French Basque Country
Intro
I met Julie and Etienne Costes through Patrick Rafferty, a friend from New Orleans. Before I left for Paris, Patrick gave me Julie’s contact information and said that the Costes were a wonderful family and that I should look them up while I was in Paris. So when I arrived in Paris in early June, I texted Julie to see if she had time to meet. We settled that I join them for dinner at their apartment in the 16th arrondissement. That evening, I enjoyed a lovely meal with her and her family and they gave me some tips on restaurants and where to go in Paris. Before I left, they invited me to join them for a few nights on their holiday to Bidart in August. And of course, I said yes.
Day 1
Bidart
I took an early flight from Paris to the town of Biarritz. Julie and Etienne were kind enough to pick me up from the airport and we headed straight to Bidart, the small town where they were spending the week. In the car, Julie warned me that the rental house they were staying in was very old and not in the best condition. When I arrived at the house, I was pleasantly surprised. The house reminded me of an old French country house. The kitchen was spacious with a large and very old stove and was surrounded by beautiful wooden cabinets. The house had stunning wooden floors and my bedroom was an attic-like room with a view of the ocean. I felt like I was living in a scene from Pride and Prejudice. And the location was fantastic. A two-minute walk from the main square, the house had a perfect view of the ocean and was just a short walk down to the beach.
Biarritz
That afternoon we ate a late lunch in Bidart and I enjoyed some chipiron (small squid) with a side of French fries. We then headed to Biarritz to do a bit of walking around. Biarritz is a city of about 25,000 people and located on the Bay of Biscay. It is 22 miles from the Spanish border and is part of the French Basque Country. It is much larger than Bidart (Bidart has about 4,600 people) and is known for its casinos and surfing culture. When we arrived, the city was very crowded and so was the beach. In fact, I don’t think I have ever seen so many people packed onto a beach. As a result, we opted to walk along the waterfront and see the Rock of the Blessed Virgin. The Rock of the Blessed Virgin is a large rock in the sea that has a Virgin Mary statue sitting on top of it. It is a rather strange sight and to get to it you have to cross a metal bridge that was designed by Gustave Eiffel, the French civil engineer who designed the Eiffel Tower.
Day 2
Breakfast
I want to briefly address how Europeans eat breakfast. For me, I have always eaten a rather small breakfast that normally consists of some fruit and cereal. I have never been able to eat large portions of eggs and bacon without feeling sick. After eating breakfast with Monika in Switzerland and the Costes in France, I have decided that I love the way Europeans do breakfast. Normally, the spread includes yogurt, fruit, fresh baguettes, croissants, butter, cheese, ham, juice, and tea. Although this might not seem like anything elaborate, to me it is the perfect way to start the day. I am never too full and I don’t feel like I ate a pound of grease like I do after a traditional American breakfast.
Saint-Jean-du-Luz
After breakfast, the Costes and I headed into Saint-Jean-du-Luz. Saint-Jean-du-Luz is another small, waterfront town that is located in French Basque Country. The town is slightly larger than Bidart and is a great place to do a little shopping on a rainy day. The Basque region is known for several locally made items including espadrilles and striped linens. It is also known for Gateau Basque, which is a traditional Basque dessert filled with pastry cream or black cherry jam.
While in town, Julie took me to Maison Adam. Maison Adam might be my favorite patisserie in France. At the shop, I bought a Gateau Basque filled with pastry cream and a box of Maison Adam’s macarons. Let me just say, these are not normal macarons. In fact, they look more like cookies than the macarons that one buys at the Parisian shops like Laduree. I would have eaten the entire box in one sitting if it wouldn’t have made me sick. They are THAT good. And fortunately for me, they ship to Paris. Unfortunately for me, they do not ship to the United States. I guess I will just have to make yearly trips to France to get them!
After leaving Maison Adam, we headed to Bayona to purchase some Espadrilles and Jean-Vier to purchase some striped linens. We then went to Les Halles (a food market) to buy some fish for dinner.
Dinner
That evening, the Costes had 8 of their friends over for dinner. It was a fun group and we enjoyed a wonderful 4-course meal. We started out with small appetizers and drinks. These were followed by an entrée of sea bass with a salt crust and pan-fried potatoes. The third course (which I was not prepared for and was already full but of course I made room) consisted of freshly baked bread, a selection of cheeses including truffle-stuffed brie, and salad. And for dessert we enjoyed Maison Adam macarons, a raspberry and cream cake, and a Gateau Basque. To say the least, I was very full.
During the meal, I found myself thinking about how I ended up in Bidart. It is strange to think about how life can change so drastically and if you had told me a year ago where I would be sitting on August 9, 2018, I would have said you were crazy. Not only had these kind people let me, practically a stranger, join them on their family vacation, they also let me enjoy a wonderful meal with their close friends. I also couldn’t help but laugh to myself because while everyone at the table knew English, they spoke in French 85% of the meal and I really had no idea what they were talking about. I feel like I can be a pretty outgoing person but because I am not fluent in French, I felt like a mute with nothing to add to the party. It definitely made me want to work harder at learning French.
Day 3
Surfing Lesson
At 8:00 a.m., Etienne knocked on my bedroom door and told me that if I wanted to take a surf lesson, the surfing school in Bidart had availability in the 8:15 a.m. class. So I quickly put my bathing suit on and headed down to the beach. We started out practicing on the beach how to jump up on our boards but quickly moved to the water. Let's just say that I could have used a little more practice on the sand. Without hesitation, I can say that I am terrible at surfing. While I enjoyed being out on the water, I think that my surfing career may have begun and ended that morning.
Plage d’Ilbarritz
For lunch, we headed to Plage d'Ilbarritz and ate at a beachfront café. The food was fantastic. We enjoyed a couple bottles of rosé and baked fish. After lunch we found a spot on the beach and settled in. One thing that I am just not used to is the idea of nude beaches. It always seems the people that are nude are the ones that you would rather not see naked. This was certainly the case at Plage d’Ilbarritz. And while I tried really hard not to stare, I just couldn’t help it! Anyway, we spent a couple of hours on the beach enjoying the large waves and sunny weather and I did my best to concentrate on my book and avoid gawking.
Dinner with the Costes
For my final evening in Bidart, I got to enjoy the company of 24 members of the Costes family. Etienne grew up near Reims and is one of four children (he has three sisters). That evening, his parents and all three of his sisters and their families were able to join us at our rental house for dinner and drinks. What made this occasion special was where each family member was coming from. Etienne’s parents live in Reims and his three sisters and their families live in Ghana, Atlanta, and Belgium. Talk about an international family! It was a lovely evening and I was lucky enough to sit next to the matriarch of the Costes family at dinner. We enjoyed pizza and more wonderful French Basque Country desserts. It was a great way to cap off my visit.
