France - Biarritz

 

In October 2017, we decided to take our first trip to Basque Country. Many people think first of Spain when hearing the term "Basque"but the Basque people call a geographic area that is located within both Spanish and French borders home. According to Britannica, "The Basque, who speak a language that is among the oldest in Europe, are ethnically distinct from the people who surround them in France and Spain, having preserved their identity among the waves of migrants who have passed through the region since prehistoric times." The region has not only a distinct language and culture, but also a distinct cuisine. Most of the traditional fare is fish based so I won't be doing a review of Basque dishes here. it was a highlight of the trip though!

On this trip we flew into Bilbao, Spain, and out of Madrid, Spain. We spent two nights in San Sebastian, Spain before traveling up the coast to Biarritz, France. Although the two cities are only 48.9 KM (approximately 30 miles) apart, traveling without a car is somewhat confusing. That is a story for another blog. 

Finally in Biarritz after figuring out the travel,we were happy to arrive and enjoy a glass of French wine at the first little cafe we came to.

Biarritz 2017

Biarritz is a beautiful city on the Bay of Biscay in the southwest of France. Well known for its world class surf, Biarritz is a mixture of a surf town and a resort town for the elite. Luckily, we traveled on the off season for tourism. We were told during high season it is impossible to navigate the narrow winding roads due to traffic. Surf town is more our speed and we found cafes and watering holes where the surfers gathered in the evenings. 

We booked two nights at Radisson Blu Hotel. We were given a corner room with a spectacular ocean view. The hotel has a rooftop area with panoramic views that were breathtaking. We normally try the restaurant when we stay with Radisson but on this trip we wanted to explore the city and dine like a local.

We dined at Le Café du Commerce which was trendy and overrated. 

Click the photo below for the full review.

Le Café du Commerce

California Kitchen Biarritz is a place to sit back, relax and dine like a local. We enjoyed the vibe and the food.

California Kitchen Biarritz

Click the photo above for the full review.