The Basque Country of the western Pyrenees spans the border between France and Spain along the Atlantic coast. The French side of this multicultural region is known as Northern Basque Country whereas the Spanish side is known simply as Basque Country. The Basque region has developed its own language called 'Euskara', however French and Spainish are more commonly spoken in their respective countries these days. So there's a quick geography / history lesson for you.
Anyway our first stop in Basque Country was Biarritz, France which is 38km north of the Spanish border. We were delayed leaving Nice due to a refueling strike which was a pain, however all wasn't as bad as it seemed as we were able to catch some of Germany-Argentina game (well Stu did anyway) as well as do a bit of wifi surfing to find out how to get to the hotel once we arrived. At first it seemed that we had no choice but to take a 30 euro taxi, but a review on trusty Tripadvisor came to the rescue and advised that the STAB buses (yes terrible acronym I know) runs "Le Bus Des Plages" which for 1.20 euro would drop us off right outside of our hotel - bargain!
After checking into the hotel and scoring what would be the first of two upgrades in Basque Country (LUCKYYYYY!!), we decided to head down into town for a late dinner and stroll along the beach. Walking down via the cliff walks and later the beach promenades, we were truly able to appreciate the beautiful scenery that we had heard so much about in our planning. For those of your who haven't already seen the photos on Facebook - you must check them out (although they don't quite do the views justice)!
Sitting at the beach after dinner was quite a treat as we were able to watch the surfers catching the last of the days waves as dusk settled in. Quite the change to the calm waters of Nice, Biarritz receives the full brunt of the Atlantic ocean which batters the coastline with giant wave after giant wave. As a result the town has become quite the surfing mecca, bringing surfers from all over the globe - even hosting international surfing competitions! In fact we just missed the Roxy Pro which was being held the weekend after we left! Doh! Anyway as darkness fell the temperature (and our eyelids) started to drop - so it was time to head off to bed!
The following morning we decided we would explore the coastline further by following the mapped tourist walk which happened to start just outside our hotel (that's handy); first stop the beautiful white lighthouse which Stu decided we were going to climb for a better view. 250 steps later we were at the top and were taking in the breathtaking 360 degree view of the rugged coastline and the immensely powerful sea. There was a nice breeze too which was greatly appreciated after the 250 step climb - he he! From here we followed the cliff walk back through the town via Miramar, Grand Beach and Point Atalaye, past the old port which was being battered by waves (how anyone drives there boat in there I have no idea) and out to the amazing Rocher de la Vierge (via the rusty bridge) and finally ended up at Basque Coast beach which was the final stop on our walk. You can see all of these spots in our Facebook photos.
Our next stop in Basque Country was Bilbao, Spain, home of the famous Guggenheim museum designed by Frank Gehry (one of my favourite architects!!). After a 3 hr bus ride through the beautiful countryside of Southern France and Northern Spain, we arrived at Bilbao's Termibus just in time to catch the eco-tram along the turfed tracks to the Guggenheim and our hotel, Hotel Miro. Arriving at the hotel tired and sweaty from dragging our suitcases up the grand Guggenheim staircase, we were surprised yet again with another upgrade to a "Guggenheim View Room" (which I had secretly wanted all along - YAY) and also found out that the Hotel had a complimentary self service bar downstairs for the guests to use! Bagless and our thirsts quenched we headed out towards the Guggenheim for a closer look and to check out the exhibits by Anish Kapoor, Richard Serra, Robert Rauschenberg (as well as the permenant collection also held in the museum). We were able to sneak a few photos in of the interior of the building as well as Richard Serra's "The Matter of Time" before being told "Ola... no pictures"! Ah well! My obsession with the building not quite quashed, we walked around its perimeter and across the neighbouring bridge (also very impressive) for a better look. It's amazing how different the building looks from every angle and in the different lights of day. This is the reason that we have such a HUGE collection of photos (most which are on Facebook) - if you're into you're architecture they're all definitely worth a look-see!
The following day we decided to explore the city further (with another stop at the Guggenheim - sorry I couldn't help myself), walking along the river towards the old town which we had heard was a must see. Unfortunately when we got there not much appeared to be happening, that was until we heard a humongous *BANG*! Realising that it was 12 o'clock and not a terrorist attack, we headed towards the shots to find men dressed in traditional clothes, firing small rockets into the air all the while being accompanied by a 3 piece band! To this day we're not sure what it was for or if this was a daily occurrence, but it was quite amusing to watch! Once the rockets had stopped we headed back over the bridge and into the newer, greener part of town and back out to the river for a walk to the maritime museum. Unfortunately for Stu the museum was shut so we had to make do with the boats moored in the dry dock outside. Stu's disappointment was short-lived as he soon found out about a funicular (cable car) which climbed the hill behind Bilbao center to a viewing platform above. So Maritime Museum forgotten, we headed up there for a look and to take some photos. The view did not disappoint and again you can see all the shots on Facebook.
The following morning (ridiculously early) we were back on the bus headed back to Biarritz to pick up our hire car and start our 4.5 hour drive north. Next stop Coral and Billy's beautiful "Moulin Du Goth", Creysse - i'm so excited!!
To check out our photos of Basque Country CLICK HERE FOR BIARRITZ and CLICK HERE FOR BILBAO.
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