Travelling Around France
Interesting article about travelling around France.
Travel Articles - Travelling Around France
Travelling to and around France - Last week we arrived in Bordeaux and settled down with a glass of wine and some cheese. The choice of wines in this area is second to none and you could spend weeks trying to get round to all the different ‘caves du vin’ sampling the goods. Most famous for its exceptional vineyards, mild climate, endless white-sand beaches, surfing, and boating, the Aquitaine region also boasts many classic wine chateaux. Friends of ours have two such places in this region. We first met them in Salon-de-Provence a few years ago and on my first visit to their house I noticed a huge family tree on the wall in the hallway. I asked whose tree it was. The lady of the house, Frederique said “It is mine have you heard of us?” I certainly had heard of the family. The name at the top was Marie-Brizzard. I replied that, yes I knew the name Marie-Brizzard, from the unique liquor drinks. Frederique and her husband Denis then told me the story behind the name. Marie-Brizzard in the 1700’s lived in Brest on the Brittany coast of France, where being a ‘lady of the night’ she stood on the shore to welcome the sailors to the land after long journeys at sea. On one such occasion a sailor was unable to pay for services rendered so he handed a recipe for a herbal cough remedy to Marie in lieu of payment. Marie died single and childless and left her will in favour of her only nephew. The nephew found the herbal remedy and decided to manufacture it and hence the Marie-Brizzard foundation was formed. The direct descendants all carry the name of Marie, as their second Christian name, whether male or female and all the education costs are paid for through the foundation. Both Frederique’s parents and her grandparents have chateaux and their own vineyards in the Bordeaux region. The grandparents have twenty one bedrooms whilst the parents, a mere fourteen. Chateaux of this size are quite common in this area. When each child of the family is born a barrel of wine from that year’s harvest is put by, to be opened on their 21st birthday.
Many chateaux are opened to the public, and lists of the available ones are held in the tourist offices. After Marseille, Bordeaux is the oldest trading port in France and the region produces over 44 million cases of wine per year. It also houses many museums including the Centre Jean-Moulin which is devoted to the French Resistance.
To the south of Bordeaux and on the coast we will take a look at the ‘Bassin d Arcachon’. The basin never transformed itself into a sandy bottomed lake, which is usual in this part of France, because the river Eyre with its constant flow of fresh water stopped the process. Due to movement of the sand in the basin and the river currents, an extended cape was eventually produced. This is ‘Cap Ferret’ which now acts as a partial barrier, pushing the river water out towards the ocean. During the 18th century, Cap Ferret was 5 kilometres away from its current position. Although the northern pass is still accessible, the southern pass is closed, and the coastal drift has changed due to the wind and sea’s constant push. Because of this the ‘Pilat’ sand dune which was 83 meters in height in 1851 has now grown to 105 meters, as well as having moved slightly inland. Arcachon is well worth a visit to see the villas perched on hills under tall maritime pines, white sandy beaches and to sample the very pleasant climate. My youngest daughter, Victoria lived, and married in the small village of Guyjan-Mestras, set in this beautiful region.
The roads from Arcachon to the Spanish border, I will leave you, the tourist, to choose. There is a very good direct tree lined road, and not being a motorway, it is of course toll free. It has been mentioned that the vast array of tree lined roads and avenues in France was the idea of Napoleon, to shield his army from the sun whilst walking the length and breadth of France. I haven’t actually found this in any fact sheet, but am told by my French friends this is the reason for them.
This whole region is called ‘Aquitaine’, meaning ‘Land of Water’ and was so named by the Romans because of the lagoons and the vast amount of rivers. Moving south to Bayonne, which is the principal town of the French Basque region, we find here a huge Basque influence.
The cathedral city of Bayonne, 770 kilometres south west of Paris and 184 kilometres from Bordeaux is the leading port and pleasure-yacht basin of the Cote Basque. Characterized by narrow streets, quays, and ramparts, Bayonne holds bullfights and street dancing on annual fiestas and local made chocolate is available from the arcades of shops along the rue Port Neuf.
A few kilometres south we come to Biarritz nestling in the Bay of Biscay. With its huge beaches, powerful waves and mild climate all year round, Biarritz was the natural choice in 1957 to welcome the first surfers to the European continent and hence became Europe’s surfing capital.
Also a very popular area for golfing, it boasts a spa with brine springs which are used to treat anaemia as well as metabolic complaints. The Maritime Museum holds the best aquariums in France and its spectacular views of the town and coastline including the Rocher-de-la-Vierge, is linked to the mainland by a narrow footbridge built by Gustav Eiffel.
The Basque country is made up of seven provinces in France and Spain, which have remained original over the last few centuries. The Pyrenees mountain sides, dotted with white houses, is made for walkers and enthusiasts of all things green, where herds of sheep dot the fields with their white woollen coats.
As we cross the border and find ourselves back in Spain, our travel series has come to an end. We hope you, the reader, have enjoyed this excursion through part of Spain and France and whether you are car or armchair traveller have found it entertaining reading.
Article provided by kind permission of The Leader Newspaper.
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