Basqueing In Bidart, France

The southern coast of France is a great place to be in June. The sun is out, the water is warm enough, and the summer crowds have yet to arrive. I am lucky to be staying with a friend, and her flat overlooks the village of Bidart, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pyrenees – absolute heaven. Plus it's warm – great to be back in summer! If that's not enough, my arrival coincided with a festival in neighboring St Jean de Luz - Festival de Andalucia. As we head down into town, I see flamenco dancing, sangria, moulle, tapas, and a gorgeous coast. Fantastic! I couldn't believe how well everyone danced – the men, the women, the children – everyone had moves. When a traditional song came on, the dance floor cleared for those that knew (or thought they knew) what they were doing – it was beautiful choreography and I was even pulled into the mix a few times to dance with the local Basque men. It was my first introduction into something my friend calls “force de Basque!” as I was tossed all over the dance floor :) Check out the video below. Over the week we enjoyed appero all over town, time in Guethary, fresh sole, watching the surfers, and enjoying the Chistera games from her balcony. One day we drove to Spain for groceries because it seems they are a bit cheaper, and I've never had a better view while running errands. My friend shops in a small village in the Pyrenees – not bad! 

France played Honduras for their first World Cup match during my stay in Bidart. It was my 2nd game in a home country, and I chose a small restaurant in the center of Bidart (not many choices!) and arrived to a large crowd. A local rugby team - a crew of about thirty 20-something guys - was celebrating their season and the beer flowed. Their presence added a great deal to the otherwise subdued crowd, and definitely made the night more fun. Enthusiasm was lacking a bit, but for being in ... not Spain, not France, but Basque!, they did their best in celebrating the 3-0 victory. I would return to the Basque coast for its beauty and way of life - although I did find it hard to meet people with my limited French language skills. I'm hoping to catch a game in the north of France to see if there is a difference!

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