Van Life Weekly #5 – A Week in Biarritz, France

by Alice & Simone
Beautiful sea view from the famous Grand Plage beach in Biarritz France

Van Life Weekly #5 – 3 to 9 September 2018 – Biarritz

With Van Life Weekly we keep you update on everything we’re doing on a daily basis while traveling in our converted van around Europe. However it didn’t start with the beginning of our trip around France and Europe in our converted van, since we started in Paris on July 2nd (and since then been to Belgium, Rouen, Lille, on an adventurous road trip in Brittany, and spent a week with family in Auvergne, visited the town of Bordeaux before heading to the beach in Cap-Ferret and going to Agen, and finally reaching the coast for some sun and surf in Hossegor and Seignosse).
This week was spent in Biarritz where Simone discovered the town and surfed while I spent most the week away
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Monday – Beach day in Biarritz

I had the hardest time waking up, so we left the van pretty late. On our way to the beach we found a Japanese place where we bought onigiri and Inari before taking our spot on the beach. Once settled I went to get myself some magazines, because I love to rest but honestly it gets a bit boring to be an idle beach bum after a while. Then it was Simone’s turn to go get some stuff to snack on.

The weather was super hot and many people were on that beach. The waves were INSANE and do believe me when I say that the lifeguards had to save people 4 times during their shift. It was pretty impressive and emotional to see people being saved from too violent waves.

The streets that leads to the Grand Plage in Biarritz Going to the Grand Plage in Biarritz France

For diner we went to an Indian restaurant, which had nothing on our favorite place in Paris (Krishna Bhavan, the best Indian place I’ve been to save for when I was in India) and was twice as expensive but fed us.


If you want to read all about this amazing Indian restaurant and other great vegan-friendly restaurants in Paris, follow the link!)


Tuesday – Quiet day in Biarritz

I had a pretty bad night as I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t find a right position to fall back to sleep, which only happened a couple of hours later, so we decided to take it easy. Simone went to get us breakfast and then buy a few stuff for lunch and I have to say it was good to eat some veggies in the van. Sometimes we need a quiet day together in the van, and that day was the day.

It got a bit more exciting in the evening when I slipped away to take care of extremely boring administrative stuff, leaving Simone to his own device. Since I have nothing interesting to share, Simone will take on this Van Life Weekly until when I got back from my business stuff.


Here I am taking over my wife who has left me alone in this creepy surfer paradise in the South of an unknown nation called France, the nightmare has begun…….

And actually it really began with my getting lost in Bayonne, searching for la Plage (the beach) des Basques ending up at la Place (the square) des Basques, riding a bus for over an hour from the train station, where Alice left me, to a completely different town way too far from where I was supposed to go!

But the happy ending was close, dinner with my ass sitting on the sand in front of the ocean eating mussels and fries.

Time to go back to the van, time for my first night without my beloved companion. Believe me it was weird, but the bed felt big, very big.

Wednesday – Rainy day, good for discovering Biarritz

Yep, of course she left and she took away the sun, but it was nice to go around and find out how appealing this town can be. You can walk along the hiking trails and get stunning views, stop under the docks to get shelter from the rain reading a book, or just silently enjoy nature.

Stumbling on a cute couple while exploring Biarritz on a rainy day Grey view of the lighthouse in Biarritz on a rainy day A cute port in Biarritz on a rainy day Angry sea in Biarritz on a rainy day

Ok, ok i am getting too zen, I got hungry so I needed to find a place….. no problem with that, basque cuisine has lots to offer! I stopped feeding my soul and started feeding my body.

Bon appétit!

Thursday – Guess what? Rain again.

Well no problem, let’s go up north to check the lighthouse……

The trail was completely different from the one I did the day before and less crowded.

This town begins to fit me more and more, should we move here? Why not!

Stumbling upon a beautiful place in Biarritz on a rainy day The beautiful house in Biarritz on a rainy day The cute Biarritz lighthouse while exploring the town Beautiful view at the end of the path in Biarritz on a rainy day

Friday – Sun, and finally surf in Biarritz

I woke up early, checked weather conditions and waves on a live cam on a surf report site that was not working, so I said “what the hell”, let’s go!

I grabbed my bodyboard and fins, and finally got swallowed by the waves. Yes, wiped out right away! I love the ocean and I think the ocean loves me, so it gave me a lot of other successful riding chances.

Beautiful seaview in Biarritz on a sunny day

The day went as I wanted, the night too. I went where the Movida is to have a glass of Rijoa and some tapas, 5 euros: best deal after the 13 oysters in Cap Ferret.

Back to the van, I was happy because the day after, Alice would be back!

Saturday – She’s back!

Morning surfing is the best, perfect conditions and very few people out. 

Beautiful view of Biarritz on a sunny day

The rest of the day was mostly cleaning the van so to prepare our home ready for Queen Alice. And as a noble man I went to pick her up at the train station, red carpet and flower blossoms…….


Sunday – Bed day in Biarritz

(I’m back!) Once again I had a bad night, because it was wayyy too warm in there!! But no matter, we were both glad to stay put and in bed together all day after being separated for a few days!

 


Tempted to go on a camper van trip around France and surf your way to Biarritz? If you don’t want to buy a camper or an RV, you can always rent one! Check prices and availabilities on World Wide Campers!


 

Did you miss any previous edition of Van Life Weekly? Here they are!
Van Life Weekly #1: Brittany
Van Life Weekly #2: Auvergne
Van Life Weekly #3: Bordeaux & Cap Ferret & Agen
Van Life Weekly #4: Agen & the surf towns of Hossegor & Seignosse

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