Family Summer Vacation | Biarritz & San Sebastián

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This photo story is looong overdue. Considering the circumstances with our baby boy Leo arriving 3 months early I've sure had other things on my plate. During the holidays however, I've finally had some time to cuddle with Leo everyday and go through the images from our summer vacation.

We'd talked about going away together for so long time so we were all so excited for this vacay. Also, this was the first time that we'd go on a family trip, so what better place to have as a destination if not for Biarritz! If you've read my posts in the past you'd know that wifey and I are well travelled and have put in many miles together. Biarritz and San Sebastián (and Barcelona of course) are the destination that we keep coming back to. These places are kind of like our away-from-home homes :)

Since we wanted to live together, we rented a house through our friend Sophia at Biarritz Living. They provide stylish, comfortable holiday homes with character in Biarritz’s best neighbourhoods, so make sure to check them out if you're ever going there. Then for a week we just hung out and enjoyed what the Basque country has to offer; awesome vistas, beautiful beaches, world class surfing, great food & service, super friendly locals and breath taking sunsets. 

Since we were in the Basque Country we also made sure to clear a couple of night for a visit to San Sebastián. As always we love this combo, so great that these two wonderful cities are just 1 hour apart. Also lovely meeting up with my amigo Ikeya and his friend Jon. Thanx guys so much for showing us the gems of your remarkable city. We had the night of a lifetime; muchas gracias chicos, fue una pasada. Jamás lo vamos a olvidar!!

Biarritz

Donostia | San SebastiÁn

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The Basque Country Revisited | Biarritz

Magnificent Biarritz shot during a stormy sunset from my favourite spot up at the Lighthouse.

Finally!!...The last part of our 2016 summer vacation is ready to be published. I still have a couple "Hero Shots" to edit, but I don't wanna rush that process so I'll be updating this post later on when I've had the time and inclination to do so.

I feel that I've already praised Biarritz in so many previous posts that I'm out of adjectives to use and/or don't want to repeat myself. If you still haven't then here's the five part photo story I did as part our 2015 summer vacation. I'll just end this one by quoting myself and also...I can't wait to get back there in July this year!!

Here in La Côte des Basques, Biarritz is the last bastion of the South West bordering Spain and jostling with the Michelin stars of the culinary San Sebastián.  
Its mild climate and the beauty of its awe-inspiring scenery, its curved inlets punctuated by rocky outcrops, all those cozy boulangerie, patisserie & crêperie’s, and the great events that it hosts, make Biarritz a destination of enchantment to which we will return to over and over again!!

Later!!

The Mic Drop | Biarritz Part V

This is the last part of my Biarritz photo story quintette in which I’ll try to wrap things up.

I kind of wanted to round off the whole story by including photos that didn’t really fit in the previous posts. Also, I usually try to incorporate a funny story in the posts from my everyday life. Fortunately for you, I don’t have any tales to tail for today’s episode.

In conclusion I just want to emphasize that my super-secret agent of wifey and I really had an amazing time at this beautiful location.

Lastly, in an attempt of “Dropping the Mic”, I’d like to go back to the first post and quote myself;

"Here in La Côte des Basques, Biarritz is the last bastion of the South West bordering Spain and jostling with the Michelin stars of the culinary San Sebastián. 

Its mild climate and the beauty of its awe-inspiring scenery, its curved inlets punctuated by rocky outcrops, all those cozy boulangerie, patisserie & crêperie’s, and the great events that it hosts, make Biarritz a destination of enchantment to which we will return to over and over again!!"

La Grande Finale

The Emigrated Friend | Biarritz Part IV

During one evening my wife had made plans for us to meet up with a friend of hers who’d moved to Biarritz several years ago. We decided to get together at the Etxola Bibi bar known for its amazing sunset view overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Side note – Do you guys remember the “Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey” from SNL? 

Well, here’s my “Deep Thoughts” of the day: Why is it that women in general are better at keeping in touch with friends, colleagues and other connections? 

Even people they don’t meet very often they stay in touch with in some way. I wish I had this trait. On the other hand, I surely would have a huge phone bill. I think I would have to get an extra job just to pay the bills. But then again, when would I have time to see all my friends?”

Anyhow…The Etxola Bibi offers an unpretentious and relaxed ambience where one can mingle with the locals over dinner & drinks right on the street. I gotta say that it’s hard coming by a nicer view than provided at this location.

After a drink at the bar, my wife’s friend Sophia, her fiancée Youri and their cute daughter Siri gave us a tour of the city and showed us some of the hidden gems Biarritz has to offer.

Sophia runs her own business, Biarritz Living. So if you’re in the lookout for stylish and comfortable holiday homes in Biarritz’s best neighbourhoods make sure to get in touch with her. Here’s the link to the webpage and this one to the Facebook account. Biarritz Living offers tailored & multilingual expert service: they speak English, French, Swedish and Spanish.

It was a pleasure meeting you guys; hope to be seeing you soon again!

The "Etxola Bibi"

The Sunday Brunch | Biarritz Part III

I don’t know about you fellas, but I firmly believe that my wife could be an excellent secret agent or spy. Hell, not even Ethan Hunt would stand a chance! 

Don’t tell me that you don’t recognize any of these features;

  • She is aware of her surrounding at any one instance of her awakened state.
  • She is always observant and vigilant of “suspicious activity" and/or " suspicious people”.
  • One of the greatest tools in her arsenal is the ability to remember everything that has happened until today, and I mean everything! I’m at a great disadvantage here since I have the memory equivalent to a fish! (Much like the cute Dory in Finding Nemo).
  • She has a black belt in conflict management and has acquired the degree “Master of Science” in the art of texting 5 people simultaneously whilst discussing weekend plans with me and putting on nail polish.

In addition to all of this she is a great investigator/researcher and utilizes social media channels like Instagram to her tactical advantage. The latter of these abilities is sometimes used indirectly to my tactical advantage (hahaa!!).

So one day at home prior to our Biarritz trip, while I was chilling on the couch and thinking about absolutely nothing (yeah that’s my superpower!) she was using the force to track down places for us to visit in the vicinity of Biarritz.

That’s how we found about The Beach House. During our stay we made sure to plan a daytrip out to this restaurant/pool bar.

The Beach House is located just a few steps away from the beaches of Anglet at a neighboring distance of 3km to the iconic city of Biarritz. It’s advertized as a "culinary happiness house made to serve".

Here one can experience international culinary fusion curated in the heart of the basque country. The dishes are distinctly prepared with select, locally farmed produce and seafood.

If you’re in the area, make sure to try this place out. The Sunday brunch which we had comes highly recommended! 

The Beach House

The Serious Eaters | Biarritz Part II

As usual when my wife and I travel, one of the major aspects of the destination is the food.

It goes without saying that we are serious eaters with refined interest in seeking out new culinary experiences as a hobby :)

I have a sweet spot for pastries & ice cream and she loves the salty stuff; like chips, popcorn and sunflower seed. Sunflower seed you may ask yourselves!? This is a custom much popular in the Middle East that needs an entire post to cover properly. Howsoever we share the same passion for Nutella…So in more than one way we complete each other!

Soooo… How did the eatery scene in Biarritz compare? Well I gotta say that this stylish coastal town, with all the cozy boulangerie, patisserie & crêperie’s scored high in our books! The only one drawback is that the prices match my appetite.

If you're looking for service minded- and to our surprise very good English speaking staff, fresh fish & seafood, divine French pastries and top quality coffee then you will not be disappointed in Biarritz!

The Chow

The Pearl Of The Atlantic | Biarritz Part I

As ritzy as its name suggests, this stylish coastal town took off as a resort in the mid-19th century when Napoléon III and his Spanish-born wife, Eugénie, visited regularly. 

Along its rocky coastline are architectural hallmarks of this golden age, and the belle époque and art deco eras that followed. Although it retains a high glamour quotient (and high prices to match), it's also a promised land for surfers, with some of Europe's best waves.

Here in La Côte des Basques, Biarritz is the last bastion of the South West bordering Spain and jostling with the Michelin stars of the culinary San Sebastián. 

Its mild climate and the beauty of its awe-inspiring scenery, its curved inlets punctuated by rocky outcrops, all those cozy boulangerie, patisserie & crêperie’s, and the great events that it hosts, make Biarritz a destination of enchantment to which we will return to over and over again!!

This is the first post of my photo-story-quintette covering our week-long vacation...Et Voilà!!

 The Scenery (Love At First Sight!)