Sunday in St Jean de Luz is always a civilised affair. Today we began with a leisurely two hour breakfast on the terrace with Neil and Ashley. We ate fresh croissants, put the world right and watched on as the town came to life beneath us. Afterwards we wandered up Rue Gambetta to Place Louis IV for coffee, life here can never be rushed.
Lunch saw a return to one of our favourite restaurants, La Plancha at Ilbarritz. The sun shone brightly generating a dazzling array of colours as the ocean crashed onto the beach in front of us. After an ever delicious lunch (monkfish, dourade and gambas) we drove to the airport, said our farewells and headed home.
On return we had a brief sojourn and caught up with the local papers. Outside, the bustle of promenading shoppers created delightful ambient sound (St Jean de Luz is one of the very few places in France where shops are open on Sundays). Rue Loquin has been having a 'braderie' this weekend. The shops spill onto the street and there is a carnaval atmosphere. A group of musicians played and sang Basque songs which floated up to us on the gentle breeze.
We ended our weekend with a late afternoon tea with friends. They had made delicious sandwiches and baked a wonderful variety of cakes. We exchanged news and I managed to read some Beatrix Potter to our friend's children, translating from English into French (badly). I have a good deal of running to catch up on this week to compensate for eating too much and just as much French practice to look forward to. Moreover, following lengthy discussions with Neil and Ashley, I am feeling reinvigorated and have a far clearer sense of direction [thanks both!].
Basque of the day:- ambition :: xede handi
[monkey :: tximino]
