El Camino de Santiago

Yesterday was our last full day. We had a lovely breakfast at the hotel. Fresh raw salmon, croissant, De Gateau Basque (it’s kinda like a custard and cake pie, very good) fresh juices cappuccino and fried eggs the French way. I mention the breakfast because it was very different than what I would get at hotel in the states.

We took a walking tour with Allan, a local Basque man. He explained a little history and climate change.

I left the tour before it ended to enjoy a massage at the hotel, saltwater pool swim and hot steam sauna.

Afterwards, I walked up the coast to see the view and thought I could get a good snack. However, I didn’t realize that every restaurant & cafe is closed at 2pm and doesn’t re-open until 7:30pm. I walked around and found the cafes full with people slowly sipping a glass of wine or lemonade bubble water and no food served.

As the clouds and fog lifted I saw the Pyrenees mountains in the background of the gorgeous views. I thought about what that will be like walking up those big beasts. I said don’t think about it just do it. Zoom in on the pictures and you can see the mountains.

Some of the places I stopped on my walk were the church Sainte-Eugénie Church of Biarritz. It is big and beautiful.

Plage du Port Vieux, an ocean pool where sunbathers come to relax with out having rough water if the open sea.

Playa De Biarritz. A swiming and surfing beach.

I was pretty hungry by the time 6:30pm and found a small custard dessert shop that sold these tiny custard balls, a tiny store that sold wine, chorizo, cheese, bread and canned pate’. I bought it and brought it to the hotel for a snack before dinner. Food is non-existent during the closed hours. I focused on the scenery and found the oasis of the dessert shop and small neighborhood store.

Met up with Amy and walked back over to the warf and had a nice dinner for sunset with some local oysters and razor back clams and local white wine. The sun set around 9:45pm.

We stumbled on a tiny nightclub about 1,000 sq ft. Had one drink and danced to Crystal Waters - gypsy! Fun!

Earlier in the day Allan our tour guide spoke about desire. He said if you desire what you don’t have you will always suffer And if you do get what you desire, it is only temporary. Attachment is not the way to live life. Detachment with love, appreciation and gratitude is to live life. Be here in the now and desire what you have.

On our last night in Biarritz I started feeling loss. Feeling how sad it was we were leaving this nice “ comfortable “ situation. I was attached to the comfort and certainty of this situation. Resisting what was ahead and unknown. Then I went and remembered the conversation with Allan and shifted my thinking to how great it was that I got to spend three days here and take care of my body with Sauna and pool. Sample French & Basque culture. Swim in the ocean on the other side of the world.

No loss, no sadness of leaving this place. Only happiness I got to experience it.

Today we pack up and head to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France 🇫🇷 to prepare of our walk on the El Camino De Santiago. I squeezed in an ocean cold plunge, hot saunaもっと詳しく