thepurplestar: Biarritz forever!

My parents met in Biarritz in the Sixties, I spent many summers there so it has a very special place in my heart. The sun is not as guaranteed as in the South of France but who cares when you have your family, friends and excellent food! There is traffic, beaches are packed, surfers have multiplied over the years so the waves are populated and can be dangerous for swimmers but Biarritz and the Pays basque are a unique place.
We spent an evening in San Sebastian, Spain, to watch fireworks,eat tapas and drink sangria. I definitely want to go back in the day time and discover this very cool town so close to France.
My favorite restaurant for the past 2 summers, le Madrid, is located in the center of one of the cutest village of the coast, Guethary, food is simple and good, from the terrace you can watch the "scene",it's definitely the place to be and to be seen ! After le Madrid, you can walk to Heteroclito, a local bar with good music and a nice view.
Les halles de Biarritz is the covered and coveted food market, you'd better get there early otherwise it's a parking nightmare. You find the best selection of "fromage de brebis" (sheep's milk cheese), black cherry jam, gateau basque and great fish.
A friend took us for a beautiful hike in the mountains near Itxassou, we were completely unprepared (we almost lost part of the group due to dehydration and exhaustion !) for it but it was a unforgettable experience : first of all, the beauty of the landscape was magical, the wild horses, the eagles....
A little shopping never hurts so I went to Laffargue (26 rue Gambetta, www.laffargue-maroquinerie.fr) in the beautiful town of Saint Jean de Luz and got a very simple & chic purple clutch. They have a great choice of colors and it's local !

Can't wait to come back next year !