’s funny how some observations can have an impact on future thoughts. Looking at the different plants on the dunes I reflected on their role in the structure of the coast. Without these plants that look weak and completely insignificant the sand and the dunes would just be blown away by the wind.

 

From Labenne, we took the highway towards Saint-Jean-de-Luz, there we took this scenic road (D912) called “la Corniche Basque”. It follows the rough coast on about 10km between St Jean and Hendaye. We could not stop exclaiming how beautiful the scenery was! First stop at the “Chateau Observatoire Abbadia” to take a walk on the muddy paths of the “pointe Sainte Anne”, the walking paths just next to the coast offer a breathtaking view!

 

The rest of the day was filled with a short visit of Hendaye and Hondarribia and a drive to the lighthouse (Faro de Higer, the fig tree lighthouse). From there you can also find some walking paths to explore the coast!

 

The next day took us on a road trip through picturesque (read small and sometimes muddy, where you can meet sheep or cows crossing!) countryside roads, next to the Adour River, through Urt, Bastide de Clairence, Hasparen, “la route des Cimes” (the treetops road) the views on the landscapes and the beautiful sunset finished this day on a colorful note!

 

I hope you enjoyed the trip! Tell me what you think.