In Autumn, the Pyrenean sun rises about 8, just as the Lapadu household stirs. Our resident brown eagle takes flight from the corn crop as the first rays appear. Post first cuppa, I farewell Genevieve et Jim who are off to Bordeaux for the day, in contrast to other inhabitants who have only recently hit le sac.
Chris makes an early run into Salies-De-Berne to drop off last night's empties, and to pick up fresh baguettes from the Boulangerie. The amount of bread you eat in France is staggering. Slathered with butter, covered in rillettes pur canard and saumon, or simply mopping up sauces, pain is essential! Alicia has promised to make another post-dejeuner run on bicycle to obtain fresh loaves.
A temporary blackout occurred last night just as Paulette was about to take the roast lamb out of the too-small kitchen oven ~ fortunately someone had the smartphone torch app available. Considering the amount of juice required to power the phones, tablets, iPods and laptops present, a power failure is hardly surprising. Surf, rap, rock and everything in between fill the parlours, dining rooms, lounges and kitchens. Once normal service had resumed we carried bottles, condiments and fragrant platters of food into the dining room converted from a barn.
Our appetites were considerable after a day's jaunt to the pleasure palaces of Biarritz and Saint-Jean-De-Luz. The distance rapidly diminishes with the Citroen Picasso pushed up to the tollway limit of 130km. If that's the limit, why are we being overtaken by all manner of vehicles? Fortunately semis are restricted to the slower right-hand lane. I park our silver SUV in the car park under the Casino
and we emerge from the smelly stairwell just opposite the main beach. The gardens separating the roadway from Le Plage abound with bounteous hydrangeas and lead down to the paving where
garçons jejune are attempting to kill themselves on skateboards. Colourful caravans offering Glaces bound each end of the promenade.
Espadrilles rule if today is any indication, with nautical apparel favoured by young and ancient. Biarritz sand is gritty near the seawall becoming finer as the surf is approached. Coogee
comes to mind with waves breaking on Cupcake Island. Barzura is replaced by Le Casino where patrons lounge self consciously paying double for views of the ocean.
The traffic trawl to St Jean De Luz is taken via a B road over topography akin to Barrenjoey Road. The peculiar architecture style based on the Swiss farmhouse assures you however that you're
not on Sydney's northern peninsula. St Jean De Luz however is charming with narrow medieval streets leading up to the retaining sea wall and wide sandy beach. Following shopping for dessert cakes and more jambon, we plonk ourselves down at a table at Bar de la Marine and order drinks. Alicia enquiries as to whether we could purchase some snacks despite it not being diner. Now you
could say it was our plaintive looks, or Romauld (our waiter) and his kind heart, but it was probably Alicia's Wiley charms that result in a platter of sliced ham and forbidden cheese appearing soon after. Some girls, really!
Quotation of the day from Paulette: Thankfully Rose is cheaper than diesel!
One of the pleasures of being on holiday is appreciation of the everyday and mundane. Abroad, even a normally onerous task like washing up is pleasurable when surrounded by foreign fixtures and flora. As stated on the label of the Lipton's tea package Enjoy the moment!.
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