Souvenirs

Seaside Escapes

Biarritz

We first visited Biarritz over twenty years ago; it was our first beach vacation on the other side of the Atlantic. The lively town—packed with boutiques and restaurants—sits on a rocky coast carved into magnificent sculptures by the sea. Its natural beauty has lured many before us, including writers Victor Hugo and Ernest Hemmingway.  Napoleon III chose the medieval whaling village for his honeymoon in 1853 and then built his bride residence where they spent summers—hosting a long line of royal visitors.  A century later, filming of an adaptation of Hemmingway’s novel “The Sun Also Rises” gave birth to Biarritz’s modern reputation as an international surfing destination.  The film’s Californian screenwriter was the first to attempt surfing the waves that crash into a steep rocky cliff when hide tide completely immerses the beach below.  Despite the caution and skill required, the vibe and volume of surfer “dudes” in summer made us wonder if were in France or Malibu.